Home Wi-Fi and Devices Register

Who this is for

The household network, written down. The router, the provider and the network name at the top — with a line for where the password is kept, never the password itself — and underneath, every phone, laptop, console and smart plug in the house with who uses it, its serial number and when its warranty runs out.

The person who gets asked 'what is the Wi-Fi password' and 'is my laptop still under warranty' — and the rest of the household on the day that person is not there.

What this helps you track

• The network name, router location and the provider's support line, in one place
• Every device in the house, who uses it and its make, model and serial number
• When each device was bought and when its warranty ends
• Which devices are on the network, for the day one of them misbehaves
• What to hand to an insurer or the police if something is stolen

How to use it

1. Fill the network details at the top: the network name, where the password is written (a card in the drawer, a password manager, the back of the router) and where the router lives.
2. Write the provider, your account reference and the support number from a bill, so nobody has to find the bill during an outage.
3. Add one row per device — phones, tablets, laptops, consoles, TVs, printers, speakers, cameras, smart plugs — with who uses it and the make and model.
4. Copy the serial number from the device or its box. The MAC or IP column is optional; fill it if you manage the router yourself.
5. Enter the date bought and the warranty end date from the receipt, and note where the receipt is.
6. Update the sheet when a device arrives or leaves; the browser version keeps it in your own browser and prints a fresh copy.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

Why is there no space for the Wi-Fi password?

Because this sheet may be printed, left in a drawer and shown to a visitor. It records where the password is kept, so the right person can find it, and nothing more. The same goes for the router's admin login.

What is the MAC or IP column for?

A MAC address is the fixed identifier of a device's network adapter; an IP address is what the router gives it. Both help if you are setting up parental controls, a guest network or working out which device is hogging the connection. Leave it blank if that means nothing to you.

How is this different from the accounts and logins record?

That sheet is about accounts — services, usernames and where each password lives. This one is about hardware: the box on the shelf and the things connected to it. A laptop goes here; the email account on it goes there.

Do I include the children's devices?

Yes, and it is worth doing: they are the ones most often lost, dropped and out of warranty. Put the child's name in the 'used by' column so the row is easy to find.