If you’ve saved the default username and password for your Wi-Fi network, it’s likely because the malformed set of emails seemed more secure than you might imagine.
The point is, it’s best to have a unique username and password for your Wi-Fi. There are more connected devices today than ever, and entering a 27-character string of letters and numbers is confusing.
On the other hand, if you’ve kept the same password for that time because you don’t know how to change it, here’s how to do it – and it’s much easier than you think.
Also, if you don’t remember your current Wi-Fi password, you can easily find it in Windows. Watch a YouTube video from our partner site Online Tech Tips where we’ll walk you through a few easy steps to quickly view your Wi-Fi password:
How to change WiFi name and password
To change the Wi-Fi name and / or password, you need to know the IP address of your router. There are several ways to access this information.
How to find the IP address of your router
The easiest way to find out the IP address of your router in Windows is to use the command line.
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- Type CMD in the Windows search bar and press Enter.
- When the Command Prompt appears, enter ipconfig.
- A list of information appears. Below, under the default gateway, you will see a set of numbers separated by three dots. In many cases it will be something like 10.0.0.1. This is the IP address of your router.
On macOS, this process is slightly simplified.
- Click the Apple icon and choose System Preferences.
- Click the Network icon.
- Click the More button in the lower right corner.
- The number next to the router is the IP address we want.
Access the router’s web interface
The next step involves entering the IP address into the browser’s address bar. Once you have done that, you will be taken to the gateway where you can change your router settings.
- Enter your IP address in your preferred browser.
- You will need to enter your router username and password. They are usually located on the side or bottom of the device. If you can’t find them, often the default is administrator and password.
Change your password
Once you have gained access to your router, the last step is to change your password. Depending on the type of router and your ISP, this may be hidden under several different menus.
- Look for Wireless, Wi-Fi, or Connection.
- If you see the SSID or network name, you are on the right track. These two things are the same thing – the name of your network. However, the network name is usually found where the password is.
- Once you find the option to change your password, fear not. We recommend that you use a password that is at least 12 characters long with a mixture of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. However, make it easy to remember so that you can type it easily on any devices where you need it.
Alternative ways to change WiFi password
If you can log into your ISP’s gateway (the same area you would use to pay a bill or check your connection status), there is probably a way to change your WiFi password directly. This is especially true if your ISP provides your router.
This is often an easier process than entering the gateway directly. However, it is still recommended that you access your router’s gateway at least once to make sure the username and password are not left to their default values.
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