eclipse, find someone who can help you in both the selection of the router as well as its installation.
Always encrypt the signal.
But encryption, if it’s of the older WEP standard, will not stop a hacker. Far better to get a router that can use WPA-2.
Also, never name your network (it’s called a “SSID”) with something recognizable like “Cohen House” or “Eclipse’s Network.” Much better to pick an unusual name and then mask it from being shown to those looking for networks.