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I need to change the WiFi credentials (SSID and key / password) on my devices. How should I do that?

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There are 4 ways to do this which depend a litte bit on your exact situation.

Since eWeLink 4.6.0 you can change the WiFi credentials for power measurement devices (like the Sonoff POW and several brands SA-001) with firmware 3.5.0 or higher from within the app. Since eWeLink 4.11.0 Sonoff TH10/16’s and RF bridge with firmware 3.5.0 do support this feature too. You need to have a working WiFi connection between your mobile and eWeLink supported device. If you don’t have a working WiFi connection then you can proceed with option 2, 3 or 4.

When the involved device is not a power measurement device and you bought a new router / accesspoint you can use option 2 or 3. When the involved device is not a power measurement device and you had security issues with the old credentials you can use option 4.

Option 1: use the in-app “change WiFi credentials” feature for devices that supports it

In eWeLink 4.6.0 this option works only works with power measurement devices like the Sonoff POW, Sonoff S31, several brands SA-001, etc. with firmware 3.5 or higher. Sonoff TH10/16 and RF Bridge with firmware 3.5.0 do support this too with firmware 3.5.0 and eWeLink 4.11.0. Other devices will follow in the future.

  • Connect your mobile phone to the WiFi network where you want your eWeLink supported device to connect to.
  • Open the settings of the device in the eWeLink app.
  • Scroll down the page and tap on WiFi settings.
  • Tap the networkname the device is currently connected to (only option shown).
  • Check whether the network displayed is the one you are connected to with your mobile.
  • Edit the WiFi password if needed.
  • Tap Save in the upper right corner.
  • Wait a little while untill the network indicator stopped blinking.
  • Your eWeLink supported device is now connected to the new network.

Option 2: reuse your old router

Most routers can be reused as an accesspoint. Modern routers even have features to configure them as accesspoint without a lot off hassle. How you exactly need to connect and configure your old router varies. But below we give some general points of attention. If you want to know some specific information for your router Google the brand and model number of your router for a manual or community information.

More information about the definition of an accesspoint can be found at this Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_access_point

Option 2a: routers without special settings to use it as an accesspoint

This solution is also explained in a Youtube video below (not ours, just a random one). In that video the old router gets connected to the new one before configuring the settings on the old router. The risk of doing that is that you get the wrong IP address send by the new router and that you can’t access the old router in that way. That’s why you are going to disable the DHCP server and why we recommend to first configure the old router and then connect the old router to the new router.

  • Connect your PC or laptop with a LAN cable to one of the LAN ports (mostly numbered 1 to 4) of the old router.
  • On a Windows PC hold the Windows key, press R and release the keys. As analternative you can press the Windows key + S or click the magnifying icon on the taskbar.
  • Type CMD and press the Enter key.
  • Type ipconfig and press Enter.
  • Search for an active Ethernet LAN controller and look which IP-address and gateway IP address it has. Write down the gateway IP address.
  • Open a webbrowser, enter the gateway IP address on the address bar and press enter.
  • Login to your router with the last login credentials set. If you don’t know often a default admin works both username and password. Or admin as username and a empty password. Elsewise: Google is your friend to find the default login credentials. Otherwise: contact the seller/provider/manufacturer of the router.
  • Find and disable the DHCP settings of the router and disable the DHCP server. If possible do not restart the router.
  • Set an unique IP address for the router it self so that you can change other settings when needed in the future.
  • Save the settings.
  • Restart the router if required by the router’s confirmation of saving the settings.
  • Connect the LAN cable on your new router to one of the LAN ports (mostly numbered 1 to 4). Connect the other side of the cable to one of the LAN ports on the old router.
  • If needed login again at the router’s webpage to change WiFi credentials to the same as before.

Option 2b: routers WITH special settings to use it as an accesspoint

  • Connect your PC or laptop with a LAN cable to one of the LAN ports (mostly numbered 1 to 4) of the old router.
  • On a Windows PC hold the Windows key, press R and release the keys. As analternative you can press the Windows key + S or click the magnifying icon on the taskbar.
  • Type CMD and press the Enter key.
  • Type ipconfig and press Enter.
  • Search for an active Ethernet LAN controller and look which IP-address and gateway IP address it has. Write down the gateway IP address.
  • Open a webbrowser, enter the gateway IP address on the address bar and press enter.
  • Login to your router with the last login credentials set. If you don’t know often a default admin works both username and password. Or admin as username and a empty password. Elsewise: Google is your friend to find the default login credentials. Otherwise: contact the seller/provider/manufacturer of the router.
  • Search for a feature to set the operating mode. It can have various names like “Connection thru” “internet mode”, “internet type”, “operation mode”, “operation type”, “WAN setting”, etc. Set the value to something like Internet router as IP client, Accesspoint, Connection thru LAN/WAN, LAN bridge, etc. Read the documentation of your router to be sure which setting to choose. Below is an screenshot of such a setting on an AVM Fritz!box 4040.
  • Mostly a DHCP server will be disabled automatically with the special accesspoint feature of the router but when it didn’t please find and disable the DHCP server settings of the router. If possible do not restart the router.
  • Set an unique IP address for the router it self so that you can change other settings when needed in the future.
  • Save the settings.
  • Restart the router if required by the router’s confirmation of saving the settings.
  • Connect the LAN cable on your new router to one of the LAN ports (mostly numbered 1 to 4). Connect the other side of the cable to one of the LAN ports on the old router. Some routers have the ability to use their WAN port as an uplink or regular LAN port. If that is the case then it is better to use that port to distinguish that cable coming from your new router.
  • If needed login again at the router’s webpage to change WiFi credentials to the same as before.
KB: Change the connection type of an AVM Fritz!box 4040 to operate as an accesspoint
Change the connection type of an AVM Fritz!box 4040 to operate as an accesspoint

Option 3: change router / accesspoint settings of the new router

In your router / accesspoint settings you can change the WiFi SSID (network name) and key (password) to be exactly the same as it was on the old router / accesspoint. Mostly all devices will connect again to the new router / accesspoint. In the case some of them won’t: remove them from the power and after a few seconds power them again. And if that doesn’t help too: follow option 2 below.

Option 4: re-pair the devices without deletion in the eWeLink app

Leave the devices in your current account (so don’t delete them!). Pair the devices in the way you normally would do. All settings will remain in tact. Since eWeLink 4.4.0 it is possible to pair more than 1 device at once with the Add multiple devices options during the pairing process in the app. This help speeding up the process a bit.

This article describes more about what settings are being saved where and what the (dis)advantages are: Where do eWeLink supported devices save what data and what are (dis)advantages of that?

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