We must keep all devices protected with a good password. It is the main security barrier that prevents anyone from accessing our accounts or records. However, we must take into account several factors, such as the fact of changing it periodically and thus refresh the effectiveness. In this article we will explain how to change the password to enter the router .
Why do you have to have a good password in the router
Many users the first thing they do when purchasing a new router is change their Wi-Fi password. This is very important and we also recommend doing it. But they forget something also essential: change the password to the router. Each device comes with a factory password, which is also usually generic, such as 1234, admin123, etc. This makes it possible for any intruder with the proper knowledge to gain access to the router and change settings or compromise security.
Normally, each router has a generic password depending on the model. Therefore, an attacker who had access to the device would only need to know the exact model, carry out a search on the Internet and would know what the key is. Just testing would also suffice, since most are generic as we have shown.
Therefore, this means that we must always have a good password to access the router . We will be creating an extra layer of security and will prevent anyone from entering. After all, it is the most important device in our connection, the one that will allow us to connect from other computers both wirelessly and by cable. If there is an intruder with access to the router, it could control other devices that we have connected.
Steps to change the router password
At this point, after having explained why it is important to change the router password , we will show how to do it. Keep in mind that this will depend on the exact model, although in general the steps are very similar.
The first thing we have to do is enter the device. Here it will also depend on the model we have, but as a general rule it is usually through the 192.168.1.1 gateway. We have to put that address in the browser and enter with the username and password.
Know the default gateway
What if the gateway is another? We can know what it is in a simple way. To do this, in Windows 10, we have to go to Start, open the Command Prompt and execute the ipconfig command. It will show us a series of information related to the connection and network adapters. One of the pieces of information we will see is the address of the default gateway. In our case it is 192.168.1.1, but it could be another.
Know the password to enter the router
Later, when we put the address in the browser , it will ask us to put a username and password. It is usually of the type admin, admin; admin, 1234; admin, admin1234… We will have to know the exact model and look for information about the access code in case it is not something like that. We can also see it at the bottom of the router, where it usually appears on a sticker.
Sometimes it will only ask us for the password, without having to enter the user to access.
Change the password to access the router
We are already inside the router and now what we have to do is change the access key . Here, as we indicated above, it will depend on the exact model. However, the steps will be similar. You can change the way you get to the end point, but the procedure is similar.
When we are inside we go to the menu. We may have to access Advanced Settings, depending on the router model we have. But whether we have to enter or not, what you have to look for is the Change router password section or something similar that you indicate.
Once we are in the option to Change the router password, it will simply ask us for the previous password and put a new one. Once this is done we will have to click Accept and that’s it. We can try again to enter through the default gateway and see if we can access it or not.
Create a good password
How should we create a good access key? This is certainly essential. It is of little use to change the one that comes from the factory if we are going to put another one that is very easy to find out and does not really protect us against possible intruders. We are going to give some interesting tips to generate a password that is totally strong.
It must be totally random and varied
A first step when creating any password is to make it totally random. We must have numbers, letters (upper and lower case) and other special symbols. All this always mixed and also have a sufficient length. Each symbol we add will increase security exponentially.
It is best not to remember the key
A tip to know if a password is really strong is to know if we can remember it or not. In case we remember her, we have done something wrong. What does this mean? Usually users tend to put in passwords that they can easily remember. For example names, family numbers, etc. But this is also known to hackers and the programs they use for brute force attacks. Therefore, the ideal is that we cannot remember that key. It would be a good sign that it is good.
Avoid using it on other sites
Each password must be unique. We should not use it on other sites , such as social networks or any other device that we have connected. In the event of a leak or attack, what is known as a domino effect could occur. Hence, they could access our account.
Change it from time to time
One more tip is to change the password from time to time. This way we will constantly update security. A good password is until it is filtered out. That is where being able to change it periodically comes into play and we will always have a totally safe one.
In short, changing the password to access the router is very important. We must do it periodically to always have our device protected and thus avoid the entry of intruders that could compromise us.
