Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi password generator: secure and easy to type
Your Wi-Fi password gets typed more often than any other: on the TV, the game console, your guests’ laptops. So it should not only be secure but also free of traps – no “was that an l or a 1?”, no characters that move around on a foreign keyboard. Here is how.
The Wi-Fi preset in the Password Generator creates 20 characters without look-alikes and keyboard traps – right in your browser.
Generate a Wi-Fi passwordThe short version
- In the Password Generator, choose the “Wi-Fi” preset.
- Copy the password and enter it on your router under Wireless → Security.
- Use WPA2 or WPA2/WPA3 encryption.
- For guests, set up a separate guest network and a Wi-Fi QR code.
What makes a good Wi-Fi password
| Requirement | Why |
|---|---|
| At least 20 characters | Germany’s BSI recommends at least 20 characters for WPA2 and WPA3. Anyone in range can capture a device connecting and then guess the password offline at leisure. A long random password makes that hopeless. WPA2 allows 8 to 63 characters. |
| No look-alike characters | 0 and O, 1, l and I often look the same on stickers and TV screens. |
| Keyboard-safe | No y/z and only symbols that are on the same keys on US and German keyboards – see keyboard-safe passwords. |
| Not the factory key | The sticker on the router is usually random and long enough – but anyone who ever had the router in hand knows it. |
The generator’s Wi-Fi preset covers all of this: 20 characters from upper and lower case letters and digits, without look-alikes and keyboard-safe. That gives more than 110 bits of randomness – far more than needed. A passphrase of 5–6 words is a good alternative that guests can type even more easily.
Pick the Wi-Fi preset, copy the password, enter it on your router – then create a Wi-Fi QR code for guests.
Changing the Wi-Fi password on your router
- Open the router’s admin page: type its address into the browser, often
192.168.0.1or192.168.1.1, or use the manufacturer’s app. The address is usually printed on the sticker. - Log in – with the admin password, not the Wi-Fi password.
- Open Wireless → Security (sometimes “WLAN”, “Wi-Fi settings” or “Encryption”).
- Set encryption to WPA2 or WPA2 + WPA3. Use WPA3 only if all your devices support it.
- Paste the new network key and save. The router restarts Wi-Fi and disconnects all devices.
Tip: change the Wi-Fi password over a cable or stay close by – after saving, your own laptop is disconnected too and has to reconnect with the new password.
Guest network and QR code
Most routers offer a guest network: a separate Wi-Fi with its own password that leads to the internet but not to your devices at home. You can share the guest password freely and change it without reconnecting all your own devices.
Even more convenient for guests is a Wi-Fi QR code: point the phone camera at it and they’re connected. Create one with the QR Code Generator – also local in your browser, the password is never sent.
When devices won’t reconnect
- “Forget” the old network: many devices stubbornly retry the saved old password. Remove the network in the Wi-Fi settings and reconnect.
- Older devices: printers, cameras or smart home devices often can’t handle WPA3-only – switch to WPA2/WPA3 mixed mode.
- Symbols: some old devices struggle with certain symbols. That’s why the Wi-Fi preset avoids them entirely.
- Typing on a TV: with a keyboard-safe password without look-alikes, it usually works first time.
Generate your Wi-Fi password
20 characters, no look-alike characters, keyboard-safe – easy to type on a TV and any keyboard. Free, local in your browser.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a Wi-Fi password be?
At least 20 characters if randomly generated. WPA2 allows 8 to 63 characters; short passwords can be guessed offline after capturing a single connection.
Should I change the password on the router sticker?
It makes sense if others had access to the router – shared flats, after moving or with a second-hand device. Otherwise the factory key is usually random and long enough.
Which characters cause problems in Wi-Fi passwords?
Look-alike characters like 0/O and 1/l/I, keys that differ between keyboard layouts, and some symbols on older devices. The Wi-Fi preset avoids all of these.
How do I change my Wi-Fi password?
Log in to your router’s admin page (often 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1), go to Wireless → Security, enter the new network key and save. Then reconnect all devices.
What’s the easiest way to share the new Wi-Fi password?
A Wi-Fi QR code: guests scan it with their phone camera and are connected. A separate guest network is the safer choice for visitors.
Is the Wi-Fi password stored anywhere?
No. The Password Generator creates it locally in your browser and neither sends nor stores it.
Sources
- Sichere Passwörter erstellen, German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI, in German).
- NIST Special Publication 800-63B – Digital Identity Guidelines: Authentication, National Institute of Standards and Technology.
- Crypto.getRandomValues(), MDN Web Docs – the random number generator the password generator uses.