How To Change The Name Of Your Router

How to Change Your Wi-Fi Network Name and Password

Jan 18, 2022 Share
FAQ, How-To

Changing your Wi-Fi network name and password is a uncomplicated and important way to continue your devices secure, but it can likewise be a chip daunting.

Fortunately, it doesn't matter if you have Xfinity, AT&T, or any other service provider—the steps to changing your Wi-Fi settings are the same. The process is also similar across different router manufacturers, similar NETGEAR or TP-Link.

Nosotros'll show y'all how to find your router's IP address (if needed) and alter the network name using a spider web interface and an app.

Update password on standalone routers and wireless gateways

The whole procedure of changing your Wi-Fi network proper name and password can be broken down into four main steps:

Get your router's IP address.
Log in to your router using a standard browser.
Change your network settings.
Test your new network configuration.

These steps are pretty simple, but there's a bit of variation depending on diverse factors, like what kind of device you're using to connect. Keep reading for a more detailed breakdown of these steps.

Go your router's IP address (web interface simply)

All standalone routers and wireless gateways provide a web interface so you can modify the settings. Nevertheless, manufacturers may besides provide a mobile app for changing the network name, password, and other settings from your phone or tablet.

Use the mobile app if bachelor, and then skip alee to the testing portion of this guide.

If you lot're using the web interface instead, you lot'll need to discover your router or gateway's individual IP accost first and so you tin enter it into the browser's address bar.

Office 1: Connect wirelessly or with a cable

If y'all're setting up a new router for the showtime time, there's usually an Ethernet cable in the box that will allow you lot to connect a PC directly to your router. This is probably the easiest way to set things upward, but sometimes this won't piece of work. Many slim laptops, like MacBooks, don't take Ethernet ports and crave a USB adapter for a wired connectedness to the network. Sometimes it'south more convenient to use a phone or other mobile device.

To connect wirelessly, you'll need the default network proper name and password for your router. These can be constitute in the instruction manual and sometimes constitute on the router itself, printed on a sticker or characterization. The network is often labeled as the "SSID."

If you're changing the settings on a network that'south already set upwardly, you don't need this default information and tin can just connect to the network with the name and countersign you typically use.

Part 2: Find your router'south default IP address

Next, you'll demand your router's private IP accost. There are several ways to do this, depending on what kind of device you're using:

iOS 14/iPadOS 14
Android
Windows 10
macOS Big Sur and newer

iOS 14/iPadOS xiv

Footstep one: Tap to open Settings .

Step 2: Tap on Wi-Fi .

Pace 3: Tap on your network's name.

Footstep iv: Write down the number displayed next to Router .

Android 11 (stock)

Pace 1: Swipe a finger downwardly from the top to expand the Notification Shade and tap the "cog" icon to open the Settings panel.

Step 2: Tap on Network & internet .

Footstep three: Tap on Wi-Fi .

Step 4: Tap on the "cog" icon displayed next to your network's name.

Step 5: Tap on Advanced .

Step six: Coil downwardly and write downward the number displayed next to Gateway under Network Details .

Android 10/11 (Samsung)

At that place's no way to find your router's IP accost on a Samsung telephone, only yous tin get an idea using the phone's IP address.

Step 1: Swipe a finger down from the top to aggrandize the Notification Shade and tap the "cog" icon to open up the Settings panel.

Step 2: Tap on Connections .

Footstep 3: Tap on Wi-Fi .

Pace 4: Tap on the "cog" icon side by side to your network'southward name.

Here you will run into your Samsung phone's IP address. By and large, the first three portions address the router, and the terminal portion is your device. For example, "192.168.7" is the router and "155" is your device. Then, the router'southward total address is probably 192.168.7.one.

Many mobile apps adult for analyzing networks, such as Network Analyzer , make it piece of cake to detect your router'south IP address. Using an app is also a handy style to find your router's IP address using an Android device.

Windows 10

You can use the IPCONFIG command to go the IP address. To do this, follow these steps:

Stride 1: Right-click on the Commencement button and select Windows PowerShell on the Power User Menu.

Step 2: Type the command "IPCONFIG" into Windows PowerShell and press the Enter key.

Step iii: Write downward the number listed next to Default Gateway .

macOS Large Sur and newer

Step one: Click on the Organisation Preferences icon on the Dock or click the Apple tree logo in the pinnacle left corner, followed by System Preferences on the drop-down menu.

Pace two: Select Network.

Step 3: If you're on a wired connection, write down the number next to Router .

If you're on a Wi-Fi connection, click the Advanced button.

Stride 4: Click on the TCP/IP tab.

Footstep 5: Write downwards the number next to Router.

Log in to your router using a browser

Now that you lot have the IP address of your router, you tin can access its settings using a standard web browser like Firefox or Chrome.

Step 1: Open any web browser and type the router'south IP accost in the address bar.

Footstep ii: Your router's web interface appears within the browser. Log in using your username and password.

First time logging in?

Y'all'll need to log in using the router's default username and countersign. Different brands of routers have different default usernames and passwords, merely they are ordinarily very generic. In nigh cases, the combo is "admin" and "password."

This information is often printed on a sticker somewhere on the router itself. Otherwise, refer to your router's instructions to find the correct username and countersign, or go to the manufacturer'due south website, which will often list them as well.

Modify your wireless network

Once you log in to your router, you'll quickly observe that at that place are many settings you tin accommodate. Yet, we're going to focus on merely two: your network name and password.

Part ane: Change your network name

Your network proper noun, often referred to as its SSID, is how people will see your network when they are searching for Wi-Fi networks on their devices. By default, this will usually be the proper name of the router manufacturer with some added numbers. Y'all can change this to whatever you want, every bit long as it's a name that y'all will quickly recognize, peculiarly if you're in an urban surface area where at that place are many overlapping Wi-Fi networks.

The following instructions are based on a Linksys router, so they may differ from what yous run into on the screen.

Step ane: Click on Wi-Fi Settings listed on the left under Wi-Fi Settings.

Step 2: Enter a new name in the text field next to Wi-Fi Name . Do this for both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, but be sure they're dissimilar.

Footstep iii: Click the Apply push.

Function 2: Change your network security

Once you've named your network, you want to secure it with a skillful countersign so that passersby can't steal your Wi-Fi or, worse, employ your network to distribute malware to your devices.

There are several options for security protocols, including just leaving your network open, but the all-time option is WPA2, also known equally WPA2-PSK or AES. This allows you to put a password on your network.

As with any password you oftentimes use, make sure that information technology'southward something you lot tin remember. Also, it'due south important not to use a countersign that you also use for of import sites, specially if you lot're going to be giving information technology out to guests who desire to use your Wi-Fi.

The following instructions are based on a Linksys router, so they may differ from what you lot see on the screen.

Step 1: Click on Wi-Fi Settings listed on the left under Wi-Fi Settings.

Stride 2: Click the download arrow next to Security Style and select WPA2 Personal on the drop-down menu. Do this for both the ii.iv GHz and 5 GHz bands.

Footstep 2: Enter a new password in the text field next to Wi-Fi Password . Exercise this for both the 2.four GHz and 5 GHz bands, but be sure they're unlike.

Step 3: Click the Employ button.

Test your new network settings

Yous take now updated the Wi-Fi network name and password. Merely before you pack upward your laptop and go about your business organisation, yous should double-check to make sure everything's working.

Part 1: Test the wireless connection

Grab a device and find your new network name in the listing of bachelor networks. Enter your new password to make sure you can connect wirelessly. It's better to observe out now than having to offset the procedure all once again when you're late for a Zoom meeting or two minutes away from winning an auction on eBay.

Part two: Reconnect other devices

At present that you updated the network's name and password, all the devices that were previously connected to your Wi-Fi network will need their information updated and then they can reconnect . Recall that this doesn't just include all your computers and mobile devices, but smart TVs, smart thermostats, security systems, and whatever other devices that use your Wi-Fi network to connect.

Is your new domicile Wi-Fi network likewise slow?

Be certain to consult our guide on how to increase the speed of your habitation Wi-Fi. Some of our suggestions include ability cycling your router, relocating your router, and more.

Update password on mesh networking kits

Mesh networking kits are different from your standard router. You tin't access a backend spider web interface to alter the settings. Instead, you use a mobile app to log in to an account and make adjustments. That likewise means you don't need to go out of your way to locate the kit's IP accost equally you would with a standard router.

The post-obit instructions are based on the Eero kit, so they may differ from what you lot may see on your screen.

Step 1: With the Eero app open, tap on the Settings icon located in the bottom right corner.

Pace 2: Tap on Wi-Fi Name .

Step 3: Tap in the new name and and then tap on the Save button.

Step 4: Tap on Wi-Fi Password .

Pace 5: Tap on the Edit Password button.

Stride 6: Enter a new password and then tap on the Salvage button.

Update countersign using your ISP's app

Many ISPs provide mobile apps so you can easily pay your bill, add or remove services, and manage the router or wireless gateway. The following instructions are based on Spectrum'south cable internet service as an example, so they may differ from what you meet in your Internet access provider's app.

Pro tip:

If you lot accept Spectrum's wireless gateway just you're using a router yous purchased from a shop, these instructions only utilise if you're nonetheless using the gateway's Wi-Fi. Get to the starting time section in this guide for instructions on making changes to your shop-bought router.

Step 1: Open the My Spectrum app.

Footstep 2: Tap on the Services icon displayed at the bottom of your screen.

Stride three: Tap on Update .

Pace 4: Enter a new network proper noun, a new password, or both.

Pace 5: Tap on Save Changes .