As libraries and community hubs have been closed as part of the government’s attempts to manage the Covid-19 virus pandemic, some users who relied on their free internet access may have found themselves cut off from the internet.
If you have elderly neighbours or neighbours who don’t have access to internet services, you could help them during the period of self isolation or social distancing, by sharing your guest access internet connection with them.
Using the guest network segregates their devices from your own WiFi meaning there’s not chance of computer viruses crossing over from one side to the other.
Most internet routers have the ability to run a guest WiFi, this broadcasts a different WiFi name (SSID) with a different password, and allows guest users to connect to your internet but without being able to get onto your home WiFi or any of your home devices.
This protects your home computers from getting accidentally infected from a guest device, and means you don’t have to worry about adding additional security measures on your network.
Each brand and model of router is different and will have a different way of enabling a guest network, but typically it will be listed in the router settings as Guest WiFi (sometimes as SSID2 or WiFI2) and should allow you to set the SSID name, which is the network name that gets broadcast.
Make the name easy to spot, so perhaps call it something like “Bob’s Free Internet” and set a password, then let your neighbours know that they can use your WiFi for free, saving them the cost of mobile internet prices.
If you need help getting your Guest WiFi setup, head over to our Free IT Support page on Facebook or leave a message below, tell us your router make and model and we’ll try to get the instructions you need.
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