Change WiFi Name: Router Admin Setup Guide
Changing your WiFi name takes a minute in the router admin page or app. Here are the steps for popular brands.
Your WiFi name, or SSID, is what people see in the list of networks. Changing it is quick and does not affect your internet plan, but your devices will need to reconnect.
Your WiFi name, or SSID, is what people see in the list of networks. Changing it is quick and does not affect your internet plan, but your devices will need to reconnect. Log in to your router admin page, open Wireless or WiFi Settings, edit the Network Name (SSID), then save and reconnect your devices using the same password.
Here is how to do it on any router or app.
How to change your WiFi name
- Log in to your router admin page. Find the address with our Router IP Finder, or try 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1.
- Open Wireless, WiFi or Wireless Settings.
- Edit the Network Name (SSID) for each band, or the single name if bands are combined.
- Save. Reconnect your devices using the same password.
The admin-page-first order is the sequence I follow before I touch any setting.
Where to change it by brand or app
| Brand / app | Location |
|---|---|
| TP-Link | Wireless, Wireless Settings |
| Netgear | Wireless, Name (SSID) |
| ASUS | Wireless, General |
| Xfinity | Xfinity app, WiFi, Edit |
| eero | eero app, Settings, Network name |
| Google Nest WiFi | Google Home app, Wi-Fi, Network settings |
| TP-Link Deco | Deco app, More, Wi-Fi |
The app-route row is the one I point at first when someone cannot find the setting.
Tips for a good WiFi name
- Skip your name, flat number or address.
- Avoid router brand and model, which hints at default logins.
- Keep it short and clear.
- Avoid emojis, which some devices show as blank boxes.
For me, the no-personal-details rule is the one I never bend on a network name.
After changing the name
- Smart home devices must be reconnected one by one. Some need their setup app.
- Phones will not auto-join the new name until you connect once.
- Mesh systems update all nodes automatically.
The smart-home-reconnect warning is the one I give first before anyone renames a network.
What happens to your devices after you rename WiFi
Your devices remember networks by name. Change the name and, to them, your old network has disappeared and a new one has appeared. Everything disconnects, and nothing reconnects until you tell it to. I see the smart-speaker headache most often in houses full of connected gadgets.
That’s fine for phones and laptops, which take ten seconds each. It’s more annoying for smart speakers, cameras, plugs and TVs, which often need to be set up again in their apps. Plan the change for a time when you can work through every device.
If you want to avoid the hassle, a trick some people use: create a new network with the new name on the guest WiFi or second band first, move devices across gradually, then switch off the old one.
Names to avoid
- Your full name, house number or address. Neighbours and passers-by can see it.
- The router brand or model, like TP-Link_5G or NETGEAR42. It tells attackers which defaults to try.
- Anything offensive or provocative. Funny for a week, awkward forever.
- Names that copy a nearby public network, like “Starbucks”. It confuses people and devices.
- Special characters and emoji. Some older devices won’t show or join them.
The brand-in-the-name trap is the detail I warn about first when a name gives too much away.
Change the WiFi name in your router app
- TP-Link Tether or Deco: Wireless or WiFi, then edit the network name.
- ASUS Router: Settings, Wireless, Network name (SSID).
- Netgear Nighthawk or Orbi: WiFi Settings, Network name.
- eero: Settings, Network name & password.
- Google Home: WiFi, Network settings, Network name.
- ISP apps: look for WiFi, Network or Home network settings.
When the web page hides the setting, I reach for the app before I dig through menus.
Fun names that don’t cause problems
A clever WiFi name is harmless fun, as long as it doesn’t give away personal details or upset the neighbours. Some ideas that stay on the safe side:
- Puns: “Wi Believe I Can Fi”, “Bill Wi the Science Fi”.
- Pop culture: “Hogwarts Floo Network”, “The Promised LAN”.
- Home themes: “Kitchen Router”, “Upstairs Mesh”.
- Plain and tidy: “Home”, “Home-Guest”.
Keep it under 32 characters, and skip emoji if you have older smart-home devices. My first stop is a plain name whenever guests ask what to call the network.
Rename without breaking smart devices
- List every smart device on your network before you change anything.
- Change the WiFi name, keeping the same password.
- Reconnect phones and laptops first.
- Open each smart-home app and use its “change WiFi” option if it has one.
- For devices without that option, factory reset and add them again.
Do this when you have an hour free, not before guests arrive.
The list-everything-first step is the one I never skip before I rename a network.
