Two passwords, two jobs
A router has two separate passwords, and mixing them up is the usual first mistake. The WiFi password lets devices join the network. The admin password opens the settings page, where someone could redirect your traffic or lock you out. The admin password is often printed on a sticker or shared across a whole model line. Change it first, store it in your password manager, and never make it the same as the WiFi password you hand to guests.
Settings worth changing
- Turn on automatic firmware updates, or check for an update by hand if the router has no such option.
- Choose WPA3 if every device you own supports it, and the mixed WPA2 and WPA3 mode if some do not. Avoid anything labeled WEP or TKIP, which are obsolete and quickly broken.
- Turn off WPS, the push-button or eight-digit PIN method of joining, because the PIN can be guessed by brute force.
- Turn off remote administration, so that the settings page can be reached only from inside your home.
- Rename the network to something that does not include your surname, your apartment number or the router's make and model.
Hiding the network name is not worth the bother. It stops nobody with basic tools, and it makes your own devices work harder to connect.
The guest network
Most routers can run a second network that reaches the internet but cannot see your other devices. Use it for visitors, and also for smart televisions, cameras, plugs and speakers. Those gadgets are rarely updated and frequently flawed, and keeping them away from the laptop that holds your tax returns costs nothing. A password of four random words, sixteen characters or more, is strong and can still be typed into a television with a remote control.
Knowing when to replace it
A router is a small computer, and the maker eventually stops patching it, commonly around five years after the model's release. Look up your model's support status, and replace it once updates have ended. If you rent a router from your internet provider, the fee usually runs ten to fifteen dollars a month, so a router you buy yourself tends to pay for itself within a year or so. Confirm with the provider that it is compatible before you buy.
Tip Open the router's list of connected devices every few months. Anything you cannot identify is a reason to change the WiFi password, which forces every device to rejoin and leaves strangers outside.
