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Changing your home Wi-Fi name and password

Home broadband routers, including the 4G and 5G routers sold by networks, come with a default Wi-Fi name and password printed on a sticker. Anyone who has seen that sticker, or been given the password once, can use your data. Changing it takes a few minutes.

1. Log in to the router

  1. Connect your phone or laptop to the router's Wi-Fi.
  2. Look at the sticker on the router for the admin address (often 192.168.0.1, 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.8.1) and the admin username and password. These are different from the Wi-Fi password.
  3. Type the address into your browser's address bar, not a search box.
  4. Log in with the admin details.

Many network routers also have an app (search the Play Store or App Store for the router's brand, such as Huawei AI Life or ZTE LinkHub) that does the same things more easily.

2. Change the Wi-Fi name and password

Look for Wi-Fi settings, WLAN or Wireless.

  • Name (SSID): anything you like. Avoid your name or house number.
  • Security: choose WPA2 or WPA2/WPA3. Never "Open" or WEP.
  • Password: at least 12 characters. A few random words work well.

Save. Every device will disconnect and need the new password. That is the point: anyone who had the old one is now off.

3. Change the admin password too

In the router's System or Management settings, change the admin login from the default. Otherwise anyone on your Wi-Fi can log in and change it back.

4. See who is connected

Most routers list connected devices or DHCP clients. If you see devices you do not recognise, change the Wi-Fi password again. Some routers let you block a device by name.

Sharing the password easily

Make a Wi-Fi QR code with the QR code tool and stick it on the wall. Guests scan it with their camera and join, without anyone reading the password aloud.

Better signal

  • Put the router high and central, not on the floor, in a cupboard or behind the TV.
  • Keep it away from microwaves, thick concrete walls and metal.
  • For 4G and 5G routers, the position that matters is where the mobile signal is strongest, often near a window facing the nearest mast. Check the signal bars on the router's page as you move it.
  • If your router offers two networks (2.4GHz and 5GHz): 5GHz is faster close by; 2.4GHz reaches further through walls.

Forgot the admin password?

Press and hold the tiny reset button on the router (with a pin) for about 10 seconds while it is on. It returns to the defaults on the sticker, and you set it up again. Your internet subscription is not affected, but you may need your network's APN settings for a 4G router; see APN settings.

Tools that help with this

Free, and they work inside your browser without uploading anything.