How to Change Your Wi-Fi Password

Authored by: Support.com Tech Pro Team

1. Introduction

Here's how to reset your Wi-Fi password to something more secure. 

2. How to Change

Log Into Your Router's Firmware   

1. The first step is to sign into your router's firmware. To do this, open your browser and type the IP address for your router in the address field. Most routers are assigned an address of 192.168.1.1. Type that number and press enter. If that's the right address, you should see a login window asking you to enter the username and password for your router's firmware, which should be listed on the router.
   
   

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2. If that standard address doesn't work, there's a quick way to find your router's IP address. Type cmd in the Windows 10 search field and open Command Prompt. (In Windows 8.1, right-click on the Start button and select Command Prompt.) 
   

1. With Command Prompt open, type ipconfig. Find the section for Ethernet adapter or Wireless LAN adapter, depending on how you’re connected to the internet. Look for the Default Gateway entry, and use that IP address to connect to your router.
   
   

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2. In Windows 10, you can also find your router’s IP address through the Settings app. Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Status. Click View hardware and connection properties to see details about your various network connections. Under the entry Ethernet or Wi-Fi, look for Default Gateway to find your router’s IP address. Type that address in your browser's address field and press Enter. 

Change Your Router Settings 

1. At your router firmware's home page, select a tab that says Wireless, or something similar. Make sure your security is set to WPA2, currently the strongest level of encryption available for personal Wi-Fi networks (though a stronger WPA3 is on the way). Next, look for an entry for your current password.
   
   
   

1. Type the new password in the appropriate field. Keep in mind the golden rules of creating a good password. Make it long enough, use alphanumeric characters and special characters or symbols, and consider a passphrase instead of a conventional password. 
   
   
2. Click Apply and your settings are updated. You may be done changing the password, but the real work—signing back into your network on every device in the house.