How do I set up guest wifi?
Why a separate guest network is worth the five minutes, and how to set one up on a typical home router.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 15 min
- Read
- 2 min
Short answer
Log into the router's settings page, enable the guest network, give it its own password, and make sure it cannot reach your local devices. It keeps visitors and smart gadgets away from the computers holding your files.
A guest network is a second wifi name that reaches the internet but not the rest of your home network. It matters because devices on the same network can often see each other, and you rarely know what state a visitor's laptop is in.
Step by step
- Open your router's settings page.Usually a web address printed on the router itself, or through the provider's app. The default login is often on the same label — change it if you never have.
- Find the guest network option.Usually under wireless or wifi settings. Most routers from the last several years have it; a few provider-supplied ones do not.
- Give it a distinct name and its own password.A different name so people pick the right one, and a different password so sharing it does not give away your main one.
- Turn off access to local devices.The key setting, often called client isolation, AP isolation or 'allow guests to access local network'. This is what makes it a guest network rather than a second door into the same room.
- Put smart home devices on it too.Cheap connected gadgets are the least well maintained things on most home networks. The guest network is a sensible place for them.
- Write the password somewhere visitors can see it.A card by the kettle. It saves the ritual of reading a long password aloud, and means you never share the main one out of convenience.
Tips
- If your router supports it, set the guest network to disable itself automatically after a set period.
- Some routers let you cap guest bandwidth, which is useful if visitors' downloads slow down everything else.
- If your router has no guest option, that is a reasonable prompt to replace it — it is a sign of an old model with old security.
Common mistakes
- Leaving local network access enabled — Without isolation it is simply a second password to the same network, and provides almost none of the protection people assume.
- Using the same password as the main network — It removes the point entirely — anyone with the guest password now has your main one.
Questions people ask
Does a guest network slow down my wifi?
Marginally, since it shares the same radio, but the effect is small. Bandwidth used by guests matters far more than the extra network.
Should smart devices go on the guest network?
Generally yes. They are often poorly maintained and rarely need to reach your computers. Check first that any app control still works, since some devices need to be on the same network as your phone.