Does MAC Filtering Help Wi-Fi Security?

There is not any doubt that protection is a very important factor for users on the Internet. Protecting all our devices is something that can avoid risks that cause a malfunction. In the case of routers, security is essential if we want to maintain Internet speed and avoid intruders. There are different methods and tools that we can use for this. However one that many users use is not really effective. This is MAC filtering . We are going to explain what it is and why it is not really a good measure to protect the security of a Wi-Fi network.

Why MAC Filtering Isn't a Good Security Measure

The MAC filtering is basically an option to prevent the entry of certain devices to your router. In other words, we can create a white list so that only those computers that we have selected can connect to Wi-Fi and have a connection. Any other device trying to connect couldn't, even if it had the password.

On paper it looks very nice and safe, but the reality is that it is not so. It is a rather dissuasive measure to prevent certain computers from connecting at a given moment or even users who do not have the necessary knowledge. However, if we really look for security, it is not the best measure

As we have mentioned, a user with the necessary knowledge could make use of tools that allow to bypass this security barrier. They could use sniffer in order to clone that MAC address. So they could access the connection as if it were actually the legitimate device. This is accomplished by capturing packets on the network and locating the clients that are connected.

Of course, a user without the necessary knowledge and tools could not face this barrier. Directly it would be impossible to connect. Therefore we can say that to a certain extent it can be a barrier to prevent the entry of intruders, but if we talk about more technical and reliability aspects it is not the best solution.

A user can easily change their MAC and put the one they have cloned. This way the router will recognize the intruder's device as if it were actually legitimate.

What measures are the most effective to protect Wi-Fi

We have seen that MAC encryption is not a good measure to protect our Wi-Fi network. Now, what are the most effective techniques that we can use? Luckily we can carry out a series of simple actions to prevent intruders from accessing our devices. The objective is to prevent them from accessing our wireless network and the router itself. There are many types of attacks that in one way or another could put our privacy and security at risk.

Change factory credentials

Something important and that many users overlook is the fact of always changing the credentials that come from the factory. This means changing the name of the router, for example. In this way we will not give clues about which model we are using, since it could facilitate the work of intruders. We must also change the password to access the router itself and never leave the one that comes from the factory.

This is something that will make us gain in security. It is also important to take a look at the configuration, since we can add different layers such as correctly choosing the type of encryption. The idea here is to make our network as protected as possible. Avoid leaving everything as it comes, both when talking about the router and any other network device that allows you to configure it.

Use strong and complex keys

Of course the Wi-Fi password has to be strong and complex. It must contain letters (uppercase and lowercase), numbers, and other special symbols.  It is important not to use words or digits that relate us. It will be the main barrier that keeps intruders away and we must choose a good one, which does not have any vulnerability that can be exploited.

As an additional measure, we can change that password periodically. In this way we ensure that the password is always reliable and thus avoid possible brute force attacks that could break it at any given time.

Have good encryption

Just having a good password is not enough. It is important to mention the type of encryption that we use in our router. Avoid those that are outdated and may be vulnerable. For example we talk about WEP encryption. They could be exploited by would-be intruders with the necessary knowledge and tools. This would put the security of all computers connected to the network at risk.

Our recommendation is to use ciphers that are reliable and current. We speak for example of WPA-2 and the latest version, WPA-3 . This will allow us to have correctly protected wireless networks and that there is no security breach that can be exploited by an attacker. At the end of the day it would be useless to have a good password if we use bad encryption. You have to avoid unnecessary risks.

Keep firmware up to date

You can not miss the fact of keeping the firmware always updated . Sometimes vulnerabilities can emerge that are exploited by hackers to carry out their attacks. It is essential that we always have the latest patches and updates installed. It is something that we must apply regardless of the type of device or system that we are using.

Luckily, the manufacturers themselves usually release these updates as soon as security flaws arise. We simply have to be aware and not let too much time go by since these failures occur. As we have mentioned, it is also convenient to update other equipment that we have connected, the network card, etc. It is always necessary to have the latest versions.

In short, MAC filtering may seem like an interesting measure to protect our routers and wireless connections. However, if we run into someone with the right knowledge, it would result in a problem and it would not be effective. That is why we recommend users to have other more effective security measures such as those we have mentioned. In this way, we will always maintain its proper functioning and reduce the risk of being victims of some type of attack.