Visitors, babysitters, and that new smart TV do not need the same Wi-Fi as the laptop you bank on. A guest network keeps them apart.
Published October 2026 · Last reviewed: October 18, 2026
Most home routers, including the boxes internet providers hand out, can run a second, separate Wi-Fi network. Devices on the guest network can reach the internet but cannot see the computers and phones on your main network. The FTC recommends a guest network so visitors never need your main password and a guest’s infected device stays off your primary network.
Quick takeaways
- A guest network is usually a single switch in your router’s app or settings page.
- Give it its own name and its own strong password.
- Turn off the option that lets guests see your other devices.
- Consider moving smart TVs, speakers, and plugs to the guest network too.
What to know
Your main Wi-Fi carries the most sensitive things your family does online: banking, school accounts, work email, and backups of family photos. Every device you add to that network is another door. Phones belonging to friends, smart gadgets with infrequent updates, and old tablets are the doors most likely to be left unlocked.
The NSA’s home network guidance goes a step further and recommends three networks at minimum: one for your own devices, one for guests, and one for smart home gadgets. Most families can get most of that benefit with a single guest network.
What families can do
- Find your router’s app or settings page. Many internet providers now use a phone app (look for your provider’s name in the app store). Older routers use a web page; the address and admin login are usually printed on a label on the box.
- Look for a setting named Guest network, Guest Wi-Fi, or Guest access. It is often under Wi-Fi or Wireless settings.
- Turn it on and give it a plain name that does not include your family name or address, such as “Maple-Guest.”
- Choose WPA3 security if offered, or WPA2/WPA3 if older devices struggle to connect. Set a password of at least four or five random words.
- Find the option called Allow guests to see each other, Access local network, or similar, and make sure guests cannot reach your local network.
- Save, then test it: join the guest network from a phone and confirm it gets online.
- While you are in the settings, confirm the router’s own admin password is not the factory default, and turn off remote management, WPS, and UPnP unless you know you need them.
Should smart gadgets go on the guest network?
Often, yes. Smart TVs, streaming sticks, speakers, plugs, and doorbells update less often than phones and laptops. Putting them on the guest network limits what a compromised gadget can reach. The trade-off: some features, like casting from your phone to the TV or printing from a laptop, only work when both devices are on the same network. If something stops working, move that one device back and keep the rest separated.
Talk about it
- “When friends come over, give them the guest Wi-Fi, not ours.”
- “If you get a new gadget for your room, ask before you connect it so we can put it on the right network.”
Print the guest password on a card by the door or on the fridge. When the guest network is the easy choice, nobody asks for the main password.
When to get more help
If you cannot find the setting, call your internet provider’s support line and ask them to walk you through turning on guest Wi-Fi. If your router is several years old and no longer receives updates, ask about a replacement; a router that cannot be updated is a weak point no setting will fix.
Free printable
- Home Gadget Checklist (PDF): Walk through the house and secure the router, TV, cameras, and speakers.
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