Changing your home router's settings can be a daunting process for some, but in reality, most people will be able to do it without having to call that one IT-savvy friend or relative, which most families always seem to have (for this article let’s call him 'Gary').
Rest assured, changing the settings on your router is much simpler than many people think, and this guide aims to explain the process.
It should be noted that the options are not the same on every router, and this guide is not intended as a precise instruction manual for all the different routers from the likes of Sky, BT, TalkTalk, Virgin, or Plusnet. But it should broadly apply to most.
Using Sky Broadband Buddy? Re-pair the Sky Broadband Buddy app to your new hub. Not new to Sky broadband, but we’ve sent you new cables? If we’ve sent you some new cables for your hub (or a ‘Conversion kit’), you’ll need to use these to set up your hub again - your broadband might not work if you don’t swap these in your setup. Hi, Everyone!In this video I'm gonna show you of how to change sky broadband wifi name & password.
Why Change Your Router Settings?
First off, why change your settings? One of the primary reasons to change the default settings on your home broadband router is to improve your security.
Security vulnerabilities are being discovered daily, and routers shipped by ISPs can carry these flaws for a long time unless the user does a bit of tweaking.
Changing your Wi-Fi network name (or SSID - Service Set Identifier) is a good idea, as the default SSID name (which is broadcast to the world) will give hackers a good idea of the make and model of your router, and thus make it easier to hack.
Also, creating a personal SSID that is identifiable to your house or your family will help if your Wi-Fi network happens to be clashing with your neighbour's Wi-Fi.
What router settings should be changed?
Besides changing your Wi-Fi network name (SSID), everyone should change the default admin passwords for their router (usually found on the underside or back of the router itself), but make sure you store the new password in a safe place!
Users should also adjust the Wi-Fi security level to utilise stronger encryption, and you should disable WPS due to its inherent security risks.
Other settings to change could be parental controls or creating a guest network for visitors to your home, again to better protect your core home network.
Several other router settings can be modified, but perhaps one of the most important is updating the router's firmware (i.e. its software) to close any potential security holes.
How to access router settings
The best way to connect your PC or laptop to your home Wi-Fi router is via an Ethernet (network) cable. But you can also log into its Wi-Fi network.
We strongly recommend you connect your PC or laptop to your router via an Ethernet cable, as a physical connection is the most reliable method, and it won't be affected if you make changes to your Wi-Fi network.
You can access your router's software (or firmware) via a web browser (Firefox, Chrome, Edge, etc.). Any web browser will do.
In the address field (usually found at the top next to the padlock symbol), type the IP address of your router. This IP address can usually be found on the router itself (along with the admin ID and password). Typically it is located underneath or on the rear of the router box itself.
Most routers use an IP address of 192.168.1.1, or something very similar. But that's not always the case, so check the IP address on the router itself.
You are now required to login into your router using the default admin ID and password.
Once successfully logged in, you should be presented with a menu of options. Remember, not all routers are the same, but this guide should broadly apply to most, if not all, home routers.
Some routers supplied by ISPs can offer the user simplified controls, typically accessed via a friendlier user interface such as a bespoke piece of software from the ISP. While these friendlier options can be useful for the novice to make basic changes, they may not offer all available settings of the router, so it can be better to access your router’s admin controls via the web browser option.
How To Access Sky Broadband Logs Router
How to change your router settings
There are numerous settings that can be adjusted on your home router. Some of the most important are:
- Default admin passwords for the router
- Wi-Fi network name (or SSID)
- Wi-Fi password and encryption
- Parental controls
- Changing the SSID (Wi-Fi network name)
Setting an admin password
The admin password controls access to the router settings, and it's also often set to a very insecure default which can be the same for all routers from that manufacturer, so changing this is the priority. Use a long (at least 12 characters) and unique passphrase. Admin password settings may be found under a 'user management' or 'security' menu.
Changing the Wi-Fi network name
Find the Wireless section in the router's web interface, and change the SSID (your Wi-Fi network name). Remember, try to create a Wi-Fi network name that is unique to you and your household, not just PlusnetABC123 or Linksys3456.
Do not be tempted to hide your network’s name to keep it secret from other people. Some devices do not correctly support hidden networks, but your device can also leak the name when you are outside your home. And the reality is that hackers will be easily able to find a hidden network anyway.
Changing the Wi-Fi password and encryption
Once the Wi-Fi network name is changed, locate the Wi-Fi network section where it should allow you to set a new password for your recently renamed Wi-Fi network.
As the same time, you can set your network encryption setting. Some levels of encryption (i.e. the tech that protects your Wi-Fi network) are stronger than others, and encryption, therefore, is vitally important to safeguard your network.
Your router should display several different encryption types such as WEP, WPA, WPA2, or perhaps even WPA3 if the router is very new.
Make sure the password type is set to WPA2 or WPA3, and not WEP, as WEP is insecure and incredibly easy to crack. WEP used to be the standard for securing wireless networks, but it has been broken, and even novice hackers can easily bypass it.
After WEP came WPA, but this has flaws as well, and it has been replaced by WPA2; this still isn't perfect but is one the best available encryption levels for protecting home wireless networks. WPA3 is even better, but only if your router supports it.
Once you have decided on your encryption type, enter a secure password (we recommend at least 12 characters that are a combination of letters, numbers and symbols) and apply your settings to safeguard your Wi-Fi network.
Parental controls
There may be a section on your router that allows you to apply parental controls, to stop children from accessing unsuitable websites and content. If your router does not have this option, you can make use of the free parental controls offered by many broadband providers.
Other useful router settings
So now you have changed some of the most important settings on your router, but there are other settings that you could consider changing:
- Wi-Fi network channel. Wi-Fi networks operate on different channels. Usually, this is set to auto (i.e. your router decides on the best channel to use) by default. You should only need to change this if your Wi-Fi network is regularly clashing with your neighbour's Wi-Fi network. Most routers (but not all), if left on auto, tend to work out the best channel.
- Wi-Fi guest network. Create a guest network for visitors to your home, so they are not accessing your core home network. A guest network is also recommended for use with smart home gadgets, so a security flaw in these devices won’t expose your whole network.
- Firmware updates. Firmware updates are important as they often contain security patches and other fixes for your home broadband router. But follow the instructions carefully when applying firmware, as failure to properly install these could “brick” your router (render it inoperable).
- Wi-Fi network frequency and dual bands. Some routers can transmit Wi-Fi networks in two different frequency ranges, namely 2.4GHz and 5GHz. In essence, 5GHz provides faster data rates over shorter distances. 2.4GHz, on the other hand, offers coverage for greater distances but may perform at slower speeds. Some devices may only work on a particular frequency, but you can usually enable both at the same time; give them the same SSID and let each device choose the fastest connection.
Hopefully all of the above will give you an understanding of how to make some changes (some important, others less so) to your home Wi-Fi router. Tackle the settings you feel comfortable changing. Otherwise, it may be best to ask Gary to lend a hand!
Other useful guides
What is a broadband router? Beginner's guide to home broadband routers, a good place to start if you're completely new to this topic.
What is Wi-Fi? Learn about wireless networking, including the differences between various Wi-Fi standards.
Getting started with Wi-Fi networking. Beginner's guide to setting up a home Wi-Fi network.
How to buy your own Wi-Fi router. How and why to replace the free router supplied by your ISP.
How to secure a Wi-Fi router. An in-depth guide to broadband router security.
If you are experiencing a troubled connection with yourSky Broadband service, then there is a chance that your connection is down. Here is how you can check if your Sky Broadband connection is down and how you can resolve it.
Check Your Sky Hub & Rectify the Issue Yourself
In order to check your Sky Broadband Connection whether the connection is slow or not working at all, first, you need to check the Sky Hub that has been set up at your home.
To check if the signals at Sky Hub’s end are working or not, you need to check the lighting indication on the device. Each light indication represents a different connection status. Below mentioned are the light indications to check on your Sky Hub.
Sky Hub Power Indication
Power Light Indicator
If there is no lighting indication on the device, then it means that there is an issue with the power supply of the device. To resolve this, you need to check the power cable if it is properly connected to the hub as well as the mains power socket, and the switch is on at the end of the power socket.
If you still don’t see any light indication on the Sky Hub, then there is a chance that the device has some technical issues. Hence, you would have to make a request for replacement of the Sky Hub. You can reach Sky Customer Support at 0844 385 1222.
If you see a green light for the Power Indicator on the Sky Hub, then it means your device is receiving power properly. But if you see a Red light instead of Green, then it means that there is an issue in your Sky Hub. In this case, you must contact Sky Contact Service at the aforementioned contact number.
Sky Hub Recovery Mode Indication
If you see a flashing amber light on Power Indicator, then it means the device is currently in Recovery mode. If this happens, then simply press and hold the “Reset” button located at the rear side of the device and check if you see green light indication after a couple of minutes. It is important to know that if you press the “Reset” button to resolve the recovery mode issue on your Sky Hub, then you will have to set up your Wifi password once again.
Apart from these indications for power, the power indicator flashes green when there is an update running on the device. It roughly takes 15 minutes to get the device updated and run properly again. In this case, you will have to make sure that the device gets uninterrupted power, otherwise, the update will fail and the process would start again the next time your Sky Hub gets the power.
Sky Hub Internet Indication
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Internet Light Indication
If the power indicator is showing a green light properly, then you will need to check if there is a Greenlight indication on the Internet Indicator. If there’s no green light indication for the Internet, then most probably the issue is at Sky’s servers or connection line. You may confirm this by contacting Sky Customer Care at 0844 385 1222.
Wireless Broadband Access
If you have Internet Calls service with your Sky Broadband package, then you might see an amber light on Internet Indicator. If this happens, then you will have to check the connection with Master Socket.
Wifi Light Indication
If both Power and internet indicators are working properly, then check the light indicator for Wifi whether there is a green light visible for it or not. If you don’t see a green light indication for Wifi, then there might be an issue with your Sky Hub’s wifi connectivity. To resolve this, you will have to contact Sky contact number at 0844 385 1222.
How To Access Sky Broadband Logs Broadband
Test Your Sky Broadband Connection With the Help of Sky Customer Service
Broadband Internet Access
If you have checked all of the above mentioned light indications for your Sky Hub and it doesn’t resolve your issue, then you need to first log into your Sky Online Account and perform some connection checkups with the help of Sky customer service. To log into your Sky Online Account, visitSky Sign In page and fill your Sky account login credentials. If you have forgotten your Sky Online Account login user-id/password or if have not registered onSky.com yet, then you can create and retrieve your login information using the following steps:
- If you have not created your Sky Online Account yet, then clickhere to visit the Sky Sign Up page and register yourself first by providing some simple information such as Your Name, Email Address, and Password you want to set up for login.
- If you have forgotten your Sky Online Account User Id, then visit Sky’s Forget here to retrieve the username. To retrieve the username of your Sky account, you will need the following information – registered Email Id or Account Information such as account holder’s last name, postcode along with 12-digits Sky account number or 9-digits card number.
- If you don’t remember the login password for your Sky Online Account, then you can clickhere to reset the password. You can reset the password using your login Email Id for Sky online account or the username.
Broadband Access Map
After logging into your Sky Online Account, clickhere to get online help from Sky customer support, and they will help you find the cause of the connection problem and resolve it for you.