How to Set Up Your Wi-Fi for Guests

Authored by: Support.com Tech Pro Team

1. Introduction

Here's how to prepare your network for guests and safely share your password with them. 

2. How to Sertup

Enable Your Guest NetworkMany routers support a feature called guest networking, which creates a separate Wi-Fi network for friends and family to use when they visit. From the guest network, they can access the internet, but they can't access network resources like shared folders, printers, or NAS devices. That means you can keep using your "Smith" network, while everyone else uses the more limited "Smith_Guest" network (or whatever you choose to name it).

To enable guest networking, you will need to connect to your router's management interface. This is typically done via a mobile app, but if your router doesn’t have an app you’ll have to use the web console. To get there, open a browser and type the IP address of your router into the address box, usually something like 192.168.1.1. (If you aren't sure what your router's IP address is Click the link below)

Launch How to Find Your Internal IP Address

Clicking this shortcut will mark this step as "Completed," and if you complete the next Guided Path, this Guided Path will be completed automatically

Your router will prompt you for a username and password to access the administrative tools. If you aren't sure what they are, check the user guide or the manufacturer’s support website. Quite often this information can be found on the base of the router itself. You should probably change these default credentials once you log in, lest shady characters also try to access your router.

From there, look for the Guest Network settings. These settings can vary in location from router to router, but typically, you'll find them under the Wireless Settings or in a dedicated Guest Network section.

Give your network a name, make sure access to your local network is turned off (if you have the option), and add a WPA2/WPA3 password to the network. Ideally, you want a strong password, but it's a good idea to make it somewhat easy to remember—you don't want to have to hunt for the sticky note with the Wi-Fi password on it every time a guest comes over.

Share the Password Easily

Giving your guests a password that is easy to remember works well enough, but for bonus points, you can share the Wi-Fi in a more streamlined fashion. For example, I like to generate a QR code for my network with QiFi—so that when my friends come over, they can just scan the code on the fridge using their phone's camera, instead of remembering and typing the password.

If you have Android 10 or Later, you can actually do this right from your phone. Open the phone's Settings menu, find the network, and click the Share button to generate a QR code.

If you (and your friends) are Apple users, you can share saved Wi-Fi networks with them by joining the network and standing nearby when they attempt to connect. If they're in your contacts list and have Bluetooth turned on, a prompt will appear on your iPhone or Mac, asking if you want to share the Wi-Fi network with them.