What is a guest network and how do I set it up?
In this guide we will explain what a guest network is and how to set up a guest WiFi network on your Virgin Hub. For more information about getting the most out of your broadband, check out our set up broadband guide.
What is a guest WiFi network?
A guest WiFi network is a broadband connection that offers guests limited access to your home network. This means that while they will be able to access the internet in your home, they will have limited or no access to other connections within your shared network. This can stop them from looking at shared network folders and files or using any linked devices.
Why would I need guest WiFi?
When you give someone access to your home WiFi network, they may then have access to other devices and resources that you have connected to that network. This means that they might have access to sensitive data or, if they have a device that is infected by malware, they may unintentionally infect your home devices via the WiFi connection.
How do I set up guest WiFi?
You can set up a guest network easily on the Virgin Media Connect app* or on your computer. To learn how to set up a guest WiFi network via your computer or laptop, read the following instructions:
*(please note for Hub 5x, Connect app accessibility is not yet ready – we’re working hard to bring it to you soon)
Step 1:
Enter 192.168.0.1 into the address bar of your browser, which will load the settings page
Step 2:
For Hub 3 and Hub 4, select Modify your guest network > Enable guest network > Next
For Hub 5 and Hub 5x, sign in and go to Advanced settings. Select Enable guest network > Modify your guest network > Enable your guest network > Next
Step 3:
The WiFi Hub will automatically create a guest network name and password for you. Make note of these details and select Next
Step 4:
Specify for how long you want your guest network then select Next
Step 5:
To finalise your guest network setup, select Finish to activate it
Step 1: Enter 192.168.0.1 into the address bar of your browser, which will load the settings page. From here, select Advanced settings
Step 2: In the Wireless section, select 2.4GHz First Guest Wireless Network
Step 3: Select Enable 2.4GHz First Guest Network and enter the name of the network in the SSID field
Step 4: Select Enable SSID Broadcast
Step 5: Select the security mode you want to use and enter the required passphrase. Then select Apply
If you want your guest network to broadcast o the 5GHz network, follow the steps above but at step 3 choose 5GHz First Guest Wireless Network.
Step 1: Enter 192.168.0.1 into the address bar of your browser, which will load the settings page. From here, select Advanced settings
Step 2: In the Wireless section, select Guest Wireless Network (SSID2)
Step 3: Select the Guest Wireless Network (SSID2) tick-box and enter the name of the network in the SSID field
Step 4: Select Enable SSID Broadcast
Step 5: Select the security mode you want to use and enter the required passphrase. Then select Apply
How to turn off guest network
To turn off your guest WiFi network, visit your network settings by entering 192.168.0.1 into the address bar of your browser. In Advanced Settings you can disable your guest network as well as manage the limits of your different networks.
You can also easily manage your guest network settings on the Virgin Media Connect app.
What are the benefits of guest WiFi networking?
A guest WiFi network is a great way to improve your broadband security and manage who has access to what in your home. With a guest WiFi network, you can prevent guests from accessing your personal files or using linked devices that you might not be comfortable with them using, such as your printer.
A guest WiFi network is also a good preventative measure to stop hackers from accessing your devices. If a guest in your home has a virus on their phone or laptop and connects to your WiFi, a guest network stops that virus from reaching your devices connected to your home network.
You can also make it harder for hackers to access your home network through other WiFi connected gadgets in your home, such as gaming consoles or smart home gadgets. By connecting these to your guest network, you can protect your home network from being infected with malware and limit what data these gadgets have access to.
However, a guest network is not able to completely protect your home devices from malware or hackers, so it’s important that you take extra steps such as getting anti-virus software and password protecting your important data.
FAQs
When setup correctly, a guest WiFi network is as safe to use as your standard home connection provided your network is private and password protected.
You should still use encryption on your guest WiFi network. Even if your home devices aren’t at risk, the safety of anyone connecting to this network is still important. Using encryption on your guest network stops hackers from accessing devices connected to your guest network, making it secure for friends and family to use.
A guest network typically operates at the same speed as your normal network. However, you have the option to control how much bandwidth guests can use. If you have set a low bandwidth limit and a guest tries to use more than is allowed by using streaming applications or downloading large files, they will experience a slower internet connection than usual.
Unfortunately, in some cases a guest network can slow down your WiFi if you do not have enough bandwidth. However, any slowness you experience can be easily resolved by either increasing your bandwidth or adjusting the bandwidth limit for your guest network.
Yes, you should use a guest WiFi network for your smart home devices. Compared to our computers and phones, a lot of smart devices are behind the times when it comes to security measures, which means that they are quite easy to hack or infect with malware. If someone wanted to access your devices connected to your home WiFi, it is very possible that they could do so by hacking into one of the smart devices connected to your home network.
To stop this from happening, it is a good idea for you to use a guest WiFi network for all of your smart devices as well as any home entertainment gadgets that use a WiFi connection.
Typically your guest network will have a different network ID than your main network.
The standard limit to how many networks you can have on a home router is limited to 2 per router, which means you can have your main network and your guest network.
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