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May 28th, 2026 02:38
Physical Router upgrade set up to use old router log in credential
incidental finding. when replacing router, everyone and every device on old LAN needs to log on new Wi-Fi source and type in new password. a lot of adjustment. sounds familiar?
Chino sent news of TP Link router being compromised.
Upgrade to Netgear or ASUS new router.
I change new router SSID to be the same as old TP LINK and password the same as well.
with the hope that no one needs to bug me/ IT admin what the new Wi-Fi name and password are.
An SSID (Service Set Identifier) is simply the technical term for your Wi-Fi network's name. It’s what you see on your phone or computer when looking for available wireless networks to connect to
Do you think this would fool every PC and phone that used to connect to TP LINK?
Think of it, after I remove old TP link offline, it is no longer on the available Wi-Fi list. the new router running whatever new tech is using the old TP link SSID as alias and same password, there is really no way the PC/phone would know the actual physical device has been swapped. It should happily log on the new router smoothly as if nothing had changed.
Tesla1856
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May 28th, 2026 03:03
My experience is that if you give the new router and/or Access-Point the same SSID (name) and WiFi password (must be both) ... all the existing devices on the network will "just connect".
Not something I have the opportunity to do very often, but I have seen it work before (recently in fact).
anne_droid
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May 28th, 2026 08:46
Hi
I have my own name and password for the router SSID, so any new router gets changed to that.
So none of the dozen or so devices are changed to the new one, they just never notice the change.
redxps630
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May 28th, 2026 13:09
Bonus question
1. If personal router is dual band with separate 2.4 n 5 ghz channels can you set up both using same SSID? Would router setup allow user to do it?
note ISP router has both channels incorporated in one and does not specify
2. if you theoretically figure out your neighbor router password can you set up your own personal router using same ssid and pw? If yes it would mean two seemingly identical routers in neighborhood w same log in credentials. Or if you have two such identical ssid/pw routers in one home connected . How would pc or phone decide which one to log in? Just random choice? And from pc side there might be no indicator which router it actually uses?
ps when I have two isp routers same model but different ssid at different sites, site A pc using isp router log in, the other site B using internal router behind isp, pc/phone had logged in at both sites before and currently all at site B.
when I log in site B gateway it only shows internal router wired in, no wireless device connected
when I change site B isp router password to be same as site A, all of sudden all devices previously connected to site B internal router switch to isp router wireless log in. a bit confusing.
(edited)
anne_droid
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May 28th, 2026 17:22
Hi
Bonus answers...
1. If personal router is dual band with separate 2.4 n 5 ghz channels can you set up both using same SSID? Would router setup allow user to do it?
note ISP router has both channels incorporated in one and does not specify
YES, however not all ISP's allow you to choose a channel.
I just changed the names on mine to WhffyOne and WhiffyToo for the purposes of the picture.
NB:Sometimes a local beacon transmission interferes for 100ms.
2. if you theoretically figure out your neighbor router password can you set up your own personal router using same ssid and pw? If yes it would mean two seemingly identical routers in neighborhood w same log in credentials. Or if you have two such identical ssid/pw routers in one home connected . How would pc or phone decide which one to log in? Just random choice? And from pc side there might be no indicator which router it actually uses?
Err there are linuxes that can do that, based on the analysing the traffic-packets.
ps when I have two isp routers same model but different ssid at different sites, site A pc using isp router log in, the other site B using internal router behind isp, pc/phone had logged in at both sites before and currently all at site B.
PS: The encryption should be different and therefore no actual snooping happens. Bear in mind we have free NHS wi-fi across several thousand sites, and my dog&bone (phone) just connects automagically.
when I log in site B gateway it only shows internal router wired in, no wireless device connected
when I change site B isp router password to be same as site A, all of sudden all devices previously connected to site B internal router switch to isp router wireless log in. a bit confusing.
(edited)