How To Change Your Router SSID & Why You Should

More than just because you can

SSID stands forService Set Identifierand is the primary name of your WiFi network. If you tap on the WiFi icon on your phone or computer, it’ll pull up a list of available networks within a range that have different names consisting of letters and/or numbers.

For example, you may see simple names likeAirport WiFior funny ones likeFBI Surveillance Van 4, which are SSIDs for those specific networks. From the list, you can identify your network’s name and join toconnect to the internet.

Most router manufacturers set default router SSIDs like NETGEAR_XXXX or Linksys_XXXX. If you’re on a home WiFi network, you can opt to leave it as it is, or personalize it with a name of your choice. We’re going to show you how to do it.

Change Your Router SSID

Note:The process of changing your SSID is generally the same across major routers, though the exact names of settings and menus may vary depending on the model you’re using.

When in doubt, check the router’s instruction manual for specific instructions.

Find Your Router’s IP Address

The first step is to find the router’s SSID. You can do this by checking the case of the router where both the default network name and password are printed.

Next, find your router’s local IP address and log in from a web browser to access the administrative console. When prompted, enter the current username and password details to access the control panel.

The IP addresses vary from one router to another, for example, NETGEAR routers usehttp://www.routerlogin.comwhile Linksys routers use192.168.1.1. Some routers also use the192.168.0.1IP address, but if you’re unsure, you can check your router manufacturer’s website or documentation for the local address and logins.

Log Into Your Router’s Administrative Console

Go to your web browser, preferably on your computer, and type in the IP address to access the admin console. Some router manufacturers provide smartphone apps from where you can change the settings, while more expensive options come with built-in touchscreens.

To do this, type the IP address on the browser, and press Enter. Here, you’ll enter the router’s username and password. If you’ve never changed these details, use the default logins that came with your router which can be found on its case or in the user manual.

If you had set a custom password and can’t remember it, the only way out of it is toreset the router’s default settings.

Change The SSID & Password

The changes will take effect immediately so you’ll probably discover that you’re no longer connected to your network. This is because your router is shutting down the old WiFi network with the previous SSID, and bringing up the new one with your personalized SSID, so it disconnects all devices.

Some routers restart altogether for the changes to take effect, which means you may be disconnected even on a wired connection.

Update The Connection For All Devices

The final step is to update the network connection on all the devices that used the previous network name and password, to the newly named SSID and password.

Once you do this, you’ll be able to connect to the internet.

If there are multiple WiFi networks with the same SSID, your devices will try to connect to the network having the strongest signal or the first network available. However, if the networks have different passwords, your devices will only connect to one of them successfully.

Why You Should Change Your Router’s SSID

There are several reasons for changing your router’s SSID such as:

To secure your WiFi network, change the default admin credentials, and encrypt broadcasting signals using AES and WPA2. Finally, turn off the WPS and UPnP features, which usually have security vulnerabilities like bypassing security software.

If you’d like to hide your router SSID and prevent others from seeing and/or connecting to it, you can do so if your router offers the option todisable SSID broadcasting. This ostensibly improves your network security as one would have to know the SSID and network password to gain access.

However, you’d have to manually create a profile with the SSID and other connection parameters, plus your router SSID can still be intercepted from the device’s transmissions to your router and back while using the internet.

Elsie is a technology writer and editor with a special focus on Windows, Android and iOS. She writes about software, electronics and other tech subjects, her ultimate goal being to help people out with useful solutions to their daily tech issues in a simple, straightforward and unbiased style. She has a BCom degree in Marketing and currently pursuing her Masters in Communications and New Media.Read Elsie’s Full Bio

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How To Change Your Router SSID & Why You Should#

Change Your Router SSID#

Find Your Router’s IP Address#

Log Into Your Router’s Administrative Console#

Change The SSID & Password#

Update The Connection For All Devices#

Why You Should Change Your Router’s SSID#

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