How to set up a secure guest WiFi network

A guest WiFi is a separate WiFi network from your primary network that provides internet access to guests. Its main purpose is to offer connectivity to visitors without compromising your main network’s security.

If malware were to affect the guest network, it would not be able to spread to the devices in your home network.

The key differences between the guest network and the main home WiFi include:

1. The guest WiFi is isolated from the main home WiFi, meaning guests only have access to the internet but cannot interact with data or devices connected to the main WiFi.
2. The guest network has a different configuration, with its own name and password, separate from the main network.
3. You can impose usage restrictions on the guest network, such as limiting the bandwidth size, managing traffic and filtering content while allocating more of these resources to your primary WiFi.

After installing internet at home, setting up a guest WiFi offers various advantages to your household and its guests. Some of the main benefits include:

Creating a separate guest network reduces the risk of unauthorized access to your main network’s data and connected devices. The guest WiFi is isolated, preventing potential threats like malware or data breaches from reaching your network and enabling you to stay safe online.

Setting up a guest WiFi provides the following security measures for your home network:

• • Promotes privacy as guest WiFi users cannot access the data and devices connected to your home network.
  • Separating guest devices on a separate guest network reduces the risk of cyber threats affecting the guest network spreading to your main network.
  • Implementing access controls and limiting guests’ actions in the guest network can prevent unauthorized activities and maintain the home network’s security.
  • You can monitor the guest network and identify and respond to potential security threats.

Astound’s Whole Home WiFi with eero subscription includes eero Secure at no additional charge. eero Secure allows you to create a guest network and also includes additional security features like parental controls and ad blocking.

Creating a dedicated guest network allows you to manage network resources like bandwidth capacity and traffic without degrading the performance of the main network. You can prioritize bandwidth and speeds for your household while setting bandwidth restrictions or configuring the Quality of Service (QoS) policies to provide appropriate internet speeds for your guests.

Separating guest traffic can improve the network performance and stability of the main network. Isolating all of the guest’s activities, restricting bandwidth allocation and limiting access privileges prevents guest traffic from straining the main network’s resources.

Creating a separate guest WiFi network lets you keep your smart home devices (smart cameras and lighting systems) separate from your primary devices. Most smart home devices lack robust security features and can be easily hacked.

Keeping less secure devices from your main security prevents vulnerabilities from impacting your primary devices.

In addition, keeping smart home devices on a separate network reduces the main WiFi network traffic and prevents congestion. Your primary network maintains its performance without interference from smart home devices.

Offering a separate guest WiFi network demonstrates hospitality and provides convenience to visitors. Guests can easily connect to the WiFi without the main network’s password or access credentials. Simplified access to the internet improves the guest experience and creates a comfortable environment for them.