How to secure your home Wi-Fi

Protect both the network and the settings that control it.

The answer in 2 lines. Check that your router uses WPA3, or WPA2 where device compatibility requires it. Avoid an open network and obsolete WEP or WPA security. Use strong, different passwords for Wi-Fi access and router administration. Keep the router updated and ask about replacement if security support has ended. A properly configured guest network can separate visitors from your main devices. Follow instructions for your particular router rather than copying settings from an unrelated model.

Start with the essentials

Find the router's supplied instructions and sign in using the administration address or method they specify.
Check the wireless security setting: choose WPA3 where supported, or WPA2 for compatibility.
Replace weak or widely shared Wi-Fi credentials and use a different, strong administration password.
Check how security updates are delivered and enable automatic updates where available.

Stop: danger

Electrical damage: if the router or adaptor is scorched, damaged or smells of burning, stop using it. Disconnect it only if safe and arrange replacement rather than opening the casing.

Open the right settings safely

Your router's administration password controls settings; the Wi-Fi password lets a device join the network. They serve different purposes. Use the address and instructions supplied with your equipment, entering the address directly into your browser. Avoid unsolicited messages offering to configure the router for you.

The Information Commissioner's Office Wi-Fi guide explains how to find the settings and check encryption. Follow its router-access guidance alongside your equipment manual. Record the current configuration before changing it, and make changes when a brief interruption will not disrupt an important call.

Passwords, encryption and updates

Encryption: select WPA3 if the router and your devices support it. WPA2 remains the compatibility option in official UK guidance. Do not choose WEP, old WPA or an open network.
Wi-Fi password: use a strong password that is difficult to guess and different from passwords for your online accounts. Change it if it has been shared beyond the people you intend to allow.
Administration password: replace generic default credentials. Keep this password separate from the one given to household members or guests for Wi-Fi.
Updates: check that the router receives security fixes. Ask your provider how updates work if the equipment is managed remotely.

The Metropolitan Police router security checklist explains the separate passwords and update checks; use it as a checklist while reviewing your settings.

What not to do

Giving visitors the router's administration password when they only need internet access.
Assuming that hiding the network name provides meaningful security.
Leaving an unprotected guest network active.
Installing a supposed router update from an unexpected email or message.

Guests and unfamiliar devices

If your router supports it, consider a password-protected guest network with separation from your main devices enabled. Check the manual: the name 'guest' alone does not establish exactly what access is allowed.

The NI Cyber Security Centre home-network guide explains guest access, updates and firewall settings. Its technical advice is useful in England too; it does not create a separate English legal requirement. Use its checklist to review available options, and ask your provider before changing anything you do not understand.

If the administration page shows connected devices, compare them with your household equipment. An unfamiliar label is a reason to check, rather than proof of an intruder.

If you suspect unauthorised access

From a device you trust, change the router administration and Wi-Fi passwords, check encryption and confirm updates are current. Reconnect household devices deliberately. If settings change again, or you cannot regain administration access, contact your provider through the details on your bill and ask for secure recovery or replacement instructions.

Do not assume that changing the Wi-Fi password repairs compromised email or banking accounts. Review those separately if there are warning signs. These practical precautions apply across the UK; this guide does not claim that an English subscriber is automatically legally responsible for everything someone else does using their connection.

Good to know

Changing the Wi-Fi password means household equipment may need reconnecting, including printers and smart devices.
A factory reset can remove your configuration; use it as part of a documented recovery process.
Ask about supported replacement equipment if your router cannot offer appropriate encryption or security updates.

Illustrative example: in Bristol, Priya has shared her Wi-Fi password with many visitors. She checks the router manual, sets new and separate wireless and administration passwords, confirms encryption and updates, then configures protected guest access for future visitors.

A made-up story, for illustration.

Bobby

Sources, verification, confidence

Verified on 5 November 2026, for England. Confidence: high for UK official advice on encryption, separate credentials and updates; medium for guest isolation and recovery steps, which depend on the equipment. Northern Ireland's official technical guidance is used for general network precautions, not as English legislation.