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How to change name of wi-fi network?

There must be a way to rename one's own wi-fi network, but I can't seem to find where that can be done.


I opened Network Preferences and tried clicking Advanced, but I don't see anything there that looks like it would do it. How is it done?

iMac (Flat Panel), Mac OS X (10.7.3), 2.4GHz IC2Duo 4GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM

Posted on Mar 16, 2012 12:12 PM

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24 replies

Feb 18, 2017 11:00 AM in response to Michael Black

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.

Mar 16, 2012 12:56 PM in response to Christopher Philippo

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.

Feb 19, 2017 5:14 PM in response to erwinvegas

erwinvegas wrote:


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.

So is there a question in there?


The forum is an imperfect communications channel, as often the person asking the question leaves out useful important information, and and because the volunteers often have a real-job the turn around time can be long, so they guess at what is desired, and if they are lucky, it is the correct answer. Or the person asking the question has to come back and clarify the question, filling in the blanks. Then it may turn out that the user is using an Apple Airport Extreme, Express, or Time Capsule (keeping to the subject matter of this thread; but the question could be about any subject matter). It is also possible the person with the question will come back and say it is the device that their ISP gave them, or something they got at a local electronics store or mail-order. Then it is another round of questions to find out the make and model of the WiFi device because even in the same manufacture, the instructions for configuring them changes from model to model (at least Apple's are consistent).


In any event somethings the volunteer gets lucky, and somethings they do not. Sometimes they have spare time from their job, spouse, kids, yard work, snow removal, etc... to do the research to find the detailed step by step information the person asking the question needs, and sometimes they have just the general problem solving procedure, and need to leave the details up to the person asking the question, so sometimes, they have given enough of a correct hint that another volunteer can pick up the slack.


Now if you have a specific question we can help you with, you could add it as a reply to this old thread, or you could start a new thread specific to your question.

Mar 16, 2012 1:00 PM in response to Christopher Philippo

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.

Mar 16, 2012 1:03 PM in response to Christopher Philippo

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)

Mar 16, 2012 9:11 PM in response to Christopher Philippo

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 :-)

Jul 19, 2012 11:00 AM in response to BobHarris

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!

Jul 19, 2012 11:33 AM in response to ShellyXo

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.

How to change name of wi-fi network?

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