How can I provide guests with Wi-Fi without giving them my password?

I intend to register on AirBnB and I’d like to know how to share my fibre optic internet connection safely, without giving out the main Wi-Fi password. I believe some routers have guest access features, but not the one I use: a BT Home Hub 3. I am also thinking about OpenDNS as an additional option to screen out pornography etc. I am open to buying another router if necessary. Noel

This is a topic that should interest people renting out their homes and small businesses that want to offer clients free Wi-Fi access – I wish my dentist did, for example.

You’re right in thinking that the simplest solution is a router that offers guest access as a built-in feature. This applies to many Asus, TP-Link, Netgear andLinksys modems, among others (these links are meant to provide examples, not recommendations, but they all rank pretty well on Amazon.co.uk).

When BT launched Infinity, it provided separate VDSL2 modems to make the connection to the OpenReach cabinet on the street. If you have a BT Home Hub 3, I assume you have one of these. (The BT Home Hub 5 has both VDSL2 and ADSL2 routers built in.) If so, in theory, you should be able to plug a different router into the VDSL2 modem – but perhaps readers could comment if they have tried this and failed. If not, go for a VDSL2/ADSL2 combo.

Setting it up

To set up the guest network, log on to the new router and select Guest Network (or something similar) from the admin page. You can then enable the setting for either the 2.4GHz or the 5GHz network or both, and type in whichever network name – ie SSID – you want. In some cases, you won’t have a choice: the router may simply add -guest to your current SSID.

You must also choose an authentication system, such as WPA2-Personal and an access key. In general, it’s not secure to run a guest network that isn’t encrypted, and especially not one with a default password, such as Linksys’s BeMyGuest.