How to Create a Strong Wi-Fi Password

Your Wi-Fi password protects every device on your home or office network. A weak one lets neighbors use your bandwidth at best, and lets an attacker see or attack your devices at worst.

Use the right security mode first

Check your router's wireless settings:

• WPA3 (or WPA2/WPA3 mixed mode) is best.
• WPA2-AES is acceptable if your devices do not support WPA3.
• Avoid WEP and WPA (TKIP), which are outdated and can be broken.

How long should it be?

WPA2 and WPA3 personal passwords can be 8 to 63 characters long. Attackers who capture the connection handshake can try guesses offline, so length matters. Aim for at least 16 random characters; 20 to 24 is better.

Make it easy to type

Wi-Fi passwords are typed on phones, TVs, consoles and smart devices. Some of those keyboards make symbols painful.

1. Open the password generator.
2. Choose the Wi-Fi friendly preset: 24 characters with letters and numbers.
3. Turn on Avoid look-alikes so O/0 and l/1 cannot be confused.
4. Copy and paste it into your router's admin page.

Dropping symbols and adding length keeps it strong while making it easier to type.

Other router security steps

• Change the router's admin password from the default.
• Update the router firmware.
• Turn off WPS PIN setup if you do not use it.
• Create a separate guest network for visitors and smart home devices.

Sharing with guests

Many phones can share Wi-Fi with a QR code or a tap, and most routers can show a QR code for the guest network. That makes a long password painless to share, so there is no reason to choose a short one.

Frequently asked questions

WPA2 vs WPA3: which should I use?

WPA3 is newer and more resistant to offline password guessing. In the WPA2 vs WPA3 choice, pick WPA3 or WPA2/WPA3 mixed mode if your devices support it, and WPA2-AES otherwise.

Should I change my router admin password?

Yes. The router admin password protects the settings page. Change default passwords on routers and smart devices immediately, because a default router password is often printed online. Turning off the WPS PIN feature also closes a known weakness.

How to set up a Wi-Fi password for guests?

Create a separate guest network with its own Wi-Fi password for guests. Share it by QR code, and change it occasionally. Your main router password stays private and smart devices can live on the guest network too.