So you want to change your Wi-Fi name and password to something else. It is a good practice to keep changing your Wi-Fi password frequently so that anyone with access to it will have to ask you again in order to access your internet connection. In this article, we are going to discuss the methods you can use to change the name of your Wi-Fi and the password. As different router manufacturers provide different methods to change Wi-Fi settings make sure that you follow the correct method from the following sections.
Why Should You Change Your Wi-Fi Name and Password?
A significant advantage of changing your Wi-Fi name and password is the safety and reliability of your wireless network. You may strengthen your network against possible attacks and increase your general online safety by changing these crucial credentials.
Default Wi-Fi usernames and passwords are frequently well-known or simple to guess, rendering them wide open to hackers. You may dramatically lower the possibility of unwanted people accessing your network and perhaps exposing your sensitive data by customizing your Wi-Fi name and selecting a unique password.
Find the IP address of your router
In order to access the network interface of your router, you should know its IP address (default gateway). Even though some of the routers provide a separate interface for controlling your router settings, most of them are controlled using their IP address from a browser. For example, one of the most commonly used router interfaces can be accessed by inputting 192.168.1.1 in the browser address bar. It will vary from router to router. So you have to find the default gateway of your Wi-Fi router in order to access it. Here is how you can do that.
Windows
If you are a Windows user, follow these steps to find the default gateway of your router.
- Press Windows+R.
- In the run command box, enter CMD and press Enter.
- It will open the command prompt.
- In the command prompt, type ipconfig and press Enter.
- It will show you the Windows IP configuration.
- At the end of the section, you can find a line called the default gateway. There you can find the default gateway of the router (something like 192.168.1.1)
Mac
If you are a Mac OS X user, this is how you can find the default gateway of your router.
- Click the Apple Menu.
- Then select System Preferences.
- Click the Network Icon.
- Then select your Wi-Fi connection.
- Click on the Advanced button at the bottom.
- Switch to the TCP/IP tab.
- Next to the router section, you can find the IP address of your router.
Make sure that you are not copying the IPv4 address of your router. We need the default gateway to access the router configuration. As soon as you enter the default gateway into the browser address bar, it will display the settings which you can tweak to change your Wi-Fi name and password.
When you access the web interface to change the Wi-Fi settings, it may ask you for the username and password. In most cases, you can use one of the following combinations to get the access
- Username: admin, Password: password
- Username: admin, Password: leave it blank
- Username: admin, Password: admin
If none of the above combinations work, you can follow our article on how to find the username and password of the router settings page.
How to Change the Wi-Fi Name?
Most of the modern routers from D-link, TP-Link, etc. have a quick setup wizard that allows you to change almost all basic settings regarding your Internet connection. In the setup wizard, you will also find options to change the SSID name of your Wi-Fi. If there is an option like that, all you have to do is inputting the preferred name for your Wi-Fi and finish the settings. Your Wi-Fi’s name will be changed as soon as you complete that.
- Login to your router‘s settings page using the router’s default gateway address.
- Provide the username and password.
- Look for something like Wireless, Wi-Fi, or SSID in the settings.
- Clicking on that will open up your Wi-Fi settings page where you could change its name.
- Save the changes.
Google Home Wi-Fi
If you are using Google Home, here are the steps to change its Wi-Fi name.
Using the Google Home App
- Open the Google Home app.
- Tap Wi-Fi
- Go to Settings.
- Enter a new network name.
- Tap Save.
Using Google Wi-Fi App
- Open the Google Wi-Fi app.
- Tap Settings.
- Go to the Actions tab.
- Then to Network & general.
- Under the “Network” section, tap your network name.
- Tap Edit.
- Enter a new name for your network.
- Tap Save to save the changes.
Change Your Xfinity Wi-Fi Network Name
If you are using an Xfinity router, here are the steps to change the name of your Wi-Fi network.
Using the Xfinity app
Using the applications for Xfinity on Android and iOS, you can change the Wi-Fi name and password. Here is how to do that.
- Open the app and enter your username and password.
- Tap on the Internet icon at the bottom (for Android, tap the menu and then the Internet option.)
- Tap on your internet connection.
- Tap on Change Wi-Fi settings.
- Change your Wi-Fi name and password there.
- Save the changes.
If there is no setup process like that that allows you to configure your internet connection with ease, You can follow one of these methods to change the Wi-Fi name.
In most of the cases, the options to change the Wi-Fi name and password are given on the same screen. So, we won’t be repeating the same steps in the following section if they are similar.
How to Change the Wi-Fi Password?
Similar to the Wi-Fi name, the Wi-Fi password can be changed from the setup wizard. You will be given an area to change the Wi-Fi password if there is a setup/configuration wizard option in your router settings page. If not, you can follow these methods to change the password of your router.
- Open the router’s settings page by entering its default gateway into the browser’s address bar.
- Provide the login username and password.
- Go to something like Wireless Settings, or Settings > Wireless.
- Change the password mode to WPA2.
- Enter the desired password. You can also read the Wi-Fi passwords you shouldn’t use. Also, make sure that the password of your choice is never in the list of the most common passwords.
- Save the changes.
If you forget it at any point, you can find your Wi-Fi password easily by following the steps given there.
We hope that by following these methods, you were able to change the name and password of your Wi-Fi connection. It is important to change the credentials of your Wi-Fi once in a while. That way, you will be able to prevent any unauthorized access to your Wi-Fi from someone who had access to it earlier or someone who tries to connect to it without you knowing.
Activating Extra Security Features After Changing the Password
You can increase network security in addition to changing your Wi-Fi name and password by turning on other security measures offered by your router. These capabilities might consist of choices like MAC address filtering, which enables you to limit which devices are allowed to join your network based on their specific MAC addresses.
Other security elements might include turning on firewall settings, creating a guest network, or using WPA3 encryption. Investigating and establishing these extra security measures in place may significantly improve the security of your Wi-Fi network.
Also, Keep your Router Firmware Updated
Maintaining peak performance and security requires periodic firmware updates for your router. Firmware upgrades frequently include bug fixes, security patches, and new features that might improve the functioning of your router. Check the router’s admin interface or the manufacturer’s website for any firmware upgrades. Update your router’s firmware by following the instructions to keep it updated and resistant to any vulnerabilities.