Change your router’s default password to secure your home Wi-Fi

Your router connects nearly everything in your home: phones, computers, smart TVs, cameras, game consoles and work devices. Yet many people configure it once and never revisit its security settings. If the administrator account still uses a factory credential, an intruder who reaches the router’s sign-in page may gain the power to change network settings, redirect traffic or weaken other protections.

This risk is not theoretical. In 2025, the FBI warned that the BADBOX 2.0 botnet included millions of infected internet-connected devices and that criminals used compromised home networks for malicious activity. Changing a default router password will not fix an already infected device, but it closes one common and avoidable route to administrative control.

What is a router admin password?

The router administrator password unlocks the settings used to control your network. It is different from the Wi-Fi password that family members enter to connect a phone or laptop. An attacker with the Wi-Fi password can join the network; someone with the admin password may be able to change the Wi-Fi password, encryption, DNS settings, firewall rules and connected-device controls.

CISA says default router information may be publicly available and recommends replacing the login username and password with credentials that are long, random and unique. Even when a modern router ships with a unique password printed on its label, changing it keeps anyone who sees or photographs that label from retaining permanent access.

How do you change a router’s default password?

1. Connect from home. Join your own Wi-Fi or use an Ethernet cable. Do not manage the router over public Wi-Fi.
2. Find the official instructions. Check the router label, app, manual, internet provider or manufacturer support site for the correct administration method.
3. Open the router settings. Use the official app or type the documented local address into the browser yourself.
4. Sign in with the current credentials. If you cannot access the account, contact the manufacturer or internet provider before attempting a factory reset.
5. Open Administration, System or Security. Look for Router login, Admin password or Account management.
6. Create a new admin password. Use a password manager to generate and store a long, unique credential that you do not use anywhere else.
7. Save, sign out and test. Log back in with the new password so you know it works.

What makes a strong router password?

• Make it long: Choose at least 16 characters; longer is better.
• Make it unique: Never reuse an email, banking, work or Wi-Fi password.
• Avoid personal clues: Skip names, addresses, phone numbers and the router brand.
• Store it safely: Use a reputable password manager rather than a note attached to the router.
• Protect the management account: Enable multifactor authentication if the router or cloud-management app supports it.

Which router settings should you secure next?

Changing the admin password protects the control panel, but a safer network needs several layers. Review these settings while you are signed in:

• Update the firmware: Install the latest security update and enable automatic updates when available.
• Use modern Wi-Fi encryption: Select WPA3 Personal or WPA2 AES. Replace a router that only offers WEP or outdated WPA options.
• Change the default network name: Choose a neutral SSID that does not reveal your name, address or router model.
• Disable remote management: Turn it off unless you have a specific reason to administer the router from the internet.
• Disable WPS and unnecessary UPnP: These convenience features can increase exposure.
• Create a guest network: Put visitors—and, when practical, less-trusted smart devices—on a separate network.
• Review connected devices: Investigate anything you do not recognize and remove old equipment.

The FTC calls the router the key to privacy in a connected home and recommends changing default administration settings, enabling encryption and checking for updates. NSA guidance also recommends current router patches, WPA3 or WPA2/3 and network separation; it advises replacing equipment when support ends.

What if you cannot change the router password?

First, confirm that you are changing the administrator password—not only the Wi-Fi password. Check the exact model’s official manual or contact your internet provider if it supplied the device. A factory reset may restore defaults, but it also erases custom settings and disconnects devices, so use the manufacturer’s instructions and record what you need before resetting.

If the router no longer receives firmware updates, cannot use WPA2 or WPA3, or exposes management features you cannot disable, replace it. An unsupported router cannot receive fixes for newly discovered vulnerabilities.

Why does a new router password make your digital life safer?

A unique administrator password prevents a known factory credential—or a password stolen from another account—from unlocking the device that controls your network. That makes it harder for an intruder to change DNS settings, weaken encryption, expose smart devices or quietly maintain access to your household traffic.

Do the five-minute fix today. Change the admin password, save it in a password manager and then spend another five minutes checking firmware, encryption and remote management. One small credential change strengthens the gateway protecting every connected device behind it.