How to hide a Wi-Fi network

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In these times in which the security and privacy of data are being the object of bad actions by unscrupulous people, Internet connections do not escape this situation. Therefore, it is necessary to take measures to increase your protection against intruders and one of the main ones is knowing how to hide a Wi-Fi network.

Contents

  • 1How to hide the Wi-Fi network signal
    • 1How to hide the Wi-Fi network signal on a TP-Link router
      • 1.1How to change Wi-Fi signal settings
    • 2How to hide the Wi-Fi network signal on a Linksys router
    • 3How to hide Wi-Fi network SSID using commands in Windows
  • 2How to access a router to hide the Wi-Fi signal
    • 1Windows 10 computers
    • 2Computers with macOS
  • 3How to protect your hidden Wi-Fi network
  • 4How to connect to the Wi-Fi network that you have hidden
  • 5How to manually connect a device to a Wi-Fi network with the hidden SSID
    • 1Windows
    • 2Android
  • 6Conclusions

How to hide the signal of the Wi-Fi network

The methods to hide the signal of a Wi-Fi network for various router models or with the use of commands on computers with Windows system are described below.

How to hide the Wi-Fi network signal on a TP-Link router

To carry out the necessary procedure to hide the signal of your Wi-Fi network in a TP-Link router, you must first take note of the data that can be seen in the router. Specifically it is an Internet address with your username and password.

This information is usually displayed on a label located on the bottom back of the computer device. It is recommended that you take a photo to save the data more easily.

  • The first step you have to do is enter the browser of your choice.
  • Next, in the address bar you must enter the necessary data to enter the IP of the router. You can do this both in number and in http:// address.
  • In this case, if your device is from TP-Link, the label will show http://tplinkwifi.net. If you press the Enter button, a window will appear in which you will be asked for your username and password.
  • In those fields you must write the data that you take from the label of the router. In TP-Link models it is usually: Username: admin and password: admin.
  • It may happen that it is impossible to enter because an incorrect username or password message appears. This may be because you had previously assigned your own password and username.
  • If you don’t remember it because it happened some time ago, there is a way to solve it. It consists of looking on the back of the router for a discreet button with the name Reset.
  • Once you locate it you will press it for about five seconds while it is on. From this moment you can enter the data that the device brings by default.

How to change Wi-Fi signal settings

  • When you have entered the TP-Link interface, select the Wireless Network option and then Wireless Network Settings (through it you can make changes to the wireless signal settings).
  • At this time, proceed to uncheck the box where Hide SSID is indicated. In this way you will be deactivating the visibility of the signal, and you will make it invisible.
  • In order for the changes to be accepted, you must press Save.
  • Red letters will be displayed explaining that the device needs to be rebooted for the changes to take effect.
  • To finish, you will be prompted to click on the link that it shows you. After this, click on Reboot or Restart. Wait a few seconds and you will have managed to hide your Wi-Fi network signal.

How to Hide the Wi-Fi Network Signal on a Linksys Router

To hide a Wi-Fi network through a Linksys router, follow the procedure described below:

  • The first step is to log in to a computer directly connected by Ethernet cable to the wireless router. For laptops that primarily use wireless, you must connect to the Internet temporarily through the Ethernet adapter. This is usually located at the back of the machine.
  • Next, enter the Internet browser of your choice on the computer. Enter the IP address of the wireless router in the address bar and press Enter. The 192.168.1.1 address is what Linksys routers have.
  • Enter the router’s username and password in the login window that appears. Then press Enter to access the router’s administration menus. In this case, the username is left blank and the default password is admin.
  • After this, click on the menu function that changes the wireless settings, called Basic wireless settings.
  • Now fill in the necessary option for disabling the wireless network name or SSID. Using the button with a radio symbol to Deactivate the function.
  • Finally, you must save the changes to proceed to disable the broadcast of the SSID, hiding your wireless network from others. Then, you have to close the administration page of the router.

How to hide Wi-Fi network SSID using commands in Windows

To ensure that the equipment you have in use cannot detect a specific Wi-Fi network, it is essential to hide the SSID of that network. This is usually done to get a certain device to no longer have access to Wi-Fi.

To hide or redisplay the SSID of a Wi-Fi network using MS-DOS commands on a Windows computer, the following procedure must be performed:

  • The first thing to do is enter Cortana.
  • After this, enter the CMD command and run the command prompt program as administrator.
  • When the terminal is opened, the following command must be executed: netsh wlan add filter permission=block ssid=”Wi-Fi name” networktype=infrastructure.
  • At this time, a message will appear indicating that the filter has been added to the system.
  • When it is necessary for the device to be able to detect one of these Wi-Fi networks that have been hidden, it is possible to reverse the situation by using the following command: netsh wlan delete filter permission=block ssid=»name of the Wi-Fi -Fi» networktype=infrastructure.

You can see that this process is an easy way to control which networks certain wireless computers can connect to individually.

How to access a router to hide the Wi-Fi signal

It is important to keep in mind that the first step in hiding a Wi-Fi signal is to be able to get into the router or router. To do this, the IP address must be entered in the browser. The most commonly used are: 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.0. It is also possible that the router address is 192.168.1.1.

If you have an operator router, it is very likely that a sticker with the address will appear on the base of it. Otherwise you will need to locate the gateway that has the address. The steps are as follows, depending on the operating system your computer has:

Windows 10 PCs

  • If you have Windows 10, the first thing is to enter the CMD command in the Cortana application.
  • Next, you must enter ipconfig in the new window that appears.
  • Among the data that is shown, the one that should interest you is the one that appears as Gateway.

Computers with macOS

  • If you have a Mac, you should go to the System Preferences option.
  • After this, you have to enter Network and then TCP/IP.
  • Finally, in the Router section, you will find the address you are looking for.

Once this address is entered, a screen will appear in your web browser asking for your username and password. This is not the password of the Wi-Fi, but of the router. If this is from the operator, the most common is that this information is on a sticker located on the base of the device.

When it comes to a neutral router, the most frequent thing is that it works with one of the combinations between admin and 1234. In case it is not possible to enter with these combinations, what is recommended is to search the Internet for the model of the router in order to to know the username and password that comes by default.

How to protect your hidden Wi-Fi network

Now you will have your network invisible to other people. If to be sure you want to test, you can use any equipment and try to locate your Wi-Fi network.

You will be able to see that your network is no longer present in the list of available signals and if it appears it will indicate you are out of range.

If you want to protect your hidden Wi-Fi network from people who already know your name, you must first repeat the process to enter the IP of the router and continue with these steps:

  • Once you have entered the IP go to the Wireless Security function.
  • Next, check the WPA/WPA2 box.
  • In the box to enter the password, you have to enter your password. You must create a key that cannot be easily cracked and is between 8 and 63 characters long.
  • After this, press on the Save button and then the button for the restart will be indicated. This will validate the changes made. Finally, you must wait a few seconds and you will have your Wi-Fi network signal protected.

How to connect to the Wi-Fi network that you have hidden

When the Wi-Fi network is hidden, it prevents another device from detecting it and presenting it within its list of wireless networks within its reach. In this way, it prevents someone nearby from stealing your signal, since it cannot be seen.

Many users will wonder if it is possible to connect to a hidden network if it is not shown among the available Wi-Fi networks. To connect to one that is hidden, follow the steps below:

  • First of all, you have to click on the Internet access icon on the taskbar.
  • Once the list of Wi-Fi networks that are within your reach appears, you should go to the bottom of the screen.
  • Next, you click on the Hidden network option, which is presented as one more network.
  • At this point you need to click on the hidden Connect Wi-Fi option.
  • Now, you will be prompted to enter your name or SSID. Hence the importance of having kept that name very well.
  • The next step is to type your Wi-Fi key.
  • Now, after waiting a few moments you will have connected to the hidden network of your house without it being seen as available.

How to manually connect a device to a Wi-Fi network with the hidden SSID

It is worth remembering that the devices that were previously connected to the network before hiding it will be able to continue connecting automatically. The rest of the equipment must be connected manually. To do this, the following processes must be followed:

Windows

In the case of Windows 10, the steps to follow are as follows:

  • First of all, you have to go to the System Configuration panel. You do this by pressing the gear icon located in the start menu.
  • At this time you will enter the Network and Internet section.
  • Next, in the left panel, you have to click on Wi-Fi.
  • After this, you have to choose the Manage known networks option .
  • Once the new menu appears, you must click on the Add a new network function.
  • Now a window will be displayed where you need to manually enter the name of the Wi-Fi network, in addition to the type of security and the access password.
  • If you do not know the type of security used, it is possible to verify it by entering the router and reviewing the wireless network settings. On most newer home routers, the default security is AES WPA2-Personal.

Android

In case the connection is made from an Android mobile device, the process is similar. The steps are the following:

  • The first step is to enter the Settings menu.
  • Next, you have to navigate to the Network and Internet option.
  • After this, you select the Wi-Fi option and then the Add network option.
  • This selection will direct us to a screen in which we must add the name or SSID of the network, with the type of security and the access code.

Conclusions

Through the application of these methods you will be able to hide your Wi-Fi network from outsiders, thus preventing intruders from accessing it in order to make improper use.

You’ll also be able to access a network you can’t see, as long as you know its name, password, and security type.

 

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