I'm on firmware V2.7.4.24. I'm using WPA2-PSK security for the wireless network and have been using a password with special characters since I first set it up.I just tried to enable the guest network for use with IoT appliances, to isolate them from the main network. I set the security to WPA2-PSK but it doesn't allow special characters, not even spaces.I tried to copy the main channel's password to the guest network (pointless, I know) but it won't use even that. Why can I use special characters in the main wireless network but not in the guest network? That makes no sense.

I used to have special characters in wifi passwords, but didn't try to change passwords recently.If you tried this and you're sure that it does not work for the guest network, then my only explanation (just a guess) would be that: Not all WiFi capable devices (such as various smart accessories and gadgets) support spaces and and few of them not even support special characters in wifi passwords! In your main network you know your devices and have control over them, but in a typical guest network your guests can have any type of device that can happen not to support special characters (mainly spaces which is tricky for many devices).

Are you saying Netgear disabled special characters because not all clients allow them?

SomebodyInGNV wrote: I just tried to enable the guest network for use with IoT appliances, to isolate them from the main network. I set the security to WPA2-PSK but it doesn't allow special characters, not even spaces. Perhaps it would be helpful to explain which special characters have been tried. Just now, I changed the guest password on my RBR50, with firmware v2.7.4.24 (latest) to PhantomX to Phantom? After the frustratingly long reset period, I logged onto the guest network. No problem. I suspect "something else".

My main network password contains spaces and a hyphen. It works fine with WPA2-PSK. I copied and pasted to the guest network, also set to WPA2-PSK. Attempts to apply it fail. A pop-up message says "A passphrase consists of either 8-63 ASCII characters or exactly 64 hex digits. A hex digit is one of these characters: 0, 1, 2, …, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E F." I also tried typing the same password in case copy/paste somehow introduces a problem. That didn't work, either.

SomebodyInGNV wrote: My main network password contains spaces and a hyphen. Very puzzling. I have now changed the Guest WiFi password to: Phantom-? (hyphen and ?) Phantom ? (space and ?) Both "take" and a tablet can connect to the Guest WiFi network using the current password. My conclusion is thus that in the case of my Orbi, Netgear has not forbidden "special characters" in the Guest network password. I could continue experimenting with more spaces, more hyphens, space at the beginning or end, etc. etc. Since it is unlikely that I will stumble across your guest WiFi, would you mind providing the exact password so that I can test it on my Orbi?

RBR20 Orbi guest network doesn't allow special characters?

18 Replies

ekhalil
Master
Aug 22, 2022
I used to have special characters in wifi passwords, but didn't try to change passwords recently.
If you tried this and you're sure that it does not work for the guest network, then my only explanation (just a guess) would be that: Not all WiFi capable devices (such as various smart accessories and gadgets) support spaces and and few of them not even support special characters in wifi passwords! In your main network you know your devices and have control over them, but in a typical guest network your guests can have any type of device that can happen not to support special characters (mainly spaces which is tricky for many devices).
- SomebodyInGNV
  Guide
  Aug 22, 2022
  Are you saying Netgear disabled special characters because not all clients allow them?
CrimpOn
Guru
Aug 22, 2022
SomebodyInGNV wrote:

I just tried to enable the guest network for use with IoT appliances, to isolate them from the main network. I set the security to WPA2-PSK but it doesn't allow special characters, not even spaces.

Perhaps it would be helpful to explain which special characters have been tried.

Just now, I changed the guest password on my RBR50, with firmware v2.7.4.24 (latest) to PhantomX to Phantom?

After the frustratingly long reset period, I logged onto the guest network. No problem.

I suspect "something else".
- SomebodyInGNV
  Guide
  Aug 22, 2022
  My main network password contains spaces and a hyphen. It works fine with WPA2-PSK. I copied and pasted to the guest network, also set to WPA2-PSK. Attempts to apply it fail. A pop-up message says "A passphrase consists of either 8-63 ASCII characters or exactly 64 hex digits. A hex digit is one of these characters: 0, 1, 2, …, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E F." I also tried typing the same password in case copy/paste somehow introduces a problem. That didn't work, either.
  - CrimpOn
    Guru
    Aug 22, 2022
    SomebodyInGNV wrote:
    
    My main network password contains spaces and a hyphen.
    
    Very puzzling. I have now changed the Guest WiFi password to:
    
    Phantom-? (hyphen and ?)
    
    Phantom ? (space and ?)
    
    Both "take" and a tablet can connect to the Guest WiFi network using the current password.
    
    My conclusion is thus that in the case of my Orbi, Netgear has not forbidden "special characters" in the Guest network password.
    
    I could continue experimenting with more spaces, more hyphens, space at the beginning or end, etc. etc. Since it is unlikely that I will stumble across your guest WiFi, would you mind providing the exact password so that I can test it on my Orbi?

Forum Discussion

RBR20 Orbi guest network doesn't allow special characters?