Should I change my router's default password? How do I get to the router page?
Yes. The default admin password is the one printed on the router's sticker, and on older routers it's often something like "admin" that anyone can look up. Changing it stops anyone on your Wi-Fi, or anyone who picks up the box, from changing your settings.
Your router has two passwords. The Wi-Fi password lets devices join your network. The admin password lets someone sign in and change the router's settings, like the Wi-Fi password itself. Newer routers usually print a different password on each unit, which is better, but it's still sitting on the sticker for anyone to read.
Many newer routers are managed with the maker's phone app. Others use an admin page in your browser. Connect to the router, then type its address into the address bar. It's often 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1, and the sticker usually lists the right one. If your router uses an app account instead, give that account a strong password and two-step verification.
- Connect to your router's Wi-Fi or plug in with a cable
- Open the maker's app, or type the address from the sticker into your browser
- Sign in with the admin user name and password on the sticker
- Find Administration, System or Management, and change the admin password
- Use three or four random words, and save it in a password manager
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Getting Into Your Router
From the Inside Your Router course. Open your router's app or admin page and lock it with your own password.