Wi-Fi Networks and How They Impact Home Security
If you take a look at all the smart home security systems available for sale today, you’ll notice that they use one of the two possible ways to keep the outside world notified – they either rely on a cellular network or use your home’s Wi-Fi network. And given the fact that most of the ones that you can build yourself use your Wi-Fi network, you must wonder how much of an impact such a network has on the system.
While you shouldn’t be worried about security, it’s still a good idea to know how a smart system makes use of those networks, and how you can do your best to keep things as secure as possible. Before we get into the details, you should know that both home security systems, and Wi-Fi networks do have some really useful protocols in place, so the chances of someone messing with them are slim to none, but it’s still a good idea to know how things work.
Why is Wi-Fi Important?
The main benefit of a smart home security system, compared to a conventional one, is the fact that a smart one can communicate to the outside world – you, in particular, if you’re not at home. To do this, it needs some communication protocol, and that’s either a cellular network or your home’s internet connection, depending on how you’ve set things up.
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The ones that rely on a cellular network tend to be the ones that professional monitoring companies set up. However, what you set up yourself usually makes use of Wi-Fi, because it’s a lot easier to set up and maintain, and is just as reliable.
Things are actually pretty simple on that front – your smart home security system just uses your Wi-Fi network for its internet access, thus giving you access to the system from pretty much wherever you are. And while this might sound dangerous, considering just how secure Wi-Fi networks today are, you have absolutely nothing to worry about on that front.
Let’s Discuss Encryption
When it comes to encryption, you have two main options. WEP, which stands for Wired Equivalent Privacy is the older, less secure option, while WPA, which stands for Wireless Protected Access, is the more secure option. WPA2 is the standard in use today, and it’s basically the second version of WPA2.
While some encryption is better than no encryption, WEP is seriously not secure, and relatively easy to get past. If your router is still using it, you should switch to WPA or even WPA2. They offer much more protection and are next to impossible to crack.
Your Wi-Fi Network Should Be as Secure as Possible
While the networks themselves are actually pretty secure, there are still things that you can do, aside from switching to more secure encryption. One easy way to make sure nobody can access your home security network is to set everything on a different network and hide it. Most modern routers will actually let you create multiple networks, so having one that’s dedicated to your security system and nothing else is a great idea. You can set a complex password, and then set your router to not display the network in the list of connections. This way, even if someone is scanning Wi-Fi networks and manages to find yours, it’s not going to be the one that your home security system relies on.
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To add to this, you should have all your networks to be as secure as possible. Someone gaining access to one of them might mean they have access to your router, too, which leads us perfectly into our next point – change the default password to access the router. This way nobody can change the settings and mess with your networks.
Wrapping things up
At the end of the day, there’s no denying that the Wi-Fi network your security system uses is a key part of the entire system. Not having it be as secure as possible means that you’re basically creating a vulnerability that someone can take advantage of.
It’s always a smart idea to make sure your Wi-Fi network is as secure as possible, but with the few tips we mentioned above, you should have absolutely no worries about whether or not someone can take control of your security system.
If you still don’t think this is enough (even though you have no reason to think so), you could opt for a cellular-based network. However, note that those are more expensive, require hefty monthly fees, and you’ll need to pay a professional to install them. Just go for a Wi-Fi-based network and follow the tips above – you should be more than good to go.
