Your home network, done right

Your home router is the front door to every device you own, and most of them run on whatever settings they shipped with. Twenty minutes with this checklist puts you ahead of most households, and it’s great practice for the same work in an office.

1. Sign in to your router

Find the router’s address: it’s the default gateway from step 3 (often 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1). Type it into a web browser. Many newer routers are managed through a phone app instead; the label on the router usually says which.

2. Change the admin password

This is the password for the router’s settings, not the Wi-Fi password. If it’s still the default, or printed on a sticker anyone in the house can read, change it to something long and unique, and save it in a password manager (more in step 5).

3. Update the firmware

Router software has security holes like anything else, and attackers actively scan for routers that haven’t been updated. Look for Firmware update or Check for updates, and turn on automatic updates if the router offers them.

If the manufacturer has stopped releasing updates for your model, it’s time for a new router. An unsupported router is one of the most common ways home networks get compromised.

4. Secure the Wi-Fi

• Security type: choose WPA3, or WPA2/WPA3 mixed mode if some older devices can’t connect with WPA3 alone. Avoid WEP and plain WPA; they’re broken.
• Password: long beats complicated. A short phrase of a few random words is strong and easy to type.
• Network name: don’t put your name or address in it.

5. Set up a guest network

Most routers can run a separate guest network. Use it for visitors, and also for smart devices: TVs, cameras, doorbells, plugs and speakers. Those gadgets often get few security updates, and keeping them off your main network means a hacked smart plug can’t reach your laptop.

6. Turn off what you don’t use

• WPS (the “push button to connect” feature): turn it off. Older versions have well-known weaknesses.
• Remote management (managing the router from the internet): turn it off unless you truly need it.
• UPnP (lets devices open ports on their own): convenient for some games and apps, but it also lets malware open doors. Turn it off, and only turn it back on if something you rely on stops working.

7. Consider better DNS

Your router hands out DNS servers to everything in the house. Switching to a filtering DNS service can block many known malicious and scam websites for every device at once. Several reputable options are free, including Quad9 (9.9.9.9) and Cloudflare’s malware-blocking service (1.1.1.2). Change it in the router’s DHCP or internet settings so every device benefits.

8. Know what’s connected

Most routers list every connected device. Look through it every so often. You’ll probably find gadgets you forgot about, and anything you don’t recognize deserves a closer look.

Getting better Wi-Fi coverage

Dead spots are usually about walls and distance, not speed. A few tips:

• Put the router central and high, out in the open, not in a cabinet or a basement corner.
• 2.4 GHz reaches farther and through walls; 5 GHz and 6 GHz are much faster but have a shorter range. Most routers handle this automatically.
• For a bigger house, a mesh system (several units that work together) beats a single, more powerful router.
• Use a cable for anything that doesn’t move, like a desktop, TV or game console. Wired is faster and more reliable, and it frees up Wi-Fi for everything else.

Key takeaways

• Change the router’s admin password and keep its firmware updated, or replace it when updates stop.
• Use WPA3 (or WPA2/WPA3) with a long Wi-Fi password.
• Put guests and smart gadgets on the guest network.
• Turn off WPS, remote management and UPnP unless you need them.