TL;DR
Yes, Avast can check your WI-FI password strength using its Network Security Scanner. Here’s how to do it.
How to Check Your WI-FI Password Strength with Avast
- Open Avast: Double-click the Avast icon on your desktop or find it in your Start menu and open the application.
- Navigate to Protection: In the main Avast window, click on the ‘Protection’ tab.
- Select Network Security: Within the Protection tab, choose ‘Network Security’. If you don’t see this option directly, look for a ‘More Scans’ or similar button and find it there.
- Run WI-FI Scanner: Click on ‘Scan Networks’. Avast will start scanning your connected networks (usually just your home WI-FI).
- View Results: After the scan, Avast will display a report showing the security status of your network(s). It will specifically highlight if your password is weak or compromised.
- Change Your Password (If Needed): If Avast flags your WI-FI password as insecure:
- Access your router’s settings. This usually involves typing your router’s IP address into a web browser (e.g., 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1). Check the bottom of your router for this information, or consult your router’s manual.
- Log in to your router using its username and password (often ‘admin’ and ‘password’ by default – change these if you haven’t already!).
- Find the WI-FI settings section (usually under Wireless or Security).
- Change the password to a strong, unique one. A good password should be at least 12 characters long and include a mix of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
- Save your changes. Your devices will need to reconnect using the new password.
Important Notes
- Router Access: You *must* have access to your router’s settings to change the WI-FI password. Avast can only tell you if it’s weak, not change it for you.
- Default Credentials: If you haven’t changed the default username and password on your router, do so immediately! This is a major cyber security risk.
- WPA3: If your router supports WPA3 encryption, enable it for stronger security. Avast will likely indicate this in its scan results.