Creating a Guest Wi-Fi

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Configuring a Guest Wi-Fi network that creates a virtual Access Point that provides access to the Internet but is isolated from our "home network" is fairly easy when using DD-WRT in the router. The screenshots shown in this tutorial are from DD-WRT version 25015.

First you should make sure that in Setup->Basic Setup->Networking Setup the options Use DNSMasq for DHCP and Use DNSMasq for DNS are selected. Click on Save and then Apply Settings.

Dd-wrt guestwifi01.png

Then in Wireless->Basic Settings->Virtual Interfaces you have to click in Add to create a new virtual interface (I do it just for the 2.4 Ghz Physical Interface as all devices can use this frequency but only a few will connect to the 5 Ghz band). Then set these options:

  • Network Configuration: Unbridged (Disconnected from the local network.)
  • Masquerade / NAT: Enable (Needed for Internet access.)
  • Net Isolation: Enable (Do not allow access to the local network and the router.)
  • IP Address: 192.168.xxx.1 (This is the ip of the virutal interface and it should be in a different network than the Network Setup from Setup->Basic Setup. For example, if you have Router IP set to 192.168.1.1, you can use 192.168.2.1)
  • Netmask: 255.255.255.0 (Unless you know how netmask works, leave it like this.)

Click on Save and then Apply Settings.

Dd-wrt guestwifi02.png

Then you should enable the encryption key for the new network (this could be skipped, but then this network would be open to everybody). In Wireless->Wireless Security enable security and use a different Key value to your other Wireless connections. Click on Save and then Apply Settings.

Dd-wrt guestwifi03.png

The latest step is to enable another DHCP server so that IPs are asigned to the devices connecting to this network. In Setup->Networking->DHCPD add a DHCP with, select the virtual device (in the example wl0.1) and set it to ON. Click on Save and then Apply Settings.

Dd-wrt guestwifi04.png