Ask Bob Rankin - Friday, July 13, 2018 at 12:35 PM
Does Your Router Auto-Update? (it should...)
Best Security-Minded Home Routers
A complete discussion of router security should identify a number of secure
routers by make and model. The routers mentioned here are not the only secure
routers on the market, but they meet important standards for being considered
more secure than the run-of-the-mill home router. If you’re not certain a
router can update itself, ask; if you don’t get a straight answer, pass on that
router.
I say self-updating is a deal maker or breaker knowing full well that a botched
router update can make even the "smartest" device as dumb as a brick. That
happened in August 2017, when smart lock maker, Locksafe, pushed the wrong
update to its RemoteLock L6i devices; hundreds of the $470 locks lost the
remote lock/unlock feature that prompted AirBnB to recommend it to hosts. Even
worse, the locks could not be repaired remotely, but had to be mailed back and
forth; until it was fixed, an L6i was just another deadbolt lock.
Router self-updating needs the ability to roll back a botched patch. But
botched patches are rarer than router security vulnerabilities or attacks upon
them, so I want self-updating. Let's take a brief tour of some good quality
self-updating routers.
The Asus RT-AC5300<https://amzn.to/2zBM5LI> router (pictured above) might scare
away hackers just with its intimidating design. It has an exceptional range and
Asus AIProtection, a cloud-based router security service pioneered and operated
by security firm Trend Micro.
Google Wi-Fi<https://amzn.to/2Jknxq2> and its predecessor, OnHub, both
self-update. For some reason, Google insists that these updates happen in the
middle of the afternoon, which can be annoying when the router reboots.
Thankfully, that doesn't happen often, and doesn't take long.
Google Wi-Fi is a mesh network router system. It is sold in bundles of 3 small
devices that can be placed anywhere in a home, like sachets of potpourri. Each
device automatically connects to others in its range, creating a resilient
“mesh” of access points that can grow in any direction from its coverage
surface and provide redundant paths from Point A to Point B.
In my article [HOWTO] Protect Your Router
Now<https://askbobrankin.com/howto_protect_your_router_now.html>, I list
several signs that your ISP-supplied router may have weak security, and some
tips on supplementing or replacing it with your own router.
Netgear’s Nighthawk AC1900<https://amzn.to/2uh7Vz8> family of secure routers
and cable modems are available in low-cost refurbished units as well as new
ones starting at $145.
All models in the Linksys “Smart Wi-Fi”<https://amzn.to/2mcEBFs> family of
routers are self-updating. Generally, their model numbers begin with EA or WRT.
Other self-updating mesh network router systems include
Eero<https://amzn.to/2NKW5Fo>, Luma<https://amzn.to/2ukemBn>,
Synology<https://amzn.to/2NaNlY6>, the Linksys Velop<https://amzn.to/2NOZbIw>
line, and the Securifi Almond 3<https://amzn.to/2uhnqqq> system.
A Patch In Time Saves Bacon
Whatever router manufacturer you prefer, you should check to see how seriously
it takes security. One way to do that is to visit the manufacturer’s web site
and try to find evidence of past security issues. There should be at least 2-3
firmware updates - “patch kits,” really – per year. Likewise, security
bulletins and whitepapers should be fresh, not a decade old.
Be prepared to spend more for security. Good programmers, prompt patches as
vulnerabilities are discovered, and a mature, reliable self-updating routine
are all essential today. Such things cost money, but they may save your bacon.
Your thoughts on this topic are welcome. Post your comment or question below...
________________________________
Article information: AskBobRankin -- Does Your Router Auto-Update? (it
should...) (Posted: 13 Jul 2018)
Source: https://askbobrankin.com/does_your_router_autoupdate_it_should.html
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David Goldfield
Assistive Technology Specialist
Feel free to visit my Web site
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