How to Hide Your WiFi so Others Cannot Connect to It

Few can deny that Wi-Fi is a great convenience - be it at home, in the workplace or in a public space, it is just awesome to be able to whip out any one of your smart devices and start surfing the web at full throttle, without worrying about how much that will tax your mobile plan. Unfortunately, not all people are too considerate when it comes to Wi-Fi, and if you leave your network unprotected, there is a high chance that before long, you will attract unsolicited users. For that reason, it is advisable that you at least hide your SSID – the clear and obvious visibility of your Wi-Fi network to other devices.

Note that doing this will not deter actual hackers from cracking your network wide open – but it does afford an extra layer of protection against nosy neighbors that might want to freeload on your connection. Here's how you can hide your SSID on some of the most popular router brands you may own:

ASUS

1. Open "http://192.168.1.1", without the quotation marks, in a browser. Log into your router.
2. Go to "Advanced Settings". Click "Wireless". Select "Yes" under "Hide SSID".
3. Select "Save Settings" to finish the job.

Linksys

1. Type "http://192.168.1.1", without the quotation marks, in a browser. Enter the appropriate security input into the "User Name" and "Password" fields to log in to your router. If you haven't setup any special security measures for this particular router – both the user name and the password should be "admin".
2. Go to "Wireless," then select "Basic Wireless Settings" from the menus. Set the "SSID Broadcast" feature to "Disabled".
3. Select "Save Settings" to finish the job.

Netgear

1. Type "http://192.168.1.1", without the quotation marks, in your browser. Enter the appropriate security input into the "User Name" and "Password" fields to log in to your router. If you haven't setup any special security measures for this particular router – both the user name and the password should be "admin".
2. Go to "Wireless Settings", in the "Advanced" section and then un-check "Enable SSID Broadcast."
3. Select "Save Settings" to finish the job.

D-Link

1. Type "http://192.168.0.1", without quotation marks, into your browser. Choose "Admin" from the "User Name" drop-down menu, input your password, or leave the Password field blank if you haven't set up one, and click "Log In."
2. Choose "Setup," then go to "Wireless Settings". Go to "Manual Wireless Network Setup."
3. Make "Visibility Status" to be "Invisible". Alternatively, check "Enable Hidden Wireless".
4. Select "Save Settings" to finish the job.

Belkin

1. Open "http://192.168.2.1", without the quotation marks, in a browser. Select "Login," leave the Password field blank (if you have not set up a password) and then click "Submit."
2. Choose "Channel and SSID", and remove the checkmark from the "Broadcast SSID" checkbox.
3. Select "Save Settings" to finish the job.

Tp-Link

1. Open "http://192.168.1.1", without the quotation marks, in a browser. Log into your router.
2. Go to "Wireless", choose "Wireless Settings". While there, uncheck the "Enable SSID Broadcast" checkbox.
3. Select "Save Settings" to finish the job.

Tenda

1. Open "http://192.168.1.1", without the quotation marks, in a browser. Log into your router.
2. Go to "Wireless", then enter "Wireless Basic Settings". While there, click "Disable SSID Broadcast".
3. Select "OK" to finish the job.

Another important step you can take to ensure that no one is snooping around your network is to set up a strong password. Find out how to do so here:Your Eight-Character Password is not as Strong as you Think