Your Wi-Fi name, also called the SSID, is what nearby phones and laptops see when scanning for networks. Renaming it can make your network easier to recognize and less revealing than a factory default.
Does this affect you?
Use this for any home router or provider gateway when you want to change the visible network name.
Change the Wi-Fi name from the admin page
This works on almost every router, even if the wording changes by brand.
- Connect to your Wi-Fi and open the router admin address, usually 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1.
- Log in with the router admin username and password. This is not the same as the Wi-Fi password.
- Open Wireless, Wi-Fi Settings, or Wireless Setup.
- Find Network Name, SSID, or Wi-Fi Name.
- Enter the new name. If 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz are separate, choose whether they should share one name for automatic switching or use different names for manual band choice.
- Click Save or Apply and wait for Wi-Fi to restart.
Change it in an app
Provider and mesh systems often make this easier from a phone.
- Open the router or provider app, such as Xfinity, eero, Google Home, Orbi, or Deco.
- Go to Network Settings or Wi-Fi Settings.
- Tap the current network name.
- Enter the new name and save.
- Wait for the app to confirm the change has reached the router.
More control
Every device must reconnect
Changing the name disconnects current devices. Phones and laptops can select the new name, but screenless smart devices may need to be reset and added again in their own app.
Do not put personal details in the SSID
Avoid names, apartment numbers, addresses, or anything that identifies you. The network name is visible to nearby people, even without the password.
Update the password if it is old
The Wi-Fi password field is usually near the name setting. If it has not changed in years, set a stronger one while you are already there.
Hiding the SSID is not real security
A hidden network can still be detected with basic tools and makes normal setup more annoying. Use WPA2 or WPA3 and a strong password instead.
Sources
- FCC Consumer Guide – Wireless Network Troubleshooting (2024)
- Netgear Support – Change your Wi-Fi network name and password (2025)
- TP-Link Support – How to change the Wi-Fi network name SSID (2025)