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The Risk

When targeting tourists through Wi-Fi, hackers typically rely on one of two main tactics. In both cases, sensitive data can be viewed, recorded, and stolen by hackers. These attackers can potentially view your passwords, social networks, important documents, emails, bank account information, and much more through the compromised device.

The first tactic involves tracking users’ movements on unencrypted Wi-Fi channels. In this instance, hackers can capture all data sent to and from your computer and, with websites who don’t use HTTPS, can view your usernames and passwords, as well. In some instances, unprotected networks can enable Man-In-The-Middle attacks, in which traffic sent from your device to another is intercepted, recorded, or adjusted and then passed on.

The other risk Wi-Fi users face when traveling abroad includes fake hot spots offered for free, often mimicking the name of a known and trusted free Wi-Fi network. Oftentimes, these networks will appear to mobile users as Starbucks or Apple Store hot spots, when in fact they are malicious connection points.

Safety Tips

When leaving on a trip, you should change passwords, using a strong combination of letters, numbers, and symbols. In addition, your phone’s Wi-Fi setting should be switched off when not in use to prevent automatic connection to nearby hot spots. Before connecting to a Wi-Fi network, verify that the channel is encrypted and authentic. This can be done by verifying the network name with hotel managers or airport employees. When using these networks, only access encrypted channels (ones where the URL begins with “HTTPS”).

Make sure to turn off sharing settings, program your devices to “forget” Wi-Fi connection, and enable two-factor authentication for all accounts.

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In addition to closing background apps, there are some other ways that you can boost your 4G connection. The following are some other methods you should try before contacting your carrier or switching carriers altogether.

Delete Your App Cache

If you have a lot of apps installed on your device, then odds are, they’re storing a lot of temporary files that are slowing down your phone and taking up too much space. App developers are trying to remain competitive by offering more features in their apps, or turning their apps into “all-in-one” apps. Just look at the Facebook app, for example: you can shop, post live videos, browse the web, share photos, and etc.

Because of this, your apps can quickly bloat with files that you don’t really need, which can slow down your connection. Instead of manually deleting the junk files and cache for each app, use Quick Cleanup to remove all of these files from your phone at once. Click here to quickly remove cache and temporary files:

Sure, web advertisements can be annoying. But the main advantage to having a browser with an ad blocker is to speed up your Internet. Web pages that are overloaded with ads will seriously slow down your phone’s web page loading times, making it seem like you have a bad connection. An ad blocker may be just the thing you need to speed up your 4G connection.

1. Check the Status of Your Wi-Fi

The best way to figure out if your Internet is running at its full capacity is by using DFNDR’s Wi-Fi Check feature. Wi-Fi Check will test your network speed, download speed, connectivity, DNS security, and network security. That way, you’ll be able to easily tell if you’re getting the most out of your Wi-Fi. Click above to check your network speed right now.

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2. Move Your Router

You might not realize that your router’s placement in your house affects how well it works. That means that you don’t want to hide your router behind doors or in cabinets. Instead, place your router out in the open, where it can stand without obstructions. If you can elevate your router, do so. Move it to the highest floor of your house or else put it on a cabinet that’s above all other objects. Also, make sure it is at the center of your home for the best connection. Finally, situate the router’s antennas so they are perpendicular.

3. Don’t Let Other Appliances Interfere

One of the biggest reasons that routers don’t work as well as they should is because of appliances that interfere with your reception. Things that you might not expect to cause problems are cordless phones and microwaves. These appliances can suck your signal. One way to improve this problem is by buying a dual band router. If that’s not an option for you, simply move the router away from other appliances.

4. Prioritize Certain Applications Over Others

We bet there’s someone in your house who streams a lot of shows from Netflix or plays online games for hours. Think about all of the smartphones, tablets, game consoles, TVs, appliances, etc. that you have connected to the Internet at all times. Obviously, these activities absorb a lot of bandwidth on communal devices. To stop some of these Internet hogs, you can use a Quality of Service (QoS) to prioritize certain applications, like Internet browsers, over others, or specific video chat applications. You can also turn off access to the Internet for certain devices and appliances when you’re not using them.

Check Your Wi-Fi Speed

Use DFNDR’s Wi-Fi Check feature to check the current speed of your Wi-Fi network. This feature will perform a connectivity test, check your download speed, and check your DNS and network security. This is an easy litmus test to decipher whether or not your Wi-Fi is up to optimal speed. Click here to check the speed of your Wi-Fi:

Wi-Fi Moochers

If you leave your Wi-FI open to the public — i.e. without password protection — then there will be a huge freeloader problem. Too much traffic on your Wi-Fi will significantly reduce its speeds, as there is only a finite amount of bandwidth available for your network. Be sure to make your Wi-Fi network private if it isn’t already, and to closely monitor the amount of traffic you allow access to your network. Further, a private network ensures that your network is more secure, too. It’s safer to access your banking or other sensitive information on a private network.

Old Equipment

Like all other technologies, Wi-Fi routers are continuously evolving as the years go by. Thus, older Wi-Fi equipment is bound to be slower than the new, more developed equipment. Check the model of your Wi-Fi gear to ensure that you have the latest and greatest model; otherwise, your Internet will likely be slower than usual. If your router is more than a few years old, then it might be time to upgrade your device. Doing so will help to increase the security of your network, too.

Out of Range

Proximity is key when it comes to the strength of your Wi-Fi signal. As a result, it is imperative that you are relatively close to the Wi-Fi router. Too much distance from your router can result in incredibly low speeds and lag time. Make sure to move your router around the house a few times to find the optimal spot.

Router’s Security Settings

First of all, make sure that there is a viable security setting present on your Wi-Fi router. Otherwise, your Wi-Fi will likely be slowed down. Open networks make it easy for people to steal your Wi-Fi. According to USA Today, WPA2 with AES is your best security option for your Wi-Fi network.

The first step is to officially check your connection speed. Use DFNDR’s Wi-Fi Check feature to check the speed of your network. This feature will perform a connectivity test, allow you to check your download speed, and provide you with information on your DNS security and network security. Click here to test your Wi-Fi connection:

If you leave your Wi-Fi network public — i.e., without password-protection — then there will be a huge freeloader problem. Too much traffic on your Wi-Fi network will significantly reduce its speed, as there is only a finite amount of bandwidth available for your network. Be sure to make your Wi-Fi private, and closely monitor who is using the account. This will also make your network significantly more secure.

To do this, you’ll need to make sure that there is a viable security setting present on your Wi-Fi. Otherwise, your Wi-Fi will likely be slowed down, since open networks make it easy for people to steal your Wi-Fi. According to USA Today, WPA2 with AES is your best security option for Wi-Fi.

Old Equipment

Like all other technologies, Wi-Fi instruments are continuously evolving as the years go by. Thus, older Wi-Fi equipment is bound to be slower than the new, more developed equipment. Check the model of your Wi-Fi router to ensure that you have the latest and greatest version. Otherwise, your Internet will likely be slower than it should be.

Out of Range

Proximity is key when it comes to the strength of your Wi-Fi signal. As a result, it is imperative to ensure that you are relatively close to the Wi-Fi router. Too much distance from your router can result in incredibly low speeds and lag time. Make sure to move your router around the house a few times to find the optimal spot for its range.

While any public internet connection could spread viruses, you don’t want to click on foreign Wi-Fi because of the potential that it is networking sharing-enabled. If the network you join has a shared file system that can be used by multiple devices, malware could be downloaded onto any device with write access. Additionally, the malware-infected Wi-Fi could open up remote access on your computer. Remote access lets the intruder use your infected system to attack other devices that also connect to the network.

Read More: How to Avoid Getting Viruses in Public Places

A virus called Chameleon infects and spreads across Wi-Fi networks in densely-populated areas. This virus infects devices that connect to the internet. Computers that log onto unfamiliar wireless networks that have default passwords or no passwords are particularly vulnerable to Chameleon infection. Once infected, hackers can find out the credentials of the virus-ridden device and use it to continue their attacks.

Public internet that’s often left open for a number of users is particularly vulnerable to attacks like those from Chameleon. To keep your computer safe, make sure you know if the internet you want to use is secured with a password. Ask around, and, if you find out that it isn’t password protected, it’s best to wait until you have access to better-secured Wi-Fi to connect your computer to the system.

If your home network isn’t secure, you could have a virus on your hands, as well. To put a password on your home internet, first open your router setup screen. There, navigate to the “Wireless Security” page. Select the WPA or WPA2 wireless security method and enter a password. Once you’ve created a password, any computer that wants to use your Wi-Fi must enter the password before accessing the Wi-Fi.

To keep your computer even safer if you’re connecting to a public network, download PSafe Total Windows. The software activates real-time virus scans to protect your computer from any intruders. Additionally, the anti-theft feature also tracks and blocks your data in case you lose your computer or have it stolen.