How to Set Up a Separate Guest Wi-Fi for Your Business

What you will need: Your router's admin login (the username and password for the router's settings, which is different from your Wi-Fi password) and a computer or phone connected to your current Wi-Fi or plugged into the router.

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Why bother with a separate guest network?

Your business Wi-Fi connects more than laptops. It likely also reaches your printer, your shared files, your point-of-sale system, and maybe security cameras. When a customer or visitor joins that same network, their phone sits right alongside all of it.

A guest network is a second Wi-Fi name your router broadcasts for visitors. It helps keep visitors' devices away from your business devices. Here is what that gets you:

• Visitors can get online without needing your main Wi-Fi password.
• Your printer and shared folders are not meant to be reachable from the guest side, once you turn on the isolation setting in step 8.
• You can change the guest password whenever you like without reconnecting every office device.

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Before you start

Every router brand uses different menus and wording. The steps below cover the general idea, and the names in your router may differ.

Important: If your router came from your internet provider (ISP) and the guest option is missing or greyed out, it may be locked down. See "If you get stuck" at the bottom.

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Step-by-step

1. Connect to your router

Use a computer or phone that is on your current network. A computer plugged into the router with a cable works too.

2. Open the router's admin page

This is the settings screen for your router. Open a web browser (Chrome, Edge, Safari) and type the router's address into the address bar at the top, not the search box.

• The address is printed on the router's label. Common examples include 192.168.1.1 and 192.168.0.1, but yours may differ. If the label is missing or hard to read, the router maker's support page can confirm the address for your model.
• The label often shows your Wi-Fi network name and Wi-Fi password. The admin login is a separate username and password. If you cannot find it, check the router maker's support page or ask your ISP.
• If someone changed the admin login and no one remembers it, you may need to reset the router. A reset erases your settings, including any guest network setup. Ask an IT pro or your ISP before doing that.

3. Log in

Enter the admin username and password. Remember, this is not your Wi-Fi password. It is a separate login for the router's settings.

4. Find the guest network settings

Look for a menu item with a name like:

• "Guest Network"
• "Guest Wi-Fi"
• "Wireless" followed by a "Guest" tab

The name and location vary by brand and model. If you do not see any of these, check the router maker's support page for your model.

5. Turn it on

Switch the guest network to Enabled or On.

6. Give it a different name

The network name is called the SSID. It is simply the name people see when they look for Wi-Fi. Pick something generic, like "Guest-WiFi". Avoid names that identify your business or your location, and avoid using the same name as your main network.

7. Set a password

Use a long password that is different from your main Wi-Fi password.

Also check the security type, which is how the network is protected. Routers word this setting in different ways, so here is what to look for.

CISA (the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency) lists these as safe choices:

• WPA3 Personal
• WPA2 with AES, which your router may also show as WPA2-PSK, WPA2 PSK, or just WPA2

(PSK stands for "pre-shared key," which simply means a password that everyone using the network shares. AES is one of the methods routers use to protect Wi-Fi traffic.)

CISA advises avoiding:

• WEP
• WPA (the original version, without the "2" or "3")
• WPA2 with TKIP (TKIP is an older protection method that AES replaced)

So if your router's menu shows only "WPA2-PSK" or "WPA2," that is an acceptable choice. If your router offers WPA3 Personal, pick that first.

Some routers let you leave the guest network open with no password. Choose a password option instead, and share it with visitors as you see fit.

8. Turn on isolation

This is the setting that keeps guests away from your private devices. Depending on your router, it may appear as:

• "AP isolation" or "Client isolation"
• "Allow guests to see each other": set to Off
• "Allow guests to access local network" or "Intranet access": set to Off

Some routers combine these into one option. On many Netgear Nighthawk routers, for example, it's labeled "Allow guests to see each other and access my local network." Set that kind of option to Off (unchecked).

Some routers wall off the guest network automatically, and others make you choose. Do not assume. Look for the setting.

9. Save or apply

Look for a Save or Apply button. The router may restart its Wi-Fi for a moment.

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Test it

1. On your phone, connect to the new guest network using the guest password.
2. Confirm you can open a website.
3. Try to reach something private, like your office printer or a shared folder. It should not work.

If you can reach your printer or shared files from the guest network, go back to step 8 and recheck the isolation settings.

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A few good habits

• Post the guest network name and password somewhere visible, like a small sign at the counter.
• Change the guest password from time to time, and any time someone who had it no longer needs it.
• While you are in the router, change the default admin password if it has never been changed.

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If you get stuck

• No guest option, or it is greyed out: Call your ISP and ask whether guest Wi-Fi can be turned on for your router. You can also ask an IT professional to take a look.
• You cannot log in, or the menus look nothing like this: Call your ISP or an IT professional. A quick check from someone who can see your router is better than guessing, especially if your business handles customer payments or other sensitive information.
• Not sure whether your setup is safe: Ask. That is a normal question, and a good one.