Wireless routers create a network of the devices around them through WiFi connections and aside from enabling internet connection, one can use this network to share files locally. To secure the data on such networks, any devices that wants to join this network must be authenticated by entering a password. Your WiFi password is the security gate that safeguards your WiFi network from intruders. However, you may want to change WiFi password for security reasons. In this article, I’ll show you how you can change WiFi password in different routers.
Change WiFi password
Choosing a secure password for our wireless routers assures WiFi security and allows you to stop intruders from hacking WiFi and using your data traffic. If we do not password-protect out wireless network, any device in the vicinity will be able to connect to our router and not only use our data traffic, but also access our files on the network.
However, there are times when we have to give out our WiFi password to someone such as our guest and in this case, it is recommended that you change WiFi password afterwards. Also, security experts recommend that you change your WiFi password every once in while and pick an absolutely secure password. In addition, if you suspect that your WiFi is hacked and someone is using it, changing your password is a good way to keep that intruder away from your network.
The process to change WiFi password is almost the same in most wireless routers. However, some steps might be a little different depending on the type of your wireless router. Anyway, if you have a little bit of computer knowledge, the tutorial below will definitely help you to change your WiFi password without trouble.
Access your wireless router settings
Approximately, 80 percent of wireless routers’ settings can be accessed through the 192.168.1.1 address. This means that you need to enter the exact numbers in your web browsers to open your router’s settings page. Other routers might allow you to access their settings through 192.168.2.1. To find out how the address you should use to access your router settings, you can refer to its user manual or look it up on the internet. You can just google your router model to find out details about it.
Once you have found the address for your router settings, connect to your router via a LAN cable or through WiFi connection and then follow these steps one by one to change WiFi password.
- Open your web browser, enter 192.168.1.1 in the address bar and hit enter to access your router settings.
- If the address is correct, a pop up window will appear prompting you to enter your username and password to enter the settings.
- If this is the first time you are accessing your router settings, both your username and password mot probably is ‘Admin‘.
- If you have previously changed this password, enter ‘Admin’ for the username, and enter the password you have defined.
- You might have forgotten your router settings password. In this case, what you can do is to reset your router using a button beneath your router (you will need to press it with a pin). Your router will be reset to factory settings and can start everything over. (Note that if the router resets, the ISP settings are also erased and you must re-enter them.)
Steps to change WiFi password
Once you have managed to enter your router settings, you can take the steps below to change WiFi password easily:
- Find a section named ‘Wireless‘ in the settings. You can find it from the menu on top or on the side of the page. In your router settings, the Wireless section might be a subcategory of other sections. So you might look for it around the sections to find it.
- Now you need to access the ‘Wireless Security‘ or the ‘Security‘ section to manage to access your WiFi security settings. This section might also be a subcategory or it might be placed right in the previous page.
- After choosing an encryption type which is usually WPA/WPA2. In the ‘Password‘ or ‘Passphrase‘ section change your previous password and enter a new password.
- In the ‘Network Name‘ or ‘SSID‘ section you can also change your WiFi network name. After making all the changes, click ‘Save’ to reset the WiFi and change the password.
After you successfully change your WiFi password, all the devices connected to the network will be disconnected and you will need to enter the new password to reconnect.
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