Thanks to a wifi network that you can let all your devices connect to the internet without the requirement of Ethernet cables that happen to be really bulky. Nevertheless, as we live in the era of data breaches and cybercrime, we will definitely need a Wifi password in order to make sure our internet is secure.
How to Change Your Router’s Wi-Fi Password
If you don’t have a password, you will unknowingly allow anyone connect to your wifi network which is extremely harmful for your security. Strangers will begin to hog the network, reduce the speed of internet. In the worst case, they can even exploit your devices for installing malware and grabbing all your confidential details.
To prevent this from happening, you should often change your Wifi router’s default password. If you thought that this would be a tough task, you’re wrong. Here is a step by step guide of how you can change your Wifi password.
Open the configuration page of the router
Through any web browser, you can gain access to the configuration page of the router on a computer that is connected to the internet network. In case you can’t connect through Wifi as you don’t know the password, you can utilize an Ethernet cable to connect the computer directly to the router.
- Few of the basic router addresses are 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 or 10.0.1.1. You just have to enter the address in the address bar of the browser.
- If this doesn’t work, open the Command Prompt by pressing the Windows key +R and enter cmd. As the command prompt opens, type ipconfig and then press Enter. Watch out for the active connection in the list and find out Default Gateway address.
- There are few routers that come with configuration software and if it is already installed, use that rather than the web browser interface.
Enter the username and password of the Router
All routers will need a username and a password for accessing the internet. If you’re someone who never changed this from the time you first got the router and configured it, it is most likely that the username would be ‘admin’ or ‘userAdmin’ and the password would be ‘admin’ or ‘password’.
- If you changed the login previously and you forgot it, you’ll have to press and keep the Reset button on for 30 seconds. This will reset the default settings, letting you to log in with default password and username.
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| Router Manufacturer | IP address | User Name | Password |
|---|---|---|---|
| TP-Link | 192.168.1.1 192.168.1.254 | admin | admin/password |
| Cisco | 192.168.1.1 | admin | admin |
| Linksys | 192.168.1.1 192.168.1.10 192.168.1.254 192.168.2.1 | admin | admin |
| Netgear | 192.168.1.1 | admin | admin/password |
| Asus | 192.168.1.1 192.168.2.1 10.10.1.1 | admin | admin |
| Belkin | 192.168.1.1 192.168.2.1 10.0.0.2 10.1.1.1 | (none) | MiniAP |
| Billion | 192.168.1.254 | admin | admin |
| iBall | 192.168.1.1 | admin | admin |
Open the Wireless section
Once you are logged into your router, you’ll need to find the wireless section of the configuration page. The exact name will change from manufacturer to manufacturer but you will be looking for a ‘Wireless’ or ‘Wireless Settings’ tab or button. In case your ‘Wireless’ section has got several subsections, open the Wireless Security page.
Change the Password
Watch out for the box that has been labelled ‘Password’, ‘Passphrase’ or ‘Shared Key’. Now you can enter the new password into the box. Some routers will ask you the type of password to make sure you entered the password correctly. Hence, there are few tips to follow.
- Try to create a strong password that would be tough to guess, if not impossible. It shouldn’t include anything that is personal to you. Try to include a liberal amount of alphabets, numbers, special characters, random cases etc.
- A strong password is at least 8 characters long or more than that.
Check the type of Security
You also have to be aware of the fact that there are mainly 3 types of wireless encryption: WEP, WPA and WPA2. In order to get the most secured network, you have to use WPA2.
You might also have to run into issues while trying to connect older devices. In such a case, you may switch to WPA or WPA2. It is never recommended to choose WEP as WEP encryption is easy to break. You’ll be amazed to know that it takes less than 30 minutes to decode a WEP password.
Change the name of the network
As you’re already there, take a while to alter the name of the network if you haven’t already. The name shouldn’t include any information that is personally identifiable as this name will be broadcast publicly.
Once you change the name, this will prevent people from breaking into it. Routers with default names are as easy as hacking targets.
Save the altered settings
Once you’re done with entering your new password, you have to save the changes. For that, you have to click o the Apply or Save button. The location of the button is different for every router and it is typically located at the bottom or top of the page. The router will take few moments to save this change.
Any device that is presently connected would soon get disconnected. Once your settings are changed, you can connect again to the wireless network by using the new password.
Tips on Password
If you’re asked to choose 64 bits or 128 bits, follow the guidelines.
- 64 bits: Enter 10 characters.
- 128 bits: Enter 26 characters.
Characters only contain letters between A-F and numbers between 0-9 without any space. In all other cases, the password should.
- Be between 8 and 63 characters long.
- Contain at least one number from 0 to 9.
- Contain at least one letter between A and Z.
Therefore, if you want to avoid any type of data breach in your Wifi connection, you should make sure you keep changing your password of the internet connection. In case you’re not aware of how to change your password for your Wifi connection, you should take into account all the steps mentioned above.
In case you lose your password or forget it, you can log back into the Wireless Security menu and select ‘Use Default’ for password. You can change it back to the main one that is printed on the modem sticker. If you think there are other ways in which you can alter your Wifi password, you can let us know in the comment section.
