Most Wifi routers come pre-configured with a default username and password, that are often printed on the back case of the router.
Wifi routers purchased from Internet Service Providers (ISP), will often have the name of the ISP (such as Verizon, AT&T, Telstra) followed by a number (1234) as the username. E.g: Telstra2345.
This is accompanied by a WiFi password allocated by the ISP. Both this information are often printed onto a small card, which is provided by the ISP.
If you do not like the default WiFi username and password, you can change them to anything you want in a few clicks.
Changing the default username and password, allows you to allocate a username that is more personalized than the standard preconfigured names, such as Pete252 or Bacon&Eggs.
When the Wifi sharer stops sharing, Wifi host should change their password unless is paid.
In order to change the existing Wifi Username and Password, you have to access your router’s administrative interface.
To access the interface, you will first need to find your router’s local IP address on your network.
Step 1: Find your router’s IP Address
While every brand of routers is different, almost all routers have a web-based administrative interface that you can access via an internet browser by typing in the router’s local IP address. Some brands provide different admin interfaces. Eg: If you have an Apple Airport Extreme or Express, you can use the “Airport Utility” to change its settings.
Other normal brands like Dlink and Linksys offer smartphone apps for changing settings, while more expensive brands like Cisco are even including touchscreens. Please check the specific instructions for your brand and model.
Please refer to the following:
On a PC running any version of Windows from Windows 7 onward, the quickest way to find this information is through the Command Prompt.
To open it, press Windows button+R, type "cmd" and press Enter.
Type cmd and click OK or Press Enter
On the Command Prompt window which appears, type the command ipconfig and press Enter.
Type ipconfig and press enter
In the results, look for the section showing your current network connection The router’s IP address is displayed to the right of the
“Default Gateway” entry.
Router's local IP address location
In macOS, click the Apple symbol at the top left corner of the screen and select System Preferences.
Click the Apple symbol and select System Preferences
In the System Preferences window, click the “Network” icon,
Select your Wifi connection, and click the “Advanced” button.
Switch to the “TCP/IP” tab and look for the router’s address to the right of “Router”.
Switch to TCP/IP and find the Routers Local IP Address
Step Two: Access the Web Interface
Next, you’ll need to access your router’s web interface.
Open up your preferred browser, type the IP address you found into the address box, and then press Enter.
Router's Web Interface
Enter the router’s username and password to log in.
If these have never been changed before, use the default login credentials.
Web Interface User Credentials
If you are unsure of what the username and password might be, you can experiment a little bit.
Often, the default password is either ädmin" or just blank. Some routers may require ädmin" as the username and a blank password. Other combinations may include "admin" as both the username and password, or "admin" as just the password with a blank username.
If you are unable to enter the correct username and password, you can look them up. The router's manual likely has the information that you need.Most routers include a manual in PDF rather than a printed manual. You can also search the web for the default credentials of your router model. If you have set a custom password, but can't remember it, you will need to reset the router to its default settings.
Step Three: Change the Wifi Network Name and Password
After logging into the router, look for the area with the Wifi settings. Since each brand and model has a different configuration, there is no specific guide available to change these settings. Depending on your router, the settings may be on the first page you see, or in a section titled something like “WiFi”, “Wireless”, or “Wireless Networks”. You’ll see a setting named something like “SSID” or “Network name”. These are the same thing—the name of your wireless network.
WiFi Router Settings
For changing your WiFi password, look for settings similar to “password,” “passphrase,” “wireless key,” or “WPA-PSK key.” Different routers use different names. 121Co recommends users to create a new password with the following characteristics:
- Eight (8) characters
- One Uppercase character
- One Number
- One Lowercase character
- One Special character
121Co users are required to use WPA2 as a Wifi encryption type. It is preferable for users to select WPA2-AES instead of WPA2-TKIP, as it is more secure.
After entering all of your Wifi settings like the network name, password, encryption and security type, you will need to ensure that these changes have been saved on to the router.
There would be a button like Apply, Save, Submit, etc that you have to click to move forward.
Once these settings have been saved, your router may need to be restarted in order for the new settings to be applied properly.
After the router settings have changed, you will need to reconnect all your wireless devices to the newly configured wireless network and provide the new password if necessary.