How to Set Up a Guest Wi-Fi Network

September 11, 2026

Turn on a separate guest Wi-Fi network in your router's settings with its own password so visitors and smart devices stay off your main network.

You want visitors online without handing out your main password, and you want their devices kept away from your computers and drives. Most routers have a guest network built in.

Log in to the router

Open a browser on a connected device and go to the router's address, usually http://192.168.1.1, http://192.168.0.1, or http://10.0.0.1. Sign in with the admin username and password from the sticker on the router.

Find the guest network section

Look in the wireless or Wi-Fi settings for Guest Network or Guest Wi-Fi. On TP-Link routers it is a top-level item called Guest Network. On Netgear it is Guest Network under the Basic tab. On ASUS it is Guest Network in the sidebar.

Enable it and set a name and password

Turn the guest network on. Give it a name that is clearly different from your main network, such as the main name with "Guest" added. Set a password that is different from your main password. Keep the security on WPA2 or WPA3 rather than open. If the router shows separate 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz options, enable both so every device can join.

Keep guests isolated from your network

Look for a setting named Allow guests to access my local network or Access Intranet and leave it off. Some routers phrase it the other way, as Isolate guests or AP Isolation, and that one should stay on. This is the setting that stops a guest's device from reaching your computers, printers, and drives.

Apply and test

Click Save or Apply. Join the guest network from a phone and confirm that a web page loads. Then try to open a shared folder or printer on the main network. It should fail.

If your router came from your ISP. Providers like Xfinity, Bell, and Rogers often manage the guest network from their app or web portal rather than the router's own page, so check the app first. Mesh systems like eero, Google Wifi, and TP-Link Deco have it in their app as well.

Use it for smart-home devices too. Cameras, plugs, and speakers only need internet access. Putting them on the guest network keeps them from reaching your computers if one of them is ever compromised.