This weekly three-part series will provide tips ranging from the very basic to just slightly less basic. This series will be broken down into the following:

• Part 1: Password protect your wireless router
  
• Part 2: Hide your router from the Available Wireless Networks menu
• Part 3: Encrypt your wireless signal
  

Let’s get on with the part 2 of 3.

Question: How can I remove my router from the Available Wireless Networks list to ensure my neighbors aren’t stealing my Internet connection?

Answer: Follow these simple steps and you’ll be another step closer to locking down your router.

1. Open your router’s configuration web page. The URL for this varies across router vendors, so if the first one doesn’t work, try the others or look up this information in your router’s manual (if none of these work, feel free to post a comment and I will try to help as best I can).
• http://192.168.1.1
• http://192.168.0.1
• http://192.168.2.1
2. Enter your router’s username and password in the login screen as seen below. Again, the username and password varies by router, so either look this up in your router manual or try one of the options below:
• Usernames: admin, root, or leave blank
• Passwords: admin or leave blank
• 
3. After you’re logged in to your router’s configuration web page, it’s time to make your router invisible.
4. Navigate to the Wireless area.
5. Select the Disable SSID Broadcast button shown below:
6. Click Save Changes.
7. That’s it!
8. To ensure you can still connect to your network, go to your wireless network settings on your PC, and ensure you router’s SSID appears in the list of networks. If not, simply add it and you’re on your way.

DISCLAIMER: The author in no way takes responsibility for damage done to your router. If for some reason your router ceases to stop working, find the Reset button on the router and push it in with a pin for 10 seconds. That should reset your router to its factory settings.