WiFi Hub became disabled when I tried to change WiFi password

[Zouch]

A Talk Talk engineer replaced my router today with a new WiFi Hub 2.  I logged on to the router to change the network name and password.  When I pressed the SAVE button, nothing happened, but the router status was then showing "Disabled" .  I clicked the slide to enable it, but this was not successful.  I was advised on a live chat to use the factory reset button, which successfully restored the router.  I would like advice on what went wrong and how I can change my wifi network name and password without this happening.  I asked the question at the end of the WhatsApp chat, but got no reply.

[Anonymous]

Morning,

Thanks for letting us know.

Michelle

[Divsec]

Glad you got sorted out. Thanks for letting us know.

[Zouch]

I have now solved this problem myself.

I was trying to change my WiFi network name and password on my new Acer Windows 11 desktop pc, using Chrome browser.  None of the offered solutions worked.  This morning it occurred to me that it might be a problem with the Windows 11 desktop or the browser, so I decided to have a go at changing the name and password with my macbook.  This was successful first time.

What me me think of this was that I bought a new HP printer at the same time as the Acer pc, and had a nightmare of a time trying to get the Windows 11 pc to recognize the printer on the WiFi network.  I only succeeded after reinstalling Windows 11 with the repair version.  I much preferred Windows 10 to 11.

[Divsec]

Hi @Zouch understand you not wishing to break anything but the good news is reset puts it all back together again.

Just try changing the guest password for starters and see if that saves Ok.

If it does change your device WiFi to the guest network connect to the router and change the main WiFi settings.

[Zouch]

I found Guests in Manage Advanced Settings, but I don't feel confident about messing around in that area.  After 2 days with no internet waiting for the engineer to replace the router, I don't want to *@#][!![]'#[@#]!* anything up.  On the other hand, I don't want to leave my router vulnerable to hackers with the default password.

[Zouch]

I should say that I also tried rebooting the router before doing a factory reset, but the router was still disabled, even though the constant white light was showing.

[Zouch]

When I logged on to the router today, I couldn't see Guest WiFi. 

When I press SAVE after entering a new name or password, it doesn't appear to respond to my clicking on SAVE, but the Enabe/Disable slide moves to disabled and the status becomes disabled.  When I click on the slide to enable, the whirling ring appears and just keeps whirling round endlessly.  The router then remains disabled until I carry out a factory reset.  I've tried changing the name / password separately and together, with the same result.  I'm trying to use the same name and password I had on my old router, which was the earler version of the new one.

[Divsec]

Hi @Zouch in the area where you are trying to change the main SSId/password is where guest WiFi is usually.

A thought, once you have changed the password for WiFi you press save. This will break your connection between device and router. Wh at happens when you change the device SSId to match?

[Zouch]

Thanks for the advice.  I don't have a 10 m ethernet cable in order to connect my pc to the router and don't want to buy one unless I'm sure it will solve the problem.  
How do I enable guest WiFi?

I've tried again today to change the network name and password with the same result.  The router became disabled and refused to enable, so I had to do another factory reset.  I then spent over half an hour on a live chat with Talk Talk, going round in circles and getting nowhere.  The person I was chatting with didn't seem to understand the problem.  She instructed me to change the router password, which I did.  I'm not sure how that was supposed to help.  It didn't.  Then she kept sending me instructions on how to change the wifi name and password.  I know how to do that.  The problem is that it causes the router to become disabled.  I asked what the rules were on characters etc for names and passwords, but this did not appear to be my problem.

[Divsec]

Hi @Zouch the absolute easiest is to connect by ethernet change the password and away you go.

Second best is temporarily enable guest WiFi connect using that to make WiFi changes.