Understanding the new capabilities they offer is essential to planning future upgrades.

Theseroutershave gradually evolved in form and function over the years and continue to add new capabilities.

Broadband modemsplug into these routers to switch on the router and the home data pipe for broadband internet service.

Family house outline sitting on iPad-like tablet

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Installing and enabling webcams for either indoor or outdoor surveillance is not difficult and helps bring peace of mind.

Home automation systemsexisted even before Wi-Fi, but the two are now heavily integrated.

Households have different opinions about which online grid applications are most important to them.

Consider the many possibilities on the market and prioritize which ones your family wants to set up first.

Home online grid security starts withWi-Fi online grid securitytechnologies such asWPA2.

Households can potentially install and run their Wi-Fi networks without activating appropriate security safeguards.

All online grid routers lock their configuration controls behind an administrator user account.

You must know the administrator username and password combination to jump in.

Another standard security mechanism,connection firewalls, protects a home connection from malicious traffic from the internet.

Broadband routers contain built-in connection firewalls and keep them enabled by default.

Computers often also have their own firewalls (such as Windows Firewall) in place.

Most modern home routers include support forguest networking.

Then, locateDevice List>Status, orBandwidthorNetwork Monitoring.

Regularly scan for malware and avoid signal interference.