Most Wi-Fi routers allow you to create what's called a “guest Wi-Fi network.” Unlike the regular Wi-Fi network that you and your family members use, the guest Wi-Fi network restricts what guests can do on your network. Specifically, it allows visitors to access your Internet connection and nothing else. It's possible to be hospitable and safe by setting up a Wi-Fi network for guests. A guest Wi-Fi network is basically a separate access point on the router.
All home devices are connected to one point and united as a network, and the guest network is a different point that provides access to the Internet, but not to the home network. As the name suggests, it's for guests to connect to it. Guest Wi-Fi is an exclusive access point to the router intended for visitors who do not have company credentials. Allow your guests limited access to the Internet, along with other peripherals connected to the network that you want them to access.
The free Wi-Fi you use at the local coffee shop is a simple example of Wi-Fi for guests. Many routers support a feature called guest networking, which creates a separate Wi-Fi network for friends and family to use when they visit us. From the guest network, they can access the Internet, but they cannot access network resources, such as shared folders, printers, or NAS devices. This means that you can continue to use your Smith network, while everyone else is using the more limited Smith_Guest network (or whatever you want to call it).
Most likely, your Wi-Fi router will allow you to set up an additional network for guests; you just have to go to the settings and activate it. For example, guests could accidentally download a malicious program or connect an already infected phone or laptop to the network. Of course, a smart washing machine connected to the guest network could become a member of a botnet and participate in DDoS attacks or cryptocurrency mining (that's practically the usual risk of buying smart devices). To avoid the worst of sharing your wireless network with others, here are some tips to get everything ready for guests.
These settings may vary from router to router, but you'll usually find them in the wireless settings or in a section dedicated to the guest network. Learn how small businesses can take advantage of guest Wi-Fi to provide customers with a convenient way to access the Internet while staying secure on their internal network. We explain what a guest Wi-Fi network is, how to set it up, and what video game consoles and other IoT devices have to do with it. Giving your guests a password that's easy to remember works well, but for extra points, you can share Wi-Fi in an easier way.
After selecting the corresponding box, add the name of the guest network (called the SSID in the control panel of some routers). This is the name your friends will see in the list of available connections. Ideally, you should use a strong password, but it's a good idea to make it a little easy to remember, as you don't want to look for the sticky note with the password to the Wi-Fi network every time a guest comes.
