Home Networks & Wi-Fi · Securing Your Wi-Fi · Lesson 1 of 5

WPA2, WPA3 and Your Wi-Fi Password

Pick a safe security mode, a strong passphrase and a name that keeps you private.

Locking Your Wi-Fi Door

Wi-Fi sends your data through the air. Anyone nearby with a phone or laptop can pick up those radio signals. What keeps them out is the security mode, the kind of lock your router uses for Wi-Fi.

The security mode does two jobs. It asks for the password before a device can join. It also encrypts the traffic, which means it scrambles the data so only devices that know the password can read it.

Your router's app or admin page lists the modes. Here they are from best to worst:

• WPA3-Personal: the newest and strongest. It makes password guessing much harder. Pick it if all your devices support it.
• WPA2/WPA3 mixed (sometimes called transition mode): newer devices use WPA3 and older ones use WPA2. A good choice for most homes.
• WPA2-Personal (with AES): still considered safe, and fine if your router has nothing newer.
• WPA or WEP: old and broken. WEP can be cracked in minutes with free tools.
• Open, or no security: no password and no scrambling. Anyone can join and nearby people can see unprotected traffic.

If your router only offers WEP or WPA, it's time for a newer router. Ask your internet company, since many will swap an old one they provided.

When you change the security mode, some devices may disconnect. Just join them again with the password.

On the practice computer, open the Wi-Fi security settings and choose WPA3-Personal or WPA2/WPA3 mixed. Notice which modes are marked unsafe.

A Passphrase and a Quiet Name

Even the best lock is weak with a short key. Your Wi-Fi password is what devices type to join. A short or common one can be guessed by a computer trying millions of choices.

The easiest strong choice is a passphrase, a password made of several random words. For example, "maple river tuba lantern". It is long, easy to say out loud for guests, and very hard to guess.

• Aim for at least 12 to 16 characters. Longer is better.
• Don't use your name, address, phone number or pet's name.
• Don't reuse a password from email or banking.
• Change the password printed on the router sticker if it looks short or simple.

Next is the network name, also called the SSID. It is the name people see when they look for Wi-Fi. Everyone near your home can see it, including strangers.

Names like "Garcia Family" or "Apt 4B" tell a stranger who lives where. Pick something friendly that says nothing about you, like "Blue Teapot". Also avoid the default name that shows the router's brand, since it hints which model you have and which flaws it may have.

Hiding the network name doesn't add real protection. Devices still reveal it when they search, and it can make joining harder.

After you change the name or password, every device must join again. Write the new password somewhere safe, or save it in a password manager.

On a Mac or phone, you join the renamed network the same way, by picking it from the Wi-Fi list.