WiFi Password Generator

A router password gets typed by hand more often than almost any other, so this generator defaults to 20 characters with symbols off and look-alike characters like l, 1, I, O and 0 removed. It is generated in your browser and never sent anywhere.

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What makes a good WiFi password specifically

A WiFi password has an unusual threat model. Nobody types it into a login form a thousand times a second; an attacker captures the handshake from outside your building and then attacks it offline, at whatever speed their hardware allows. That means rate limiting gives you nothing and length is the entire defence.

WPA2 and WPA3 accept 8 to 63 characters. Twenty is a sensible target — around 115 bits with a mixed alphanumeric set, far beyond any offline attack — while staying short enough to read off a card and type on a games console.

This page defaults to 20 characters with symbols switched off and ambiguous characters excluded, which is a deliberate compromise for the way WiFi passwords are actually used.

Why symbols are switched off by default here

Symbols are technically allowed in a WPA passphrase and they do add entropy. In practice they cause more problems than they solve on a network key.

The password has to be typed on devices with poor keyboards — a smart television, a printer, a games console, a guest's phone in a hurry. Symbols are buried behind mode switches on those keyboards, and some older embedded devices handle non-ASCII characters inconsistently. Four extra alphanumeric characters buy more entropy than a symbol does and cost nothing at the keyboard.

Ambiguous characters are excluded for the same reason. A WiFi password gets read off a printed card by someone standing across the room, and l against 1 or O against 0 is a support call waiting to happen.

  • 20 alphanumeric characters: about 115 bits — no practical offline attack
  • Symbols add roughly half a bit per character; a longer password is the better trade
  • Excluding l, 1, I, O and 0 costs a little entropy and saves considerable frustration

Sharing the password without reading it aloud

Once you have generated a long random key, the practical problem becomes handing it to guests. Reading twenty characters across a room does not work.

A WiFi QR code solves this: the phone camera reads the network name, security type and password, and joins without anyone typing. That is the intended pairing for this page — generate a long key here, then encode it, and the length stops being anyone's problem.

If you host guests regularly, run a separate guest network. It gives visitors internet access without putting them on the same network as your printers, cameras and file shares, and it means changing the guest key does not disturb your own devices.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should a WiFi password be?

Twenty characters is a good target. WiFi is attacked offline — the attacker captures a handshake and grinds at it on their own hardware — so rate limiting offers no protection and length is the whole defence. Twenty alphanumeric characters is about 115 bits, which no offline attack reaches.

Why does this page turn symbols off by default?

Because WiFi keys get typed on televisions, printers and consoles where symbols are buried behind mode switches, and some older embedded devices handle them inconsistently. Adding four more alphanumeric characters buys more entropy than a symbol does and costs nothing at the keyboard.

Is WPA2 still safe with a strong password?

Yes. The practical attacks on WPA2 target weak passphrases, not the protocol — a captured handshake is only useful if the key is guessable. A long random key removes that. Use WPA3 where every device supports it, but WPA2 with a 20-character random key is not the weak link.

How do I share a long WiFi password with guests?

Use a WiFi QR code. The camera reads the network name, security type and password and joins without anyone typing, which is what makes a twenty-character key practical. Print it and leave it where guests can see it.

Should I have a separate guest network?

If you have visitors regularly, yes. It gives them internet without putting them on the same network as your printers, cameras and file shares, and you can rotate the guest key without reconnecting all your own devices.

How often should I change my WiFi password?

When someone you no longer want on the network has had it, or after a device that stored it was lost or sold. There is no benefit to rotating a strong random key on a schedule — every change means reconnecting every device you own.

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