What is a guest network and how to make one

When friends or family visit and ask “What’s your Wi-Fi password?”, the natural move is to give them access to your main network. But did you know there’s a better option that helps protect your household devices? Behold, the guest network! 

We’re not suggesting your loved ones are popping over for dinner to steal your data, but aside from the extra protections, there are several benefits to using a guest network which can make your network more resilient and better performing.  

What is a guest network, and why do I need one? 

A guest network is a secondary Wi-Fi network created on your router. With its own network name (SSID) and password, it’s designed to provide internet for devices that you’d rather not have full access to your main network.  

But why bother setting one up? There are a few reasons: 

1. Protecting from visiting devices

When people connect to your main network, they technically have access to everything on it. While they’ll need to have a bit of know-how to do this, the fact is this exposes your devices and all the personal files, financial information, or other sensitive data on them. 

Let’s say you’ve got your friends over to plan a group holiday, and one brings their own laptop. Unbeknownst to them, this laptop is infected with malicious software (or malware). Naturally, you give them your Wi-Fi password, and suddenly the malware-infected laptop has access to all devices on your network. 

The chances of this happening aren’t high, but it occurs more than you might think. If instead the laptop joined your guest network, the infected laptop can only access the internet and devices on the guest network – limiting your exposure. Crisis averted! 

2. Separating your smart devices 

Smart devices, like printers or TVs, don’t always come with the same security levels as more powerful devices. This leaves them vulnerable to malware attacks, and we know from the last section how easy it is for this to occur.  

Isolating them to a network separate from your main devices can be worth it, especially if you’ve got lots of smart devices. This will safeguard your sensitive devices in case of a malware outbreak.  

3. Prioritising network bandwidth 

Does your internet slow to a crawl when your house is busy? Some routers allow you to allocate a specific portion of your internet bandwidth just for your guest network, which can be useful if you want to prioritise certain devices. 

This is especially handy in scenarios like school holidays, where your children’s internet activity during the day might eat up the valuable speed you need for things like work calls and downloading files. Putting their devices onto a guest network can allow you the bandwidth you need to work without interruptions.  

Setting up a guest network 

Does a guest network sound right for you? Setting one up is easy and the following steps apply to a lot of router models. 

Note: if these steps don’t apply to your router, please consult your user guide for specific instructions.

1. Open a web browser on a device connected to your Wi-Fi and type your router’s IP address in the address bar. This, along with your login credentials if you’ve never changed them, are usually on the sticker on the back of your router.  If your router has a mobile app, then you can also use this to create a guest network too.  

2. Once in, search for a section labeled “Wireless Settings” or “Wi-Fi Settings.”  This might also be labeled as “Guest Network,” “Guest Access,” or “Guest Wi-Fi".  

3. Toggle the guest network to “On” if it’s not already. If you don’t see an option to enable it, consult your router’s user guide, as not all models support guest network functionality. 

4. Choose a network name (SSID) and password for the guest network that differs from your main Wi-Fi. Your password should be easy enough for guests to type, but secure enough to deter anyone from guessing it. 

5. If available, you may want to set specific restrictions for the guest network, like bandwidth caps or parental controls.  

6. Once you’re done, save your settings, and now you’ve got a guest network!