Your internet connection is your gateway to the web. The flip is also true—your WiFi is what connects the web to your home. But it’s more than that. WiFi can act like a back door to any smart IoT devices you may have, your personal information, and your financial accounts. Since connecting to WiFi is easy, it can also be a major target for hackers.

Many people don’t even change their default login information for their WiFi network, while others use simple or easy to guess passwords. Even fewer change the default login information for their residential gateway—their modem/router.

It’s important to learn how to make a strong password for WiFi. To illustrate that, let’s go over what can happen if you don’t secure your WiFi connection, as well as some tips on setting strong passwords for your WiFi.

What happens if you don’t change your WiFi password?

Maybe nothing. But that’s not a chance that you want to take. WiFi networks and residential gateways often use a default username and password which makes them easy to log in to. If it’s easy for you, it’s also easy for hackers.

The least that could happen by leaving your WiFi unsecured is that your bandwidth could be impacted. If outsiders can log on to your internet, they’re going to eat up a portion of your internet speed. The more serious threat? Your private information leaks or someone hacks your IoT devices, many of which have webcams.

By simply updating your passwords for both your WiFi network, you can help take the target off your back and keep your home, your network, and your family safer. Let’s explore how to make your WiFi a little more bullet-proof.

Take steps to update your WiFi password.

How to make a strong password for WiFi.

Want to make it hard to crack the code to your WiFi? Let’s start with some password do’s. Your password should be long, have a mixture of characters, numbers, and symbols, and you should use a unique password for each account. Password managers can help you keep track of all the ones you create, but you can also use mnemonic devices to remember them. The examples below center around the internet, but you should create your own unique version.

Can you decipher these?

  • Pr3ttyFly4aW!f!
  • h0m3!$Wher3TheWi4!is
  • te11MyW!f!I<3her
  • 3xtrem1y0nl!n3

You get the idea.

It’s also important to update your password on a regular basis, about every 90 days. If someone does manage to figure out what your password is, you can keep your information secure by changing it up.

Now for the don’ts. Don’t use the same password for more than one account. Also, you shouldn’t use a password that includes anything easily identifiable about you, like your name. And you definitely shouldn’t use any password that is on the list of the most common passwords.

How to change your WiFi password.

Most modems that you lease or purchase from an internet provider are set up with wireless security turned on by default. To connect to a wireless network at your home, you need to know your network name and password. This is usually found on a sticker on the bottom of your modem. Once you’ve logged in, navigate to the wireless settings menu.

  1. Connect a device, such as a computer or tablet, to the internet through WiFi or using an Ethernet cable connected to your modem.
  2. Open a web browser and type http://192.168.0.1 into the web address field.
  3. Log in to your modem’s settings interface (Modem GUI) using your Admin Username and Password. You can find it printed on the modem label. This is not the same thing as your wireless network name (SSID) and password (key).
  4. Select “Wireless Setup.”
  5. Then select “Basic Settings” OR “SSID Setup.”
  6. Select the SSID you want to edit. You can find your SSID printed on your modem’s label. Typically, the first one in the drop-down list is the one you want.
  7. If it’s not already enabled, select “Broadcast SSID” to activate the network.
  8. Enter the desired network name. The SSID cannot contain spaces. Remember that this will be visible to others, so it should not contain sensitive information or clues to what your password is.
  9. Select “Apply” to save your changes.

You can also update your WiFi password and name on the app.

  1. To do this, open up your Quantum Fiber app on your smartphone.
  2. Navigate to your Dashboard.
  3. Tap the name of your network on the screen to access the Network Information screen.
  4. Tap “Edit” to access the Edit Network screen.
  5. From there, you can update the name of your network and your network password.

Tap “Done” in the upper right corner when you’re finished.

After you've updated your WiFi password, you can use a password manager to keep it straight.

Final words.

Learning how to create a strong WiFi password isn’t rocket science, but it does require a healthy mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Don’t forget to create either a mnemonic device or to use a password manager to keep everything straight.

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