SSID stands for Service Set Identifier and is the primary name of your WiFi network. If you click on the Wi-Fi icon on your phone or computer, a list of available networks in range will appear, which have different names consisting of letters and / or numbers.
For example, you might see simple names like Airport WiFi , or funny ones like FBI Surveillance Van 4 which are the SSIDs for those specific networks. From the list, you can determine the name of your network and connect to connect to the Internet.
Most router manufacturers set the default router SSID, such as NETGEAR_XXXX or Linksys_XXXX. If you are connected to your home Wi-Fi network, you can leave it as it is, or give it a name of your choice. We will show you how to do this.
- Find the IP address of your router.
- Log into the administrative console of your router.
- Change the SSID and password.
- Refresh the connection for all devices.
Change the SSID of your router
- Find the IP address of the router.
- Log in to the router’s administrative console.
- Change the SSID and password.
- Update connection for all devices.
Note. The process for changing the SSID is usually the same for all major routers, although the exact setting names and menus may differ depending on the model you are using.
If in doubt, refer to your router’s instruction manual for specific instructions.
Find the IP address of your router
The first step is to find the SSID of your router. You can do this by checking the case of the router on which the default network name and password are printed.
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Then find the local IP address of your router and log in from a web browser to access the administrative console. If prompted, enter your current username and password to access the control panel.
IP addresses vary from one router to the next, for example NETGEAR routers use http://www.routerlogin.com and Linksys routers use 192.168.1.1. Some routers also use the IP address 192.168.0.1, but if you are not sure, you can check the local address and logins on the router manufacturer’s website or documentation.
- A quick way to do this is to check the default gateway on your computer. Right-click Start> Run and type CMD to open a Command Prompt window.
- Type ipconfig, press Enter and find the default gateway to see the associated IP address.
- On macOS, choose Apple menu> System Preferences, click the network icon in the new window.
- Select your internet connection, click Advanced and go to the TCP / IP tab to find your router. IP address.
Log in to the Router Administrative Console
Go to your web browser, preferably a computer, and enter the IP address to access the admin console. Some router manufacturers provide smartphone apps where you can change settings, while the more expensive options come with built-in touchscreens.
To do this, enter the IP address in your browser and press Enter. Here you must enter the username and password of the router. If you have never changed this data, use the default logins that came with your router, which can be found on its case or in the user manual.
If you have set your own password and cannot remember it, the only way out is to reset the router to default settings.
- In the Admin Console, go to Wi-Fi Settings and click Wi-Fi Settings.
Change SSID and Password
- From the Admin console, go to the WiFi Settings section and click on Wifi Settings.
- Find the section for the SSID or network name. Enter the desired name (maximum 32 alphanumeric characters). Just make sure it doesn’t offend other users in your community who might find it on the list of available networks.
- Enter your WiFi password in the corresponding field and click “Apply†or “Save†to apply the changes.
The changes will take effect immediately, so you will likely find that you are no longer connected to your network. This is because your router disconnects the old Wi-Fi network with the previous SSID and starts a new one with your personalized SSID, so it turns off all devices.
Some routers reboot completely for the changes to take effect, which means you might be disconnected even with a wired connection.
Update connection for all devices
The final step is to update the network connection on all devices that used the previous network name and password to the new SSID and password.
You will then be able to connect to the Internet.
If there are multiple Wi-Fi networks with the same SSID, your devices will try to connect to the network with the strongest signal or the first available network. However, if the networks have different passwords, your devices will successfully connect to only one of them.
Why should you change the SSID of your router
There are several reasons for changing the SSID of your router, for example:
- Having a personalized home network. This name is unique to you and can be seen by anyone in the area who can scan WiFi signals from their mobile device or computer.
- Avoid confusion with other similarly named routers in your area. For example, if two or three others use “Home” as the network name, you can change yours to something else.
- Enhance the security of your home network. While this does not increase the security of the network, changing the SSID can deter attackers or hackers from the network as it indicates more careful management of a particular router compared to routers that use standard default SSIDs.
To secure your Wi-Fi network, change the default administrator credentials and encrypt broadcast signals with AES and WPA2. Finally, disable WPS and UPnP features that usually have vulnerabilities such as bypassing security software.
If you want to hide the SSID of your router and prevent others from seeing it and / or connecting to it, you can do so if your router offers the option to turn off SSID broadcasts. This supposedly increases the security of your network, since you need to know the SSID and network password to gain access.
However, you will have to manually create a profile with the SSID and other connection parameters, and the SSID of your router can still be intercepted when the device is transmitted to and from your router while using the Internet.
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