You should be using your guest Wi-Fi network, but not for the reason you think

Wi-Fi is one of the significant in-home technological advancements of the modern era. It gives online access to wireless devices of all shapes, sizes, and form factors. You may have multiple devices on your private Wi-Fi network, from Android phones and tablets to smart home devices. Regarding smart home products, you may have collected security cameras, smart speakers, and smart lights over the years. In this guide, we cover why you should consider adding these devices to your guest network and explain our reasoning behind the idea.

Adding your smart home and IoT devices to your guest network

There’s more to your router’s guest Wi-Fi network feature than meets the eye. The guest Wi-Fi network keeps guest devices separate from your personal devices for increased security, nothing more. However, introducing smart home and Internet of Things (IoT) devices to a Wi-Fi network is changing that way of thinking. Some popular examples of IoT devices are smart speakers, smart light bulbs, and smart thermostats.

Rather than adding the occasional house guest to your guest network, use it for your smart home. Setting up, managing, and isolating your smart home and IoT devices on a separate network enhances security. The guest network is not being used for its intended purpose here. Consider it less as a guest network and more as a private network for your smart home ecosystem.

Why it’s likely a bad idea to leave all devices on the same network

If all your smart home devices, house guests, and personal devices are on the same network, this could be bad news for everyone involved. Let’s say you left your old Wi-Fi security camera system on your primary network with everything else. If that camera system is compromised, the outside attacker may gain control over your entire network. That can also include devices from your house guests and personal devices connected to your Wi-Fi. Everyone’s data could be at risk because of outdated firmware, lack of newer security protocols, or unpatched exploits of an aging camera system.

Smart home and IoT devices are always online and rely on an active internet connection. This means they constantly send and receive small packets of data across the network to work correctly. Since there is a continuous connection between your smart home devices and router, things can get messy if any of your smart home devices are compromised.

What smart home devices should you put on your guest network?

You can choose which devices to put on your guest network and which to keep on your primary network. It depends on the wireless router model, its built-in features, and your networking needs. Some routers have a guest network and an extra smart home or IoT network feature. If yours does, use your router’s dedicated smart home network feature for those devices and place your guests on the guest network. Then, add your personal devices like computers, phones, tablets, gaming consoles, printers, and TV streaming devices to the primary network.

If your router supports it, having three Wi-Fi networks at minimum is ideal: one for your personal devices, one for your smart home and IoT devices, and one for your house guests. This ensures maximum security and keeps similar devices together on their own networks to prevent other devices from causing interference.

Suppose your router only has a guest network feature without those extra network options. You can use the guest network for smart home and IoT devices and add your house guests to your primary network. This keeps your smart home devices away from your primary network. However, this means your guest devices are on the same network as your personal devices. Alternatively, you can add your house guest devices and smart home devices to the guest network. In this case, you decide which option suits your needs.

Should you leave some smart home devices on your primary network?

The short answer is yes, for ease of use. Still, it depends on your Wi-Fi network needs. A streaming device like a Google Chromecast or Nest Mini 2 speaker might be considered part of your smart home. However, you may want to keep it on your primary network. It must be on the same network to cast media from your smartphone to the selected device. Alternatively, you can put it on your guest network if you have a Google TV Streamer or Chromecast with a remote and never cast anything.

You must review your smart home ecosystem and decide which devices are most suitable for the guest network. The goal is to separate as many of your smart home and IoT devices as possible from your primary network. However, don’t put all of them on the guest network if you know it’ll inconvenience you. A good rule of thumb involves communication or casting features, as in the earlier examples. If you don’t connect to a smart home device that often with your phone, add it to your guest network.

Using your smart home or guest Wi-Fi network feature is the way to go

The modern smart home era has changed how we interact with devices in our homes, but it can also complicate things. These products differ in the security protocols and features that protect them from outside attackers. Some older smart home devices have existed long enough to be outdated and pose potential security risks. If your router supports a smart home or guest Wi-Fi network feature, put your smart home devices on their own network. It prevents attackers from accessing your primary network if a device is compromised.