How to Secure Your Home Wi-Fi and Smart Devices in Ireland: A 10-Step Checklist

New router passwords, WPA3 or WPA2, WPS off, updates, a guest network, two-step login for Ring and Eufy, family access, and how to spot a call pretending to be your broadband provider. From Ireland's NCSC, the Gardaí and the makers' own guidance.

The short answer: change the router's admin password and the Wi-Fi name and password it came with, choose WPA3 (or WPA2 where a device needs it), turn off WPS, and keep the router, cameras and doorbell updated. Put visitors on a guest network, use two-step login on Ring or Eufy, and give family members their own access, not your password. The advice comes from Ireland's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), and from Ring, Eufy, TP-Link and NETGEAR.

What are the ten steps?

Step	Why it matters	Rough time
1. Change the router's admin password	Default logins can be easy to guess (Eufy).	5 minutes
2. Rename the Wi-Fi network	A default name can reveal the router's model (NCSC).	2 minutes
3. Set a long Wi-Fi passphrase	Supplied ones are usually under 12 characters (NCSC).	10 minutes, then reconnect devices
4. Choose WPA3, or WPA2/WPA3 mixed	WPA3 is the stronger standard (TP-Link).	2 minutes
5. Turn off WPS	Its PIN is easily brute-forced (NCSC).	2 minutes
6. Update the router	Makers regularly patch security flaws (TP-Link).	10 minutes
7. Check cameras and doorbells are updated	Releases include security fixes (Eufy).	5 minutes
8. Set up a guest network	Guests cannot reach your main network (NETGEAR).	10 minutes
9. Use two-step login on Ring or Eufy	A password alone will not open the account (Eufy).	5 minutes
10. Give family their own Ring access	You keep control of the account (Ring).	5 minutes a person

Reasons from the sources below; times are our own rough guide.

Why change the router's default passwords?

A router has two passwords: the Wi-Fi password, and an admin password that opens its settings. TP-Link notes they are separate. Eufy advises changing the admin password, as the default can be easy to guess and anyone on your Wi-Fi could then get in.

The NCSC also advises renaming the network. A default name can tell an attacker the router's make and model, and so whether it has a known weakness. Pick a name that does not identify your family.

What makes a strong Wi-Fi password?

The NCSC says the password supplied with a router is generally shorter than the 12 characters it recommends. Its advice: a passphrase of random, unrelated words, with numbers and symbols mixed through it; nothing personal, such as family names, pets or your local football club; and no reusing passwords. A password manager helps.

Changing the Wi-Fi password disconnects every device, TP-Link notes. Reconnect a Ring camera or doorbell from its Device Health tile in the Ring app.

Should I pick WPA3 or WPA2?

WPA3, if your router and devices support it. The NCSC recommends WPA2 or the newer WPA3; TP-Link calls WPA3 the stronger standard, and NETGEAR says its handshake adds protection even if the password is weak.

A router set to WPA3 only rejects devices that only speak WPA2, TP-Link says, so use WPA2/WPA3 mixed mode. If an older smart device still will not connect, TP-Link's advice on its own routers is to switch temporarily to WPA2 (AES) only.

Why turn off WPS?

WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) is a shortcut for joining devices. The NCSC says it has a known flaw, is still on by default on many routers, and its PIN can be easily brute-forced. Turn it off in the router's settings.

Do routers, cameras and doorbells need updates?

Yes, though most update themselves. TP-Link advises keeping router firmware updated, as makers regularly patch security flaws, and some NETGEAR routers update automatically overnight. Turn on automatic updates if your router offers them.

Ring devices keep updating automatically after setup, and Eufy's HomeBase updates when idle. Eufy asks you to keep its app and your devices' firmware up to date, as releases include critical security updates.

Should visitors and smart devices use a guest network?

A guest network gets visitors online without your main password, and NETGEAR says devices on it cannot reach your main network, or the other way round.

It can suit smart devices too. TP-Link suggests a separate guest network for older WPA2-only devices, and some of its routers, including Deco mesh systems, offer an IoT network: a dedicated network, with its own name and password, for smart home devices. Not every router has one.

The NCSC's caution: some routers switch guest access on by default, with no password needed. If yours does, turn it off.

How do I turn on two-step login for Ring and Eufy?

Two-step login means a password alone will not open the account; a six-digit code is needed too.

Ring requires it whenever you sign in. Choose text message or an authenticator app under Account Verification in the app's Control Center.
Eufy: side menu, then Control Center, then Two-Factor Authentication. Codes go to your trusted email or phone, and Eufy emails you whenever a new device logs in.

Never share a password or code; Ring says its staff will never ask for your password. Decline any sign-in approval you did not start: the NCSC warns that scammers bombard people with prompts until they give in.

Should the family share one Ring login?

No. Ring says not to share your password, and to add people as Shared Users so you keep control of the account. In the app: Settings or Control Center, User Permissions, Invite User. Each person needs their own Ring account, and you choose their level:

Limited: Live View, Event History and device control.
Standard: adds alerts, and downloading and sharing recordings.
Advanced: adds device settings, and managing users and devices.

Only the owner can manage the subscription or delete recordings. To remove someone, start from their name under User Permissions; the last step is Delete User. On Eufy, only the primary account owner can give others access, and can remove them at any time.

When we fit a Ring doorbell, app setup is part of the installation and we walk you through the app before we leave, a good moment to add the family. Where the camera should point is covered in our doorbell camera rules guide.

What if I think someone is on my network?

Check the list of connected devices: Clients in TP-Link's Tether app, or Attached Devices on a NETGEAR router.
Block anything you do not recognise, noting its MAC address first, as TP-Link suggests.
Change the Wi-Fi password, which TP-Link calls the fastest way to remove every unauthorised device at once.
Change the router's admin password, and check WPS is off.
In Ring's Control Center, Authorized Client Devices, Remove All Devices signs out every phone and tablet.
If you gave bank or card details, tell your bank and your local Garda station, as Citizens Information advises.

If a camera keeps dropping off afterwards, see why smart cameras lose the signal.

How do I spot a call pretending to be my broadband provider?

The Gardaí warn of callers posing as a phone or broadband provider, offering to fix your connection. They are after your card details and card reader codes, and may ask to control your computer remotely. eir says it will never need access to your computer or your card details for a fault or repair, and ComReg warns that caller ID can be faked.

Hang up and ring the provider on a number you looked up yourself, after hearing a dial tone, as the Gardaí advise.
Never give a caller remote access, or share bank details, passwords or your PPS number.
Do not use links or numbers in a text you are unsure of; ComReg says to contact the company through its official website or app.
If you have given details, contact your bank and your local Garda station.

What else do people ask?

Should I hide my Wi-Fi network name?

It helps a little. The NCSC says a hidden network stays off the list nearby devices see, though scanning tools still find it, and an opportunist is more likely to pick a visible one.

Is WPA2 still safe for a home network?

The NCSC recommends WPA2 or the newer WPA3. TP-Link calls WPA2 still workable if you keep the firmware updated and use a strong password you have not used elsewhere.

Will changing my Wi-Fi password knock my cameras offline?

Yes, until each has the new password, as TP-Link notes. In the Ring app, open the device's Device Health tile, then Reconnect or Change Network.

Does each family member need their own Ring account?

To be a Shared User, yes. Ring emails an invitation, valid for 14 days, which they accept by signing in to their own Ring account or creating one.

Would eir or Virgin Media ring me to fix my broadband?

Be wary of any call offering to. eir says it will never need access to your computer or your card details for a fault or repair, and Virgin Media advises hanging up and ringing it directly.

Where does this advice come from?

Read on 30 September 2026.