Part 3: Network & Home Security

How I Built My Digital Fortress at Home

network-monitoring-fashionable-glasses-cat.png

🗺️ Series: Overview • Part 1: Recognizing Scams → • Part 2: Essential Tools → • Part 3: Network Security (current page) • Part 4: Daily Habits →

⚠️ Disclaimer

I’m not a certified security professional or lawyer. I’m just sharing my experience and security habits - things I try to follow myself and urge my mom to practice as well. This is not a professional security consultation, nor a legal advice. Your situation may differ. When in doubt, consult with qualified paid professionals.

A home network is like a house. Nobody would leave their front door unlocked, right? Yet many people leave their routers with default passwords and wide-open network access.

This post is about building a secure home network - my digital fortress.

Hacker cat in yellow rain jacket looking up at building a digital fortress

🎯 Bottom Line

The router is the front door to digital life. Secure it properly, and most attackers are blocked.

1. Security Doesn’t Have to Be Expensive

For Most People: A Good Router

A decent router with firewall capabilities costs $100-$300.

What I looked for:

Routers I recommend:

What I Personally Use: Firewalla

🛡️ What I Use: Firewalla

I use Firewalla at home. It’s on the pricey side ($189-$500+ depending on model, up to $1,000 for Gold Pro), but it’s what I set up for my mom too because:

  • Automatic updates - set it and forget it
  • Great network monitoring - I can see what’s happening on my network
  • Excellent ad-blocking and threat-blocking
  • Very easy interface - my mom can actually use it
  • Great support when I need help

I’ve tried many routers/firewalls over the years (pfSense, UniFi, OpenWRT, D-Link, Linksys, etc.), and for home use, Firewalla is my top pick for non-technical family members.

For Tech-Savvy Users

For those comfortable with more complex setups:

💸 Worth It?

Compared to the cost of identity theft recovery? It’s worth it.

Identity theft recovery costs:

  • Direct financial loss: $500 median (but 18% lose $1,000-$5,000, 12% lose $10,000+)
  • Recovery expenses: $1,200+ average (legal fees, lost wages, document replacement)
  • Time investment: 6-12 months on average (100-200+ hours of work)
  • Severe cases: Can exceed $100,000+ in losses
  • Complex cases (especially tax-related): Up to 2+ years to fully resolve

Router security investment:

  • Good router cost: $100-400 (budget to premium)
  • Time to set up: 1-2 hours

Hacker cat in yellow hoodie wearing fashionable yellow glasses monitoring network security

2. I Changed The Default Passwords (Finally!)

This is the #1 mistake I see people make.

What Hackers Do

  1. Scan for routers on the internet
  2. Try default username/password combinations
  3. Get in because people never changed them
  4. Access the entire network

What I Changed

Router admin password:

WiFi password:

Router SSID (network name):

💀 Real Attack

A friend’s router got hacked because they never changed the default password. The hacker:

  • Changed DNS settings to redirect to malicious sites
  • Intercepted online banking credentials
  • Cost: $3,000 in fraudulent charges

All because of “admin/admin”

3. How I Segment My Network (Guests & IoT Separated)

I think of my network like my house with different rooms:

Why I Do This

My scenario: I have cheap smart lightbulbs with terrible security. If a hacker compromises one, without network segmentation, they’d have access to:

With segmentation: They only get access to my lightbulbs. Big deal.

How I Set This Up

What I did (Easy way):

Most modern routers support guest networks:

  1. I logged into my router
  2. Enabled “Guest Network”
  3. Gave it a different password
  4. Made sure “Allow guests to access local network” was OFF

What I put on guest WiFi:

For advanced users (VLANs):

For those who are tech-savvy with managed switches, I’d use VLANs for better isolation.

My DMZ Setup

I have a game server that needs incoming connections, so I put it in a DMZ (Demilitarized Zone).

This gives it internet access without exposing my private network.

4. My Allow-List Philosophy

When I configured my firewall, I thought about this:

Block-list approach: Block bad things

Allow-list approach: Only allow good things

🔑 My Setup

I default to deny. I only allow what I know I need.

My Example

Bad approach: “Block known malware sites” (there are millions) What I do: “Only allow connections from my devices” (there are maybe 10)

How I Configured This

Most routers call this “Access Control” or “MAC Filtering”:

  1. I listed all my devices’ MAC addresses
  2. Set my router to “Allow listed devices only”
  3. Anything else gets rejected

5. How I Handle My IoT Devices

Smart home gadgets are convenient but often have terrible security.

What I Do Before Connecting Any IoT Device

Before I connect any IoT device:

💀 IoT Horror Stories

  • Smart doorbell - Hacked, used to spy on family
  • Baby monitor - Stranger talking to baby through camera
  • Smart TV - Recording conversations, sending to manufacturer
  • WiFi lightbulb - Used as entry point to hack entire network

My IoT Setup

What I have:

How I secure them:

  1. All on separate guest network
  2. Firewall blocks them from accessing internet except for updates
  3. Local control only (no cloud when possible)
  4. Regular firmware updates

6. How I Configured My Router Firewall

My Firewall Settings

SPI (Stateful Packet Inspection):

UPnP (Universal Plug and Play):

DoS (Denial of Service) Protection:

WPS (WiFi Protected Setup):

⚙️ Mom’s Router Setup

  1. Change admin password ✅
  2. Change WiFi password ✅
  3. Enable WPA3 (or WPA2 minimum) ✅
  4. Disable WPS ✅
  5. Disable UPnP ✅
  6. Enable guest network ✅
  7. Set up automatic firmware updates ✅
  8. Disable remote management ✅

7. How I Keep My Firmware Updated

Router firmware updates fix security vulnerabilities.

How I Update My Router Firmware

What I do (Automatic):

For older routers (Manual):

  1. I log into the router admin panel
  2. Check current firmware version
  3. Visit manufacturer’s website
  4. Download latest firmware
  5. Upload to router
  6. Restart

How often I check: Quarterly, or I enable auto-updates

🔑 Lesson Learned

Many router manufacturers stop updating firmware after 2-3 years. When my old router stopped getting updates, I replaced it.

What I’d Do First If Starting Over

If I were starting fresh, here’s what I’d tackle first:

Next in Series

Part 4: Daily Security Habits →

Learn the everyday habits that keep people secure: safe browsing, social media privacy, online shopping safety, and what to do if hacked.

More Resources

Last updated: January 31, 2025

Published
Programming | firewall router security network security cybersecurity
firewall router security network security cybersecurity