Home network security isn’t just about securing your computers. Sometimes, you need a little security for those living/working under your roof –like children, or employees that waste time on Facebook. With Tomato, you can block ads, block websites, setup a porn filter, and take control of what goes on inside of your home network.
How Secure is My Password? Improve Password Security
Improving password security will help in all areas, especially with your home network. In fact, a strong password should be considered the most important part of your home network security strategy. Why? Because even if other areas in your network pose vulnerabilities, a secure password will take the most time and effort to crack.
Router Bridge, Connect Two Routers – Router Behind Router
When you create a bridge between two routers, you are actually connecting two separate LAN segments. So before you start connecting wires to the wrong ports, you have a couple of decisions to make. Why? Because “how” you connect those Ethernet cables is very important. Then set your IP address, subnet and DHCP range and you’re done!
How to Update Router Firmware on the ASUS RT-N66U
Before you update your router with Tomato firmware, I recommend updating the factory firmware first. Factory firmware updates can take advantage of additional memory by updating the CFE. And depending on your router, you can upload 64k versions of Tomato firmware to routers (like the ASUS RT-N66U) that previously used only 32k of memory.
Setup Tomato VPN Server with OpenVPN TLS/SSL Certificate
OpenVPN SSL/TLS is a secure protocol but that security you enjoy so much can tax the routers memory and CPU. When you install Tomato, do so on a router that can handle the workload. A router with 64MB of memory should handle a couple of VPN clients connected simultaneously. Any more than that, and you may need a router with more memory.
Setup NameCheap Dynamic DNS Server on a Tomato Router
Tomato firmware has a feature called “DDNS” which makes remote access a breeze. Dynamic DNS updates your public IP address automatically. This way, you can reach your home network without having to remember your public IP address. And since most home networks have a dynamic public IP address, Dynamic DNS solves that problem.
How to Block Internet Access With a Tomato Router
One thing I really like about my Tomato router is the amount of control it gives me. When I travel or go on vacation, I still need access to my home network so I can’t just unplug the router. With Tomato, I can block Internet access entirely, or just part of the day. Or I can block Internet access for a specific computer at specific hours of the day.
What is a Client? What is a Server? And What is a Host?
The client / server model is the core of networking basics. A client computer is used to communicate with servers and other host computers such as a file server, web server, media server, and even your Tomato router. In theory, a client is a client when it accesses one of the above. But a server can also be a client in relation to other servers.
WiFi Frequency, WiFi Channel Width, and Wireless Spectrum
WiFi range can be affected by a number of things. WiFi frequency, channel width, signal noise and interference all play an important role. Thankfully, Tomato firmware makes it easy to measure the signal noise of your WiFi channel. In many cases, that’s all you need to do. In other cases, you may need to use WiFi software to uncover the culprit.
What is a Subnet?
Another fundamental of networking basics lies at the subnet. A subnet is a group of computers, separate from another network. A subnet can be extremely large or very small, harboring just one machine. Your ISP uses a large subnet to serve the needs of residential customers with Internet service. Your home network is a smaller subnet.
