It may be hard to imagine, but just a mere 20 years ago, the Internet
was nothing more than a novelty -- a way for incredibly smart college
professors and researchers to share information, and for a few people to
network across the newly developed World Wide Web. E-mail
was nothing like it is today. The primitive e-mail systems found at
universities or even through accounts offered with the first Internet
service providers (ISPs) such as Prodigy and America Online were often
difficult to use.
Fast forward to the 2010s and things have
changed significantly. Where wired Internet once kept us tethered to a
desk, today's laptops and mobile devices give us access to friends and
endless entertainment practically anywhere via WiFi, 3G and 4G
technologies.
While we use 3G and 4G data on our smartphones as
we're out and about in the world, WiFi still dominates in the home. And
in coffee shops. And libraries. And airports. Thanks to the ubiquity of
wireless routers and hotspots, just about any plain old wired Internet
connection -- faster and cheaper and without the limiting bandwidth caps
of cellular data -- can be turned into a convenient WiFi zone.
Whether
we install them ourselves or get them from our Internet providers, most
of us have WiFi routers in our homes these days. That can cause a
couple of problems: When wireless signals are operating on the same
frequency, they can cause interference, especially if you're living in
an apartment building. And without the proper security, someone could
easily hop onto your wireless network.
Chances are you're reading this article because you suspect someone is piggybacking
or using your WiFi without your permission. When wireless squatters
steal your WiFi, they eat up your bandwidth. In extreme cases, they may
even steal information off your computer or infect machines on your
network with a virus. But fear not: It's easy to fight back. Let's start
with a basic overview of managing a wireless network, which is the
first step towards keeping your WiFi setup nice and secure.
