The main name of your WiFi network is its Service Set Identifier or SSID. If you tap the WiFi icon on your phone or computer, a list of available networks with names made up of letters and numbers within a specific range will show up.
Most router makers set NETGEAR XXXX or Linksys XXXX as the default SSID. If you’re on a WiFi network at home, you can leave it as is or give it your name. We will tell you how to change SSID and password on the Netgear router.
Change the SSID of your router
- Find the IP address of your router.
- Log in to the administrative console of your router.
- Switch the SSID and the password.
- All devices need to get a new connection.
Note: Most major routers have the same way to change your SSID, but the names of the settings and menus may differ depending on your model.
When you change SSID and password, but still you’re not sure what to do, check the router’s manual for specific instructions.
Find the IP address of your router
The first thing to do is find the SSID of the router. You can do this by looking at the back of the router where the default network name and password are written.
The next step is to enter the router’s local IP address into a web browser and access the router’s administrative interface. When prompted, enter the current login and password to access the admin console.
Different routers use different IP addresses. For example, NETGEAR routers use www.routerlogin.com, and Linksys routers use 192.168.1.1. Some routers also use the 192.168.0.1 IP address, but if unsure, you can check the router manufacturer’s website for the local address and logins.
- Checking your computer’s default gateway is a quick way to do this. To open a Command Prompt window, right-click “Start,” then click “Run,” and type “CMD.”
- Type “ipconfig,” hit “Enter,” and then look for “Default Gateway” to see the IP address.
- For macOS, go to the Apple menu and click on System Preferences. In the new window, click on the Network icon.
- To find your router’s IP address, choose your internet connection, click Advanced, and then go to the TCP/IP tab.
Log in to the administrative console of your router
Enter the IP address into your web browser, preferably on your computer, to get to the admin console. Some router makers make apps for smartphones that let you change the settings. More expensive routers have touch screens built right in.
To do this, type the IP address into the browser and press Enter. Here is where you’ll put in the username and password for the router. If you’ve never changed these settings, use the logins that came with your wifi. You can find these on the case or in the user manual.
If you set a custom password and then forgot it, the only way out is to reset the router to its original settings.
Switch the SSID and password
- Go to the WiFi settings area of the admin console and tap WiFi settings.
- Look for a place that says SSID or Network name. Type any name you want. Just make sure it’s not offensive to other people in your area who might find it in the list of networks.
- Enter your WiFi password in the field for it, and then click Apply or Save to make the changes take effect.
The changes will happen immediately, so you might find that you can’t connect to your network anymore. This is because when you change the SSID, your router will shut down the old WiFi network and start up the new one with the new SSID. This disconnects all devices.
Some routers need to be turned off and on again for the changes to take effect, which means you could lose your connection even if you are using a wired connection.
Update the connection on all devices
The last step is to change the network name and password on all the devices connected to the old network to the new SSID and password.
After you do this, you’ll be able to connect to the internet.
If multiple WiFi networks have the same SSID, your system will try to attach to the one with the best network signal or the first available one. But if the passwords for the networks are different, your devices will only be able to connect to one of them.
Why you should change the SSID of your router
There are many reasons to change the SSID of your router, such as:
- Having a home network that you can customize. The name is unique to you, and anyone in the area looking for WiFi signals on their phone or computer can see it.
- Avoid getting confused with other routers in your area that have similar names. For instance, if two or three other people also have “Home” as their network name, you can change yours to something else.
- It would be best if you made your home network more secure. Even though this doesn’t make the network more secure, changing the SSID name may keep hackers and network attackers away because it shows that the router is better managed than routers with generic default SSIDs.
To protect your WiFi network, change the default admin password and use AES and WPA2 to encrypt the signals you send out. Lastly, turn off the WPS and UPnP features, which are often unsafe because they can be used to get around security software.
If your router lets you turn off SSID broadcasting, you can hide your router’s SSID and stop other people from seeing it and connecting to it. This should make your network more secure because you need to know both the SSID and the network password to get in.
If you are wondering how to change my SSID and password, these points will help you. But you’d have to manually create a profile with the SSID and other connection settings, and your router’s SSID can still be stolen from the device’s transmissions to and from your router while you’re using the internet.