IT Announcements

Home Router Tip of the Week: SSID/Router Passwords

December 2, 2022

You know how you walk by a house on your smartphone and you see 鈥榃i-Fi connection  #NotFBI is Available鈥 pop up as a network to connect to? That鈥檚 an SSID, or in nerd-speak, a Service Set IDentifier. This is a customizable name people can create for their local wi-fi networks, such as AT&T鈥檚 Guest Wi-Fi at any of their stores. Or the Barnes & Noble hotspots in their cafe. (Both which you should never connect to unless you鈥檝e got super cool cybersecurity protections on your laptop or smart device!)

SSID鈥檚 are simply used to identify a network, they have no inherent vulnerabilities beyond letting all your neighbors know you鈥檙e angry at your other neighbor Kevin. Changing the default SSID is a simple way to have fun with tech, but more importantly鈥 changing your router鈥檚 default password is the most critical step in home cybersecurity. This keeps Kevin from piggybacking on your internet! 

Each router manufacturer will have slightly different instructions on how to change the router password. However, the following steps are generally how it works. 

  1. Connect directly to your gateway via an Ethernet cable or wirelessly via your Wi-Fi
  2. Open a web browser and visit 192.168.1.1 (or the one assigned by your internet service provider (ISP). 
  3. Sign in using the factory set credentials or the ones provided by your ISP. This can be as simple as Username: admin, Password: admin.
  4. Find the 鈥楥hange Password鈥 setting. The location can vary depending on manufacturer.  
    1. Note: If you change your Wi-Fi password you will need to enter it on your devices before they will connect again
    2. Note: If you have two Wi-Fi networks (example: MyWiFi 2.4G and MyWiFi 5G) you will have to change it on both networks

The key point here is using good password hygiene even on your router, this is a password that only you and your guests will use so people oftentimes make it memorable to their family. Good practice would be to change it after your guests come and go, because while they may not be shady, your information is still stored in their devices. 

Your 绿奴天花板 Security Matters team will be presenting a 鈥淩outer Tip of the Week鈥 series of articles covering different topics on how to protect your home network. However, that will guide you through more steps. 

 绿奴天花板 Security Matters is a system-wide effort to increase awareness on cybersecurity topics. For more information, please visit the  or email us.