Nowadays it is very common to connect to the Internet through wireless networks. We have more and more compatible mobile devices and this means that we need to have a good home Wi-Fi network. However, another fundamental factor is security. Is the network well protected? The password must be correct. In this article we are going to explain how we can change the Wi-Fi password from Windows.
Why it is important to use a good Wi-Fi key
The password is the first security barrier we have to prevent intruders from entering our accounts and, in this case, our wireless networks. This makes it essential to have a good key that is strong and complex.
Normally our router comes with a factory password. It is a generic key that sometimes could even be found out simply by knowing the exact model of the device. This could allow an intruder to gain access to our network without much difficulty, provided they have the proper knowledge.
This makes it very important to change the password . But it is not just enough to put any one, but it must be safe, contain elements that make it very difficult to find out. For example we talk about using letters (uppercase and lowercase), numbers and other special symbols.
Beyond using a strong password, it is also important to change it periodically. In this way we constantly renew that security and avoid, for example, prolonged brute force attacks. Luckily this is a simple process.
How to change the Wi-Fi password in Windows
The Wi-Fi password can be changed by accessing the router. Some models also have a mobile application from which we can access. In our case we are going to explain how to change the Wi-Fi password in Windows.
Access the router in Windows
What we have to do in Windows is go to the browser and enter the router through the default gateway. It is generally 192.168.1.1, although it could change. To know what it is in our case, we simply have to go to Start, enter the Command Prompt and execute ipconfig. There it will show us information, among which is the default gateway.
Once we have the default gateway, we simply put it in the browser and access. We will have to know the name and password to enter. This is usually something generic like admin123. This is also something that we must change to avoid problems. If we do not know what the password is, it usually comes at the bottom of the router or we can also look for the exact model online and inform ourselves.
Change Wi-Fi password
When we are inside the router we will have to go to the corresponding section to change the password. The normal thing is that we have to go to the menu, enter Wi-Fi / Wireless and search there to change the password.
As we see in the image, in the case of the router that we have tested, the section to change the name of the Wi-Fi network will appear, as well as the password and the type of encryption that we are using. All three things are very important to protect security.
Create a good password and proper encryption
At this point we will have already set the password that interests us. As we mentioned earlier it must be a strong key, which is difficult to figure out. It is advisable that it be totally random and unique.
But there is a very important point too and it is proper encryption. You have to avoid making some obsolete, such as WEP encryption. The interesting thing is to opt for those that are more current, such as WPA-2 or WPA-3 .
Choose a generic name
It is also interesting to change the name of the Wi-Fi network . From the factory, the router usually brings a name that refers to the model or the operator that we are using. This can be a problem, since we would give a clue to a hypothetical attacker so that he would know what device we have and what the vulnerabilities may be.
Therefore, we advise creating a password that is strong and complex, that has good encryption and also change the name of the wireless network to something that is generic, that does not refer to anything personal or the device. This way we will adequately protect our Wi-Fi network.
