PROTECT INDIVIDUAL DEVICES
Securing your router
protects the gateway to
your network, but it doesn’t
mean you can ignore the
security of each computer
or device you’ve connected
to it. After all, your network
is only as secure as its
weakest element.
Your Windows PC
should be protected by
the built-in Windows
Security, but what about
your mobiles, tablets,
and other connected
devices? While iOS devices
don’t technically require
security apps, make sure
you’re running the latest
version of iOS and if you
have installed third-party
protection on your PC,
look for a mobile app such
as Bitdefender Mobile
Security that can highlight
potential vulnerabilities
and provide some email
and web protection.
Android devices require
antivirus just like your PC,
and it’s good practice to
protect Macs too. Perhaps
now is the time to purchase
a multi-device security
package like Bitdefender
or Norton to cover all your
home’s key devices with
one subscription.
That leaves items such
as your connected TV or
smart devices like Alexa
speaker or Ring doorbell.
With these, you need
to ensure they’re set to
automatically receive
and install updates or
take the time to perform
a full device audit using
Advanced IP Scanner
(www.advanced-ip-
scanner.com) or a similar
tool, then check each
device manually to see if
updates exist.
You may also consider
isolating some devices
from the rest of your
network. Check if your
router supports VLAN—
the Archer VR 900 does,
both wired and wireless.
Synology routers should
get this in the next update
to the SRM operating
system (1.3). If they are
wireless devices, place
them on the guest Wi-Fi
network, making sure
guests have no access
to your main network.
This may not be practical
if these devices require
access to local network
resources to work properly.
Identify connecteddevices and check security oneach one
The Synology scores more
highly in this regard: open Package
Center and click Open next to the
Safe Access parental control app.
Rules are assigned to profiles,
which can be individuals in your
home (covering all their devices),
all unassigned devices on your
network, or the Guest Wi-Fi.
Once assigned, you can limit
users’ access to the internet to
specific times of the day or set a
maximum time limit per day. As
with the Archer, there’s a web filter
that can block by category as well
as by domain. It offers templates for
children, guests, employees, and so
on, which you can then further fine-
tune. Finally, you can even define a
page style that users will see when
they fall foul of the filter.
Safe Access also provides
Synology users with additional
protection against phishing,
malware, and potentially unwanted
software via the Threat Intelligence
database and Google Safe Browsing
(API key required for the latter).
MORE TWEAKS
Updates are a key part of keeping
us safe online, but it’s a sad fact
that most consumer routers
rarely, if ever, receive firmware
updates. Taking the Archer VR900
as an example, it comes in three
hardware versions and, of those,
V2 has received no firmware
updates, while V1 and V3 have only
received a handful. On the other
hand, the Synology router’s SRM
operating system receives frequent
updates and can be configured to
automatically check for updates.
Whatever model of router you
have, look for an option to check
for updates within your router’s
configuration utility. If none are
found, check the support section of
your router’s website in case there
is one you can manually download
and install instead.
Synology routers also offer a
dedicated Security section under
Network Center that is worth
exploring. Note that the ‘Enable DoS
Protection’ setting applies more
to organizations than individuals,
as you’re unlikely to become a
target unless running services
directly from your home network.
However, we recommend using
the Auto Block tab to help frustrate
brute-force attacks on the router’s
configuration utility. VLAN support is built into the Archer VR 900 series
If you’d like to split your network
into ‘trusted’ and ‘untrusted’ zones,
or want to create two separate,
isolated networks, check to see if
your router supports VLAN. Both
Archer and Synology routers do,
allowing you to separate wired from
wireless, or create separate hybrid
wired/Wi-Fi networks. Consult your
manual for details on setting it up.
The final box reveals how to dial
into your home securely using a
VPN server set up on your router,
but what about more traditional
VPN services, which allow you
to mask your true location and
encrypt data over untrusted Wi-Fi
networks? Some routers, including
the Synology, allow you to set up a
VPN connection on the router itself,
which means all the devices in your
home can benefit without being
connected separately.
On the Synology router, first
check that your VPN provider
supports L2TP/IPSec or OpenVPN
(via a configuration file) for the most
secure connection. Then navigate
to Network Center > Internet and
click ‘VPN Settings’ underneath
‘Primary Interface’ to set up the
connection. Remember, though,
that VPNs carry a performance
penalty, so you might prefer to stick
to protecting individual devices
instead of slowing down your entire
internet connection.
JAN 2022 MAXIMUMPC 49
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