Having a Wi-Fi connection today is very common. They are available almost anywhere and that allows us to have greater flexibility to connect from many places and with any device. This also means that when we go to a friend or relative’s house, we connect instead of using mobile data. The same would happen if we receive a visit. Now, one option is to create a guest network . Are they really safe or can we have problems?
Guest Wi-Fi networks, an interesting solution
Most routers have an option which is to create a guest Wi-Fi network . We can give the main network a different name and even have another password. We can also easily activate and deactivate this network. In some cases even from the mobile itself we can connect to the device through an application and with the press of a button we will enable it.
This is an interesting option if we want the guests to connect to Wi-Fi and not have to give them the main password. We simply enable that network for as long as we have visits and later we disable it again.
But at this point we can wonder if that guest Wi-Fi network that we have created is secure or is it actually going to cause more problems. The truth is that it depends on how we do it, as we will see below.
Keep in mind that some router models have a very basic option to activate a guest Wi-Fi network without a password . We simply give it to enable and it automatically generates an alternative network so that others can connect without having to enter any key. This is quick, convenient, and hassle-free. Now, we are going to allow anyone to connect by not having a password, beyond the guests of our home.
An intruder could have full control of the router
This could allow a malicious intruder to gain access to the router, see connected devices, and even sneak malware. Therefore we should never create a network without being protected. We must share the Wi-Fi password with the guests safely and not take risks in this regard.
A different matter would be to create a guest Wi-Fi network that does have a password and is also secure . This will properly protect our security and avoid problems. In addition, we will avoid risks by allowing guests to connect to that network that we have created and not directly to the main one.
Therefore, we can say that a guest Wi-Fi network can be a danger but as long as we make mistakes and leave it unprotected. Hence the importance of always generating keys that are strong and secure. They must have letters (uppercase and lowercase), numbers, and other special symbols. All this, in addition, in a random way and use it in a single place.
Still, could a user connecting to the guest network access the router? The answer is yes. This could happen if it knew the password to the device, something that is usually generic if we have not changed it. You could access through the gateway (usually 192.168.1.1) and the generic key, which is usually of type admin123. This would allow you to have full control over that network, so we also recommend changing the password to access the router.
