A wireless network dedicated to guests is the solution for a whole series of environments – home, office, store – where you do not want to share your main network but offer an Internet connection.
The Wi-Fi Guest combines the convenience of separate access, also greater security for the wireless network. It’s also not hard to set up at all: you’ll only need a few minutes.
If you need to create one, to use maybe in your office, store, or even just at home, you are in the right place.
Create a Wi-Fi Guest: The Complete Guide
Equipping you with a guest network is not a complex operation. First, it has nothing to do with ISPs, subscriptions, or bills.
To create it, you’ll only need any device to generate a wireless network and support functionality.
Are you ready? Let’s see then what operations you will have to do to create your guest network.
Enter your Router’s Web Interface
Make sure you’re connected to your wireless network and open your browser. At this stage, an internet connection is not strictly necessary.
You’ll need to write the router’s IP address in the address bar and then enter your login credentials. If you have never used the interface, “Admin” should be acceptable both as a username and a password.
However, I recommend changing them for later logins.
Once you enter, you will have in front of the control panel all the features of your router and your connection, divided into macro-areas or depending on the manufacturer.
If you can’t sign in, read my guide on how to get into the router as well. All the steps are explained in detail and with attention also to the primary case studies.
Find Wireless Settings for the Guest Network
In the web interface, go to the Wireless Settings screen. You will find them in the left menu or on the one at the top, depending on the brand of your router.
Now, look for the “Allow guest access” option or similar variants: you can create and configure the Wi-Fi Guest from there.
As soon as you have created the network, I recommend setting the main parameters immediately:
- SSID, or the name of the network, what you can find when looking for a Wi-Fi network with your smartphone, for example;
- Security protocol, which makes data transmission more secure (uses a WPA2);
- Password so that no one can sign in.
And it’s done. You just created a Guest Network from your router.
Additional Options
This network, however, still has some fundamental features. It serves to give the possibility of independent internet access for your guests and, above all, to separate this access from your primary network.
However, to make your Guest Wi-Fi more secure, you will need to configure other parameters as well.
For example, you can only allow users access to the Internet and not networked NAS, which is critical if you have a small business.
Or, you can limit the bandwidth used and upload/download speed, a valuable feature for certain friends who are waiting for nothing more than your Wi-Fi to download games and TV series.
To figure out how to do it, check out the article on limiting a guest Wi-Fi.
Create a guest network: Two Advanced Configurations
In most cases, the modem with which you connect to the Internet also acts as a wireless router, but there is a big difference between modems and routers.
You may have a pure modem or an incompatible Guest Network router. In such cases, it is not said that you have to give up creating it anyway.
Let’s see two cases where you can do it!
Use Microsoft Windows to create a guest network.
You have read the title of the paragraph well. Leveraging the Windows Hotspot feature, you’ll make your computer an access point.
To do this, you will need:
- MyPublicWiFi, a free software;
- a wireless adapter;
- an Internet connection.
Once downloaded and started, check the “Automatic Hotspot Configuration” box: you’ll have to choose your SSID and password and check your Internet share.
If you don’t have a wireless adapter for your computer, you can find several on this page.
The advanced configuration also involves using firewalls to prevent network overhead and accessing reports on pages that users visit.
The option offered by MyPublicWiFi is ideal if, for example, you have a small store and keep your PC on for the entire opening hours.
Create a Guest Wi-Fi if you have A Good Modem
Alternatively, if you have a pure modem, you can use a router as an access point and create the network from there.
First, you will need to connect the two devices:
- obtain an Ethernet cable that is, with an RJ45 plug;
- connect a garment to one of your modem’s LAN ports;
- connect the other end to the router’s WAN port.
After this, turn on the router and enter the web interface. From now on, you can proceed as I showed you in the main guide to create a Guest Wi-Fi.
For this purpose, you can also use a dated or cheap router, for example, the TP-Link TL-WA801ND.
Conclusions
As you’ve seen, creating a dedicated guest link is not only beneficial for your main network but also easy to make.
The operations I showed you are pretty much suitable for all the routers and devices you can find on the market. But if you can’t create it, write me in the comments. I will help you understand how to create your Guest Network.
