Setting up guest Wi-Fi in 5 easy steps

With the popularity of turning our homes into temporary vacation rentals through sites such as Airbnb, the need for a separate Wi-Fi login is necessary to keep your home or business network safe.

Fortunately, creating a guest network isn’t complicated and you can change the guest Wi-Fi password whenever you’d like for added security. Follow these steps to set up a Wi-Fi guest network in your home. 

How to set up a guest network 

All routers follow a similar process to create a guest Wi-Fi sign in. The following five steps will walk you through setting up a Wi-Fi guest network. If in doubt, refer to your router’s manual for more details. 

1. Find your router’s IP address

You can find your router’s IP address in a few ways. It’s in the user manual, on a label on the back of the router or by going to “System Preferences” on a computer. Once you’re in the preferences, click on “Network”, choose “Wifi” and select “Advanced.” The router’s IP address is in the “TCP/IP” section.

2. Log in to your administrative account for router 

Once you navigate to the router’s IP address, you’ll arrive at a landing page requiring a username and password. You’ll need to log in. Most routers use a generic username of “admin” and a password of “admin” or “password.”

3. Find the guest network settings

Once you’re logged in to your router’s admin page, look in the tabs or menu for “Guest Access” or something similar. You’ll be able to set up guest Wi-Fi access from here.

4. Allow guest Wi-Fi access

Most routers will require you to enable guest Wi-Fi access. It will operate separately from your existing home network. 

5. Set up your guest Wi-Fi 

Once you allow guest Wi-Fi access, you’ll need a unique network name and learn how to add password to Wi-Fi. Look for a section called “guest network name and password.” You can enter your own SSID (guest network name) and a password. Choose a password that isn’t easy to figure out but that you and your guests can enter without too much trouble. Once you’ve set up the guest network, be sure to save the settings and you’re ready to go.

Guest Wi-Fi alternatives: Setting up a second router

You can have a primary SSID and a guest account on the same router. However, there are times when you may want to add a second router to your home network. A second router could extend your home’s wireless range to an area where the first router’s signal isn’t as strong or where a dead spot exists. Or if there are many devices connected to the primary router, you may want to take the load off by adding a second one. You may also want to add a second router if you have a home office or vacation rental.

Adding a second router can be a bit more involved. Having the router’s documentation is helpful to walk you through the following steps with more detail:

Set up a second router in 6 steps

1. Connect the second router to the primary using an Ethernet cable. 
2. Open the router’s IP address on a web browser and log in. 
3. Configure the second router for repeater or bridge mode and link it to the first router. 
4. Update the IP configuration by changing the secondary router’s IP address so it doesn’t interfere with other devices including the primary router.
5. Set the DHCP address range to fit within the primary router’s address range. 
6. Save the new settings.

Why setting up a guest Wi-Fi is important

If you have visitors often, setting up a guest Wi-Fi network can be beneficial. Even if you don’t believe you need one, having one comes in handy for a couple of reasons.

Security

Guest Wi-Fi adds a layer of security to your network. A guest Wi-Fi password can prevent guest devices from accessing other devices on the network. In addition, any malware on devices logged in to the guest network remains separated from the main network, protecting your home’s smart equipment, devices and computers from harm.

Convenience 

Keeping your home network’s login information separate makes life easier if you have many guests and visitors. A guest Wi-Fi sign-in means you don’t have to change your main network’s password as often. You may even want to set up an easier password for the guest system while hiding the SSID from being searchable.

Guest Wi-Fi FAQs