Securing your wireless internet is incredibly important for a number of reasons. These include avoiding having your web used for illegal purposes, keeping your files secure, and keeping your web connection as fast as is possible. Luckily, securing your internet is simple and won’t take much time. Here’s a fast step-by-step to get you through the process.

Step 1: Check for Instructions

While this guide will walk you through how to secure your network with or without special directions, it may be that your router comes with a simpler guide with a more user friendly interface that allows you to skip some of these steps. Check for that guide first, and follow its directions if possible.

Step 2: Connect to the web.

Hypothetically, you can access your router wireless before securing it. However, it’s a good idea to hard wire in with an Ethernet cable if you can. In any case, make sure it’s the only internet you’re plugged into.

Step 3: Open Command Prompt

You will need to enter the router’s IP address in order to access your control panel, but the IP address isn’t always going to be the same. You will find the IP address by opening command prompt. To open command prompt, go to the “run” feature of the Windows OS you are using and type in “CMD,” then hit enter.

Step 4: Get your router’s IP address

Now that Command Prompt is open, you will enter “ipconfig,” and push enter. Look at the text that has scrolled down, and find the “default gateway.” That’s the IP address for your router.

Step 5: Log Into Your Control Panel

Open up your preferred internet browser and enter the ip address into the address bar, then hit enter. You may be prompted to enter a username and password. Leave these blank if you don’t believe you have any, and push enter. If this doesn’t work, check your materials, information on the bottom of the router, and the support site for the router in order to find this information.

Step 6: Secure Your Network

Now select the appropriate “secure the network” command and follow the given directions.