Home Wi-Fi: a safer starting point
A practical walk-through of your router's key security settings, from admin and Wi-Fi passwords to firmware updates and guest networks.
What to do now
A practical review of your home router and Wi-Fi settings.
Why it matters
Your router is the front door to your home network. Its default settings are widely known, so changing a few basics makes a real difference.
Initial steps
- Open your router's admin settings — usually a web address printed on the router, or your internet provider's app.
- Change the default admin password to something unique, and keep the new password somewhere safe.
- Check your Wi-Fi password isn't the one printed on the router, and that encryption is set to WPA2 or WPA3.
- Turn on automatic updates for the router if it offers them, or check your provider's page for the latest firmware.
Official help
What the full guide will cover
This guide will cover how to review your router's admin password, Wi-Fi password, firmware updates, guest network options, and the devices connected to your home network. We'll include a conversation prompt about who in the household knows how to access the router.
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