What the Tech: How to help visitors get on your Wi-Fi

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - If you’re having family or friends over to your house over the holidays, one of the first questions someone is going to ask is for your WiFi network name and password.

That’s especially true for any overnight guests. You can recite it to them as they enter the digits and characters on their phone like this: “Capital C, lower case e, 5, 8, ampersand, capital e, question mark”.

There is a better way. Ways in fact. If you both have iPhones, Apple makes it simple.

Just tell them the name of your network, and when they select it, you’ll get a notification on your Apple device asking if you’d like to share the password with them.

If you tap “yes”, they are logged in immediately. If you have an Android device, it’s still pretty easy. On your phone, open settings, then network and internet. Depending on which Android phone you have, it might be called “connections”.

Then, choose Wi-Fi and tap on the cog or gear, and tap “Share” which will reveal a QR code they can scan with their camera app and connect to your network.

You can also print out a QR code using any device. To find a QR code generator on a website, we use www.QRCodeGenerator.com and follow the directions.

Add your WiFi Network and password, then print out a QR code and tape it to the wall or fridge. When a guest needs to log on, they use their camera to scan the code.

All they’ll have to do at that point is tap on the pop-up, and they’re connected. Overnight guests may need to log on to your WiFi network on a laptop. If they have an iPhone that’s logged into the network, iOS 16 allows them to see the password by tapping settings, WiFi, and “reveal password”.

They can then enter the password that’s revealed on their laptop. Still, it’s probably easier for laptops if you print out the network name and password and put in in the guest room.

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