We are living in a world that is filled with technology. Technology is continuously changing our way of life by easing our life every day. But we know that every invention has positive and negative sides and technological devices are not different.
Pretty much everyone is familiar with a WiFi device. As we all know that every device that has a computer chip can be hacked and WiFi router can also be hacked. Hacking became a buzz word in these recent years. Daily we hear lots of hacking news all over the world.
Your WiFi router can be hacked easily and the sad thing is you may not know about the hacking. To hack a network, WiFi router is the main weak point for hackers.
Every WiFi router has firmware code that gives permission to hackers to modify the settings of the router. Hackers can change the DNS (Domain name Server) of your router and they can send your web requests to some fake websites which are infected with malware.
If your router hacked, don’t just think that they hacked your network just for using the internet. By using your network hackers can hack others to steal important data such as bank account details, card details and so on.
So it is very essential for you to fix your hacked router immediately without wasting time. It will save you and others from losing valuable data.
Table of Contents
What Should You Do to Fix Hacked WiFi Router?
When you find out that your router is being hacked then you should take the steps given below to fix your hacked WiFi router.
1. Physically Disconnect Internet
To fix your hacked router the first thing you need to do is isolate your router so that the hacker loses his control over your network. Isolating your router means physically disconnect the internet connection from your WiFi router. You should also disable unplug the internet connection from your computer.
2. Reset The Router
Every WiFi router has a factory default reset button that helps to reset the router. When you reset your router it eliminates all the settings including passwords that have been added to your router by the hacker. It will close the door for the hacker to control your network.
After the reset process you will need admin name and password to reconfigure the router setting. You will find the credentials on the user manual of your router or in the website.
3. Modify Router Admin Password
Change the existing password on the admin panel of your router by logging into your router. This way the intruder will lose his control over your WiFi.
4. Modify Wireless Network Password
You also need to change the password of your wireless network that you used to connect with your WiFi. Try to set a complex password using a combination of uppercase, letter, number, and symbols.
5. Update The Firmware of The Router
You need to update the firmware of your router manually as most of the routers don’t install the updated firmware automatically. Frequently update the firmware version to prevent hacking in future.
The hacker may be hacked your router by using a vulnerability of your firmware. That is why regularly software update is required.
6. Clean Your PC from Malware
There are plethora of possibilities to hack your router and that can via your computer. You got hacked by any software, website or by a spam mail. That is why you need to scan your whole pc to get rid of all possible malware.
7. Use A Different IP Address
Contact your ISP (Internet Service Provider) to change your IP address. Though it is not essential every time, but it is a good plan to get a new IP address.
IP address is the way to find you over the internet. Hacker can find you through your IP address. If you change your IP address hacker will be frustrated as he needs to re-establish the connection to your network for taking control.
8. De-activate Remote Administration on Your Router
Remote administration is a very good feature to control your network from another location. If an intruder gets access of your Remote Administration somehow then it will be a headache for you. So, when you don’t need this feature, keep it inactive.
How to Save Yourself From Being Hacked
It is not 100% possible to protect yourself from getting hacked. What you can do is take some precaution to make it difficult for the hackers.
Regularly Update Firmware: You need to check frequently if there is any firmware update available. Whenever you see a firmware update, immediately download and install it. Because these firmware updates fixes security issues.
Change WiFi Password Frequently: By changing your WiFi password on a regular basis you can help yourself from being hacked. Use a good and strong password to keep your wireless network protected from the intruders.
Never Use Default User Name and Password: All the new routers come with default user name and password which is known by most of the people. That is why whenever you are getting a new wireless router, the very first thing you need to do is to change the default user name and password.
Check Connected Devices Regularly: If you check the connected devices to your network regularly then you will know who are connected with your network.
Deactivate WPS: WPS stands for WiFi Protected Setup that permits you to connect a new device just by pushing a WPS button or by entering a small password. According to the experts this feature is not very secure. So, if you don’t need it that much, you can deactivate it to protect your router from getting hacked.
Enable Guest Network: This feature allows you to set up a separate network for your guests. The Guest Network will help you to secure your network connection as well as other smart home devices.
In a nutshell
These are easy and preventable measures to prevent you from being hacked again. You can keep your network secured by following the above steps. 1 key tip to tell to take note and to inform users on your home WIFI networks is to:
- Avoid downloading from suspicious websites
- Dont install cracked applications and software
- And be aware of “allowing access” to your computer if you get a 3rd party prompt request.
- Have up-to-date virus software installed
But most important of all, Avoid surfing on suspicious websites at all causes.
