When we get our Wi-Fi network set up, we often get stuck with unimaginative names which are difficult to remember and do not reflect our personalities at all. As such, many of us would like to have a different network name.
Luckily, that is something that is customizable. In this guide, we will show you exactly how to change your wifi name to something which you think more suits yourself.
Be careful though, it might make it easier for your neighbors to know which one Wi-Fi network is yours!
Without, further ado, let us begin:
1) Find Your Router’s IP Address
Most routers come with a web-based administrative interface that is easily accessible by using your browser. However, before we can get to that part, we first have to find your router’s local IP address, and how we go about that depends on what system you are running.
Keep in mind also that some routers will have different administrative interfaces. You can easily change an Apple Airport router’s settings by using the “Airport Utility” on your Mac. Some manufacturers offer smartphone apps for doing this and there are even routers nowadays which come with a touchscreen.
You will probably have to use a browser to access your router. It is recommended to do this via a computer because a lot of routers do not come with a web interface that works well on mobile devices.
If you are running a Windows machine, then the quickest way to find your IP will probably be through the Command Prompt. Open it by pressing Windows+R and type in “cmd“, followed by pressing Enter.
Type in the command “ipconfig” into the command prompt and press Enter. After the results appear, look for the section with your current network connection and you will see your router’s IP address displayed to the right of the “Default Gateway” entry.
If you are using a Mac, then just click the Apple menu and select “System Preferences.” Once the window opens, click the “Network” icon, select your Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet connection, and click “Advanced.”
After that, switch to the TCP/IP tab and see if you can find your router’s IP address to the right of “Router.”
2) Go To Your Router’s Web Interface
Open up your browser and type the IP address you found into the address box, and then press Enter.
You will then be asked to enter the router’s username and password in order to log in. If you have never made any changes to your username and password, then these will simply be the default ones that come with your router.
However, it may be the case that you do not know what these are. If that is so, then you can try out different things. Very often, for example, the default password is “admin” or even just blank. Some routers may be set up to have “admin” as the username and a blank password, or vice versa (or even “admin” as both). Try out different combinations and see what happens.
You can also look up the credentials in places like your router’s manual (whether printed or in electronic form). You could also try searching “default password” for your router model on the web.
Finally, if you have set a custom password but for some reason cannot remember it, then you will have to reset your router to its default settings.
3) Change the Wi-Fi Network Name
After you have logged in to your router, try and find the Wi-Fi settings. Routers vary on where these are located. They may be on the first page you see, or in a section called something along the lines of “Wi-Fi”, or “Wireless”, ow “Wireless Networks.” You should not have too much trouble finding it.
Once there, you should see a setting names something like “Network name” or “SSID.” Both of these are the name of your wireless network. From here it should be self-explanatory. Just change the name to what you want.
Note that after entering your new Wi-Fi network name you will probably need to click “Apply” or “Save” or something similar.
If you’re connected to your router’s web interface over Wi-Fi, then your device will probably disconnect because the router will shut down its old Wi-Fi network and bring up a new one. Some routers may restart themselves completely, so you may even lose the connection despite being on a wired connection.
After this, reconnect all of your wireless devices to the newly-named network (otherwise they will not be able to connect).
NOTE: Some routers actually have multiple Wi-Fi networks that you can change, so check your router’s settings for more information.
Conclusion
And that is it. Simple, no? We hope that you now know how to change your WiFi name.
