How to change name of wi-fi network?

This is done in the router, or more precisely the wireless part of the router. Just where depends upon the particular device. Look at the manual for your router. You need to know the password for the admin interface of the router. You then use your browser to go to the url for the router. It will start as 192.168.xxx.xxx. , aform of address for local resources. The baseplate of the device will usually give the IP of the device.

Within the admin pages navigate to 'Wireless' or whtever it is called and look out for apage wher the "SSID' is set. SSID means the station set identifier. Keeping the other things as they are change the SSID and then ensure the modification is saved. Remember to set the passphrase of the new SSID on the client (Computer)

Applications -> Utilities -> Airport Utility (or if you have an iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch, you can install an Airport Utility on that device for controlling your Airport Extreme).

From the Airport Utility, select your router, enter your router's admin password from when you initially set it up (you may have saved the password in your Mac's keychain which will make it easier).

Select your Airport Extreme in the Airport Utility.

Go to Wireless

Specify your "Wireless Network Name"

While you are on that display, confirm that you are using WPA2 Wireless Security. This would be your preferred WiFi security mode. Of course your security mode has nothing to do with your WiFi name :-)

Thanks for trying to help, and you were definitely more insightful than "Cattus" above, but I still think all the experts out there could use a bit more empathy. Imagine the person doesn't know how to do anything, then start from there. Nobody should assume everyone should be at a certain "level" before they can be helped. Life can be lived without computers, but if somebody is pressured enough, they can feel obligated to join the rat race since more and more of those rats are too selfish to accommodate, or rather, work with the way the analog-lived people existed. For example, there is now way a head lamp for camping needs countless profiles to do a good job lighting your way while camping, yet to find the head lamps which don't require purchasing all those unnecessary features which clog the otherwise no-mess convenient usage of headlamps before them, you have to search and sometimes even purchase the product only to get home and find out the thing has programs. That's right.... programs, for a head lamp. That just reeks of the people who like to tinker with computers thinking they need to put their finger in every pie. I am using this computer to get the message out, sure.... they can be helpful, but without all this programming of everything, I wouldn't need to do it.

More specifically, how do you log in to "my admin account"? How would they know their admin password? You see, as a low-level computer user myself, I understood "Christopher's" question immediately. I'm still looking for the simplest description of each step needed without some acronym tripping me up. Sometimes it takes hours to figure out the advice of how to solve a problem which we've already spent too much time.

There is a certain ambiguity of your text. So:

1. If you want to change your network name given by the wl router, Apple or non-Apple, you must change it withing the router settings. If you have an Apple wl router, use Airport utility. For non-Apple routers, you are told in the instructions what address you should type in any browser, Safari or else, e.g. 192.168.2.2 etc.

2. If you want to change the name under which your computer is displayed and identified in a network, do that in System Preferences/Sharing.

If other than these, please explain.

As already mentioned, the Broadcast name, or SSID of your wifi network is a function of the wifi router itself an dnot your computer. You need to log into your admin web page or admin application for the wifi router itself (which should have a password-restricted admin account) and change the SSID there.

With my router, I would open a browser and go to http://192.168.1.1 for example, login to my routers admin account with the admin password and set it up there.

Christopher Philippo wrote:

The router is an AirPort Extreme; Apple really didn't make changing the Wifi network name very user-friendly, did they?

? You need to try some other router in order to judge "friendly"

Hi Bob & everyone, when I open Airport Utitilty, it starts scaning for Airport Wireless devices and then says "Airport Utility was unable to find any Airport wireless devices. Make sure the Airport Wireles device you want to set up is plugged in and in range of your computer, and then click rescan to try again"

and there is no other option, why is that? I'm alread connected to the internet, yikes! this is confusing for me!

Abnormal. Yet there is a simple way to reset a wl network: unplug the wl router for several seconds, wait, then plug it again. This is a soft reset of the wl network.

If it does not come to a normal behavior, then do a hard reset, all such devices have a small slot, which may be pressed with a paper clip for approx. 5 seconds. After that, you must proceed with new settings, if you really kept that clip for at least 5 seconds, router memory is empty and must be reset from the scratch.

But perhaps you do not need this.

ok so I unplugged it and it is still doing the same thing, i'm so confused , what do you suggest I do next? all it keeps doing is scanning and then tell me it can't find any wireless devices which I don't understand because I have wireless internet ! ??

To be sure I correcty understand: do you have an Apple wireless router or a 3rd party router? If Apple, it should be detected; if any other else, no, it is not there, this is normal. For such devices, settings are (usually) done with the internet browser, any, Safari or any other browser.

ShellyXo wrote:

apple wireless router? I have no idea. All I know I have a wireless router for the internet. and I also don't use Safari I use Opera, does that matter?

Yes, go and look at your router, who is the manufacturer and what is the model.

You MUST know these details. Only Apple wl routers show up in Airport Utility, all other routers have their settings.

I think you do NOT have an Apple router, you have a 3rd party router. For such a router, you must use a browser and type the address given by the manufacturer of that device (it is specified in the manual). For example, a frequent wl router around is Speedtouch. For its settings, I type

speedtouch.lan

and I am given a set of options to set up.

Others may have their drivers to be installed, I have no idea, there are many such products on the market.

Do not begin any reset or hard reset before clarifying to yourself what you must do, otherwise you will not be able to set up your wl network.

It may help to go to all of your network equipment that was installed for you (or by you), and let everyone here know what the make and model numbers are for them. There usually are one or two items that are installed (a modem and separate router, or just a modem and router combination). It might have an antenna sticking out of it.