Most good hosts want their guests to enjoy the atmosphere without draining their mobile data plans. However, there is some risk involved with giving out your main network password to a lot of unfamiliar devices. That's why setting up a guest Wi-Fi network along with a distinct guest Wi-Fi password is a great solution for staying safe while remaining hospitable.
If you're a T-Mobile Home Internet customer, you can click here for quick and easy guest setup instructions. If not, we've still got you covered. First, we'll take a closer look at all the benefits—or you can jump ahead to start setting up your guest Wi-Fi network:
It keeps your main account secure
Having parties, overnight guests, and even hosting neighbors most likely means granting access to Wi-Fi. And while no one wants to be stingy about allowing friends and family to stay connected in the comfort of your home, sharing Wi-Fi also means sharing your password. Though it’s unlikely that anyone you’re hosting for Thanksgiving dinner is secretly planning to hack into the files on your desktop, an unfortunate reality of living in the digital age is that the friends and family may not actually be aware that they are bringing malware along to the party. If a guest’s device happens to be infected, enabling and using a dedicated guest Wi-Fi password provides another layer of protection.
But guest Wi-Fi isn’t just for guests. The degree of separation can also extend to your own connected device most prone to security breaches. Smart devices, like security doorbells, LED strips, even smart lightbulbs are often vulnerable to hackers. Keeping those devices connected to a guest Wi-Fi network may offer some distance from the sensitive information stored on other hardware.
It helps avoid slowdowns
Ever noticed how the internet seems to slow down just when you need it most? For example, when you have a house full of guests who want to play video games in the playroom, watch YouTube videos in the guest room, and stream a movie in the living room? That slower internet in a crowded house isn’t a coincidence. The more devices that are attempting to access Wi-Fi, the more bandwidth is divided across all those devices clamoring for data.
It controls access to your router
If you’re giving your main username and password to guests, neighbors, or kids, you’re also effectively giving access to your router and main network. And while most of us aren’t overly worried about malicious intent from those known to us, keeping guests, kids, and anyone else who might need a temporary connection relegated to a dedicated network eliminates the potential for anyone else to alter settings.
Additionally, there are plenty of reasons you might want to boot someone off your Wi-Fi. Perhaps you had a backyard cookout and shared the password with a neighbor only to realize they’ve forgotten to log off and are now slowing down your home internet speeds. Using your exclusive access to your router, you can retain oversight of who is on your network. If your router’s administrative options don’t provide this tool, you can also use online tools to check what devices have access to your Wi-Fi.
How to set up your guest Wi-Fi
If you’re ready to set up your guest Wi-Fi network and password, here’s how to get started:
Find your router’s information
The first thing you’ll need to do to set up your guest Wi-Fi is to locate your router’s IP information. Your router number is usually listed on the label of your modem, or the router box or instruction manual. On Windows or Mac, you can also find your router’s information listed in network connections information or system settings. Routers connected to home networks usually begin with 192. From there, simply enter the IP address into the search bar of any browser and then log in as the administrator. To log in, simply enter your network name and password. If you have T-Mobile Home Internet, we make it easy. Just use the handy app to control your gateway device.
Turn on guest Wi-Fi settings
If your router offers the option of a guest Wi-Fi network, you’ll find the tools for setting it up on the admin page. Most routers, even if they offer a guest option, come with that guest settings disabled. Simply follow instructions for setting up a guest network with its own name and guest Wi-Fi password. If you're a T-Mobile Home Internet customer, you can also do this in the app. In order to keep your own network safe, you should choose a password that is secure but wholly unique from your main network password. And while setting up a guest Wi-Fi network is a great way to protect your main network, remember to change your guest Wi-Fi password as frequently as you change your main network password to keep everyone’s devices safe.
Conduct regular checks for malware
While you’re protecting your network’s safety by checking out your router’s guest Wi-Fi options, it is a good idea to enable other safety features as well. In fact, some routers even come with anti-malware software that will automatically check new devices for possible security breaches the very first time they log on, and from there perform scans on a regular basis so you can worry less about possible security breaches from new or temporary users.
Share your guest Wi-Fi password easily
Most of us have become accustomed to the concept of "sharing a Wi-Fi password" as being directed to a sticky note marked with a long stream of letters and numbers that often require multiple attempts to enter manually. Luckily, these days, there are much easier options.
For Android 10, simply open the Settings menu, find your network, then use the "Share" option to generate a QR code that can be used for Wi-Fi access. On an Apple device, just join the network on your own device and stand near the person you’d like to help login. If Bluetooth is enabled on both devices, a message will pop up asking if you’d like to share Wi-Fi information.
Make sure your guests can easily access Wi-Fi
If you’re hosting, it’s likely you're also using rooms that don’t usually need a strong Wi-Fi signal, like a guest room. Check the signal strength in these areas. Since Wi-Fi strength depends on physical proximity to the router, it’s possible you’ll need to move the router to accommodate guests. Make sure there are no objects blocking the router for a clear signal. If these things are impossible or the signal is still weak, you can invest in a Wi-Fi extender that will connect to your router and then boost the signal to cover more area.
Interested in trying 5G Home Internet? T-Mobile is America’s fastest growing Home Internet provider. See if T-Mobile Home Internet is available in your area. Then, you can set up your guest network quickly and easily.