How to change the name and password of the WiFi network in use on the router to personalize it and for better security
When the router is loaned for use by the internet provider (Telecom, Fastweb or others), the Wi-Fi network is already ready for use, thus presenting a preset network name and password. When instead you have a new and bought router, sometimes a Wifi network is already configured with a name that recalls the brand of the router and often there is no password, so as to leave the user the freedom to choose one at first access.
In general, unless it is the case of a router blocked by the network provider, it is always possible to change the name of the Wi-Fi network (setting a more personalized one) and change the password to have one easier to remember or more secure. In this guide, we will show you how to change the name and password of the Wi-Fi network, with steps applicable to any modem or modem/router. Making the changes is really simple and we recommend doing it always, so as to have more control over the wireless network.
Change the name and password of the Wi-Fi network
To change the name of the Wi-Fi network (also called SSID) and the login password, we will inevitably have to access the configuration panel of our modem or router. If we don’t know how to do it, we invite you to read our guide first Enter the router to access the settings easily.
Briefly, we summarize all the steps.
On a Windows PC, the quickest way to find these settings is by opening the command prompt (press the keys together Windows + R, to write “cmd” without the quotes and press Enter).
To type “ipconfig” without the quotes in the command prompt window and press Enter. The IP address of the router is the one under the writing”Default gateway“.
On a Mac, click on the Apple menu to go to the “System Preferences“, click on the” Network “icon, select the Wi-Fi connection and then go to”advanced“. Clicking on tab”TCP / IP” you can read the address of the router.
Once you have this IP address, open Chrome or any other web browser, write it as it is on the address bar and press Submit. You will then be asked to enter the username and password of the router that is not those to access the network. If they have never been changed before, the router login and password are the ones preset by the manufacturer.
We have, in another article, seen how to find login and password for all router models. Often it is enough to write admin or, if it does not work, look in the instruction booklet or on Google indicating the model and brand.
If a custom password was set that you no longer remember, you can reset the router to restore the default.
Change the name and password of the wireless network from the router
Once you have access to the settings panel of the router (basic just enter 192.168.1.1 in any browser and enter login credentials), we look for the menu Wireless or Wifi, so that all available options are immediately displayed.
We will find the item Wireless network name (SSID) or similar, with the basic name set by the provider or seller of the appliance next to it; now we delete the old name and use a new name, so as to immediately identify the Wi-Fi network in our possession (very useful if in the neighborhood there are other Wi-Fi networks with a name very similar to ours because of the operator) .
Once the name has been set, we can change the password for accessing the network using the voice Password, Wi-Fi password or similar, present in the same menu where the option to change the name is present. We delete the old password and choose a new one, which is simple enough to remember but safe to avoid the hacker attacks described in our guide to Methods to access a protected WiFi network and intrusion methods.
Let us remember that, in case of router or modem with Wi-Fi Dual Band, we will also have to change the name and password for the 5 GHz wireless network, taking care to set a similar but slightly different name (we can use the same 2.4 GHz wireless network password).
Change name and password remotely (via app)
The modems provided by the telephony operators allow you to manage many parameters remotely (even outside the home), downloading the operator’s app on our smartphone. For example, Fastweb offers the free app MyFastweb, available for Android and iOS.
From this app we can change the name and password of the network by logging in, opening the menu at the top left, selecting the menu Fastgate -> Wi-Fi and modifying the parameters as seen in the previous chapter.
The other apps we can download to control remote proprietary modems are:
- MyTIM Fisso (Android and iOS)
- Vodafone Station (Android and iOS)
Advanced Wi-Fi configuration
The settings we modified in the previous chapters will allow you to change the name and password of the Wi-Fi network in a few minutes (we can also stop without touching anything else), but for to get a really fast and secure Wi-Fi connection we can modify other advanced parameters, so as to have a wireless connection able to cover every corner and to offer maximum speed to the devices.
To access the advanced Wi-Fi settings, we open the menu advanced or similar in the modem/router configuration panel, so let’s get to the section Wireless -> Wireless settings (names may be slightly different from router to router, but the parameters are practically the same).
The parameters to be modified are:
- Safety: let’s make sure it’s only active WPA2-Personal, avoiding mixed versions (WPA / WPA2) or WPA Personal. The steps must also be repeated for the 5 GHz wireless network.
- Encryption: if our router or modem does choose the encryption to use, we always choose AES, the most difficult to crack, and we avoid TKIP or automatic selection. Also, in this case, we will have to repeat the steps for the 5 GHz wireless network.
- mode: on a 2.4 GHz network let’s make sure we leave it alone 802.11n, while on 5 GHz network we can also use the mixed-mode (802.11n / ac).
- Channel width: on a 2.4 GHz network we set 20 MHz, while on 5 GHz network we leave the automatic setting (which usually includes 40 MHz he 80 MHz).
- Transmission channel: on a 2.4 GHz network we try to set up a transmission channel free of interference (between 1, 6 and 11), so as to have maximum speed and coverage; on 5 GHz network, we can leave the automatic mode or set the channel 36 (the most compatible).
To learn about other ways to enhance the Wi-Fi signal, please read our guide on how to Enhance the wifi signal and avoid frequent disconnections.
By changing the name and password of access to the Wi-Fi network we will get more control over the devices that can connect to our network and we will be able to connect the new devices with ease.