Guide Outlines Four Router Changes That Tighten a Home Network in Ten Minutes

The process starts with logging into the router's administrative panel, which is separate from the credentials used to join the Wi-Fi network. Engadget says the address is usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 but varies by model; on Windows, typing "cmd" in the Start menu and running "ipconfig" displays the number next to Default Gateway, while on a Mac, holding the Option key and clicking the Wi-Fi icon shows the address next to Router. Login details for the admin panel are often printed on a sticker on the back or underside of the router. Menu names and locations differ between manufacturers; the guide's examples use an ASUS router.

The first change is replacing default login credentials, along with the network name, properly called the SSID, and the Wi-Fi password. Engadget notes that this advice was once critical because most routers shipped with standard logins that anyone could look up, and that the problem is less severe now that many manufacturers assign random default passwords. Even so, the guide argues that a model-name SSID hands potential attackers information about which weaknesses to look for, and that anyone reading the sticker should not gain administrative access. On an ASUS router these settings sit under Administration, then System, in the Router Account box, where the guide recommends changing the username away from "admin," the first option an intruder would try. The wireless password appears as WPA Pre-Shared Key under Wireless, then General.

Also in that section, Engadget advises setting the authentication method to the strongest standard available, currently WPA3-Personal. Some devices do not work with WPA3; the guide's position is that the most secure choice is to keep WPA3 enabled and avoid those devices, and that a mixed WPA2/WPA3 Personal mode is less secure but connects each device at the highest standard it supports.

A guest network, available on most routers, is presented as another security tool. By default it prevents devices on the guest network from communicating with each other or reaching resources on the main network, granting internet access and nothing more, which the guide recommends for isolating smart home devices that have previously raised security and privacy concerns. Connected guest devices can be inspected and removed, bandwidth can often be capped so the owner's devices take priority, and networks set up for children may allow time limits or one-time access. Because a guest network has its own password, it can be simpler to remember while the primary password stays complex. ASUS routers, under Guest Network Pro, allow several guest networks with independent security protocols, which the guide suggests as a way to keep WPA2-only devices apart.

The final step is turning off WPS, or Wi-Fi Protected Setup, a convenience feature that connects devices without a password. It works either through an eight-digit PIN or a pairing button. Engadget says the PIN is calculated as two separate four-digit numbers rather than a single eight-digit figure, sharply reducing the number of possible combinations and making it easy to crack, particularly when a router does not limit how many attempts are allowed. On ASUS routers the setting is found under Wireless, then WPS.