SOHO router hardening: default passwords, firmware updates, disabling WPS and UPnP, content filtering, port forwarding, DHCP reservations, guest networks

A SOHO (small office/home office) router usually combines several devices in one box: a router, a small switch, a wireless access point, a basic firewall and a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server that hands out IP addresses. Out of the box it is configured for easy installation, not for security. Anyone who knows the model can guess its default settings, and features that make setup painless also make attacks easier. Hardening the router is therefore one of the first jobs a technician does in a small office, because every computer, printer and phone behind it depends on it.