Every device you own connects through one box you probably haven't touched since the day it was installed. Old routers with default settings are how strangers end up inside home networks.
Change the admin password, update the firmware, use WPA2 or WPA3 with a strong Wi-Fi password, and put guests and smart gadgets on the guest network. One hour of setup protects everything behind it.
It sits in a closet running the same software for 5+ years. Routers are computers, and old ones accumulate known security holes that never get fixed.
Automated tools hunt old router models with known flaws and default admin passwords (admin/admin does decades of damage). Once in, they change your DNS to redirect your banking, or just watch.
One hacked smart plug or visiting laptop can reach everything: your work computer, your files, your cameras, because everything's on one big happy network.
Rental modems/routers get patched eventually, sometimes. If yours is ancient, the ISP will usually swap it free. Ask.
Log in once (address on the router's sticker), change the admin password, and check for a firmware update.
WPA2 or WPA3 with a long passphrase. A full sentence works great and types easily.
Turn on the guest network for visitors AND smart gadgets. Your laptop shouldn't share a lane with a $25 smart plug.
Disable WPS and remote administration. If the router's ancient, replace it. It's the security purchase with the most bang per dollar.
KCCS installs, secures, and watches business systems all over Southern Colorado. Get a free assessment — a real engineer walks your site and hands you a written punch list.
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