Why Setup a Guest WiFi Network on Your Router?

Do friends and family members bug you about sharing your home WiFi password? Saying No makes you rude while answering in the affirmative makes you worry about network bandwidth. There is a way through which you can balance the two out. Ever heard of Guest WiFi network? No? Don’t worry! Tech experts are here to help you understand this concept and explain why having one could be a good idea.

What is a Guest Network?

The guest WiFi network lets friends and family access your home WiFi network. But, it does so by keeping them separate from the primary networking device. The WiFi device creates a separate entry for accessing internet through a guest WiFi network.

In other words, you let others access to internet without putting the main WiFi network or device at risk.

Now, if you have a Netgear Nighthawk WiFi router, create a separate network for guests by accessing the Nighthawk router login web page.

Keep reading to know why creating a guest network is worth the effort.

3 Reasons to Setup a Guest WiFi Network

The WiFi router is your gateway to the internet. It is also the entry point for hackers looking for an opportunity to exploit any vulnerability in the device. An effective manner to step-up the security of your WiFi network and device is by setting up a guest WiFi network.

Not convinced? The 3 reasons below will help you make the right decision. gen you youtube

1. Steer Clear of Cyberattacks

Cybercriminals need sensitive data to blackmail and sell. For this they need total control over the WiFi router and network. Once in, they can access any personal data and force the device owner to give them money in exchange for its return. This makes storing your bank and personal details online even more dangerous.

But, it does not mean there is no solution. You can take steps to secure your WiFi router against unauthorized access. As a safety measure, you can change the router’s network name (SSID) and password.

Later, create a guest WiFi network to mask the original network. A hacker or data thief would be less interested in spending time to look for information on a secondary network. Now, if you happen to own a Netgear WiFi router, just go to routerlogin.net to create a second network.

2. No Need to Share Router WiFi Password

Maybe it is your birthday and there are many guests in the house. Now, some of them need to access the internet through your home WiFi router. Do you share the passkey or hesitate a little? Although you can ask them to use their mobile data but allowing network access seems the right thing to do.

Luckily, many WiFi routers come with a WPS (WiFi Protected Setup) feature. WPS was introduced to make things easier when it came to accessing the internet network. Unfortunately, it also had a major drawback which hackers and data thieves could exploit.

Tech experts recommend that you disable the WPS feature on the WiFi router. But, that would be a bit tedious. On the other hand, create a guest network and let the guests access that. In this way, you do not need to share the primary WiFi router’s password.

3. Manage Access to the WiFi Router

A major advantage of setting up a guest WiFi network is you control who has access to the router. In other words, connecting a gaming console and Smart TV to the primary network is something you can do with ease. Keep the guest network for friends and family members.

It also ensures the router is safe from intrusion from unauthorized devices. You can check who has access to the WiFi network and router from time to time. For example, if you have a Netgear Nighthawk router, then go to the IP address 192.168.1.1 to set up the guest network.

Conclusion

Setting a guest WiFi network lets you keep nosy neighbours and hackers away from the primary network and router. It also lets you control who has access to the device. Thus, having a guest network setup is a win-win situation for you.