As most of us are aware, home network security is extremely important. If your WiFi network is not properly secured, it leaves you vulnerable to a variety of security threats. Determined hackers can use your Internet service for free, introduce malware onto your devices, and steal your personal data. It’s even possible for a hacker to hijack your WiFi router and use it, along with thousands of other hacked routers, to launch a large-scale cyberattack on a company, government agency or other organization.
Fortunately, these threats can usually be addressed with some simple measures, like using the right type of WiFi security (the WPA2 security protocol), setting a strong WiFi password and changing it every few months.
Your house guests may pose a threat to your home network
But there is another type of threat to your home network you may not be aware of your house guests. If your network is not set up correctly, visitors who access your WiFi network pose a potential security risk to your devices and data.
How can your guest be a threat?
Let’s say that you have two laptops, four smartphones, and a tablet in your home, any of which could be connected to your WiFi network at any given time. Let’s say you also have several smart home devices connected to WiFi and a portable USB hard drive plugged into your WiFi router to share files with other family members. Whenever a guest logs into your primary WiFi network, they will also have access to every one of these devices. While it’s unlikely any of your friends would intentionally sabotage your network, there’s a chance that the device they are using to connect to your network is infected with some malware. If so, there’s a possibility that this malware could be spread to other devices connected to your network.
Why you need a guest WiFi network
Fortunately, there’s a simple way to address this particular threat. Most WiFi routers give you the ability to create what’s called a “guest WiFi” network. Unlike your regular WiFi network that you and your family members use, the guest WiFi network restricts what your guests can do in your network. Specifically, it gives visitors access to your Internet connection and nothing else. They can’t see any of your devices on the network and they don’t have the ability to access them. Most importantly, they can’t accidentally introduce malware or compromise your devices or data in any other way.
How does a guest WiFi network work?
Here’s how a guest WiFi network works. Anyone looking to connect to your WiFi will see your primary WiFi network name as well as your guest network name. For example, if your primary network is called “MyWiFi” your guest network might be called “MyWiFi-guest”. Each of these networks has a separate strong password one you share with guests and the other that you only share with family members. When a guest asks you for your WiFi password, you simply give them the guest WiFi password and ask them to connect to “MyWiFi-guest”. Once they’re connected, they can use the Internet and you don’t have to worry about any security threats.
How to set up a guest WiFi network with WAVE Managed WiFi or Ultimate WiFi
To set up your guest WiFi network, you need to access the web interface for your WiFi router. You log into the network, and follow the instructions provided by your router manufacturer to create and set up the guest WiFi network. If you have a GigaSpire provided by WAVE, you need to log in to the GigaSpire web interface, or use the WAVE Connect App to set up your guest WiFi network.
This involves four steps
- Turn on the guest WiFi network for the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands.
- Provide a name for the guest WiFi network (also known as the SSID).
- Set a strong password that’s also easy to remember for your guests.
- Share the guest network with your friends!
The ULTIMATE WiFi
Experience.
What is WAVE Connect?
WAVE Connect provides the Ultimate control of your home network. Our intuitive app design puts the device, networks, and parental controls you need at your fingertips. Get WAVE Connect Today!
