You’ve got a turkey in the oven, presents need to be wrapped, and your cousin’s kid screams (again), “What’s the Wi-Fi password?” You’re juggling a hundred things at once, and the last thing you want to do is to spell out your password.
Here’s the good news: You can slap a printout on the fridge, and everyone can scan it with their phones to connect. But first, I’ll show you how to create a separate network so you don’t need to worry about little Billy getting into your personal stuff on your devices and computers.
Most modern routers let you set up a guest network without having to be a tech guru. Warning: This will take you a few minutes, but it’s totally doable, even if you’ve had a few beers.
Step 1: Log into your router’s admin console. You’ll need your IP address. You can usually find this on a sticker on the bottom or side of your router. Seeing 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 is common.
If you don’t see yours …
Step 2: Open your browser, type http:// and paste in your IP address. Hit Enter to open a login page. For the credentials, try the username admin and the word password for the password. If the defaults are different, they’re likely printed on your router — or check this site that lists default passwords for almost every router in use.
Step 3: Look for a setting called Guest Network or Guest Wi-Fi. Give it a different name (aka SSID) than your main network, along with a strong, unique password.
🕵️ If you have snoops in the family … When family and friends connect to your Wi-Fi guest network, you can block them from accessing your files or devices on your primary network. Turn off the local access setting. I bet you feel like James Bond right about now.
Create a QR code that automatically connects guests to your new guest network — no hassle, no drama. With the free site QIFI.org, all you need is three pieces of info:
Wi-Fi is one of the most precious commodities we use daily. Everything is right with the world when it’s running smoothly. But when there’s any disruption, it can feel like a day-ruining experience, especially if you work from home. Tap or click here for essential work-from-home tips.
Test yours at SpeedTest.net to see. If things are slow, it might be time for a full system reboot to clear glitches and restore your speeds. Here’s the right way to do it:
Game time. Work time. Chill time. All rely on lightning-fast Wi-Fi. Little is more frustrating than slow internet.
Many things can cause your connection to falter from unauthorized users to a poorly-placed router and even an outdated modem. What’s the best way to get faster internet? We can help.
You’ve come to the right place if you want to upgrade your home office setup. You’re also shopping at the right time since our sponsor Dell Technologies is slicing prices for its Summer Sale. It’s one of the best 2022 tech sales you’ll find: You can snatch a powerful gaming laptop for less than $1,000.
Pop quiz: What’s the most important piece of tech in your house that helps you get online? If you guessed router, you’re right on the money — and if your router isn’t fast or powerful enough, you might not get the coverage you need in every room.
You’re relaxing on your sofa with a bowl of popcorn and a remote. You start to stream a popular show, but the dreaded buffering circle rears its ugly head. Nothing is playing, so you whip out the nearest internet-connected device and type, “How to get faster speeds for streaming” or “Tips to speed up a slow streaming service” into the search bar.
Anyone who has ever set up at-home internet knows the importance of a modem and router. You may not know how many options you have when shopping for these gadgets, though. Many folks just rent a modem/router combo from their internet service provider since the costs of buying one can seem too high.
If you live in a busy city, you can be excused for taking fast, reliable internet service for granted. Internet service providers prefer densely populated areas for the more extensive potential customer base, which means more subscribers.
The average American will pay $32,400 for internet access throughout a lifetime. This number, calculated by researchers at Reviews.org, doesn’t even include today’s big dogs. I’m talking about your cable, streaming, cellphone and other subscriptions.
There are plenty of reasons your Wi-Fi keeps slowing down: signal congestion, router location, firmware issues, hardware limitations or even the physical size of your home. Then again, it could just be your neighbors.
We all know the pain of “slow” internet: videos buffer, downloads take ages, and a single page can take forever to load. We wonder whether it’s our browser, our device, or the website we’re visiting.
It could be your Wi-Fi signal. Wireless networks are notorious for connection problems. Tap or click for ways to boost your Wi-Fi coverage for good, including changing the router’s channel, which hardly anyone does.
When was the last time your phone died while you were running errands? Have you shattered any phone screens lately? These common issues pop up for all of us, at least every once in a while. The thing is, they don’t have to be problems at all. There are some easy ways to keep your phone from dying or your screen from shattering into hundreds of tiny pieces, but it’s tough to know what they are.
Computer issues can happen, no matter how much time you put into updating your computer’s operating system or software programs. We’ve all dealt with problems like non-responsive programs or glitchy browsers on occasion — it’s just part of what happens when relying heavily on technology.
When your modem or router screech to a halt, it can lead to webpages that won’t load, streaming videos that keep buffering, and blood pressure to shoot through the roof.
The common solution in these scenarios is to restart the router or modem to get back on track. And, in many cases, it’s common to rip the plugs out of the back and hope that when it’s plugged back in, things will work like they’re supposed to. Tap or click here for better Wi-Fi.
COVID-19 has drastically slashed most Americans’ budgets, and we’re all starting to feel the squeeze. More than 700,000 jobs were lost in March alone, and some analysts believe we’ll hit a national unemployment rate of 20% by June.
Feel like your internet is lagging? If more people are home than normal and using it constantly, that might be the problem. The good news is, you can probably fix it.
First, check your internet speed. Click or tap here for ways to check your internet speed. Does it match the service you pay for each month? If not, try resetting your modem or router, and see if that improves things.
If you are part of the 96% of consumers who report hidden fees as a nuisance, there are some steps you can take to avoid the costs.
Do you have a minute? That sixty seconds, a mere moment of each day, is all it takes for an average of 24 people to fall victim to acts of physical violence, rape or stalking by an intimate partner. While that number may not seem high, once calculated out, it represents 12 million women and men each year.
Faster internet is coming, but not fast enough. But there are things you can do to get a better connection at home. I’ll show you how to speed things up.
