Setup WiFi on the Arris DG950

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Setup Router Staff
(Last Updated: ) | Reading Time: 4 minutes

The Arris DG950 router is considered a wireless router because it offers WiFi connectivity. WiFi, or simply wireless, allows you to connect various devices to your router, such as wireless printers, smart televisions, and WiFi enabled smartphones.

Other Arris DG950 Guides

This is the wifi guide for the Arris DG950. We also have the following guides for the same router:

WiFi Terms

Before we get started there is a little bit of background info that you should be familiar with.

Wireless Name

Your wireless network needs to have a name to uniquely identify it from other wireless networks. If you are not sure what this means we have a guide explaining what a wireless name is that you can read for more information.

Wireless Password

An important part of securing your wireless network is choosing a strong password.

Wireless Channel

Picking a WiFi channel is not always a simple task. Be sure to read about WiFi channels before making the choice.

Encryption

You should almost definitely pick WPA2 for your networks encryption. If you are unsure, be sure to read our WEP vs WPA guide first.

Login To The Arris DG950

To get started configuring the Arris DG950 WiFi settings you need to login to your router. If you are already logged in you can skip this step.

To login to the Arris DG950, follow our Arris DG950 Login Guide.

Find the WiFi Settings on the Arris DG950

If you followed our login guide above then you should see this screen.

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This is the status page from your Arris DG950 router.

Beginning on the System Settings page of the Arris DG950 router, click the link at the very top of the page labeled Wireless. Then, click Basic Setup on the left side of the page.

Change the WiFi Settings on the Arris DG950

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This is the general page from your Arris DG950 router.

You should now be on the System Basic Setup page.

The first thing you should change is Wireless Network Name (SSID). This is the name that you use to identify your network from those around you. This should be an original name but don't include any personal information. If you need more information on this subject, check out our guide titled Wireless names.

Just below that is the Broadcast Network Name (SSID). If you choose to leave this box checked, then your network is visible to surrounding networks. If you decide to uncheck this box, your network is hidden from surrounding networks but not necessarily from a hacker with the proper scanning tools. Broadcasting your SSID is a preference not a security feature.

Next is the Channel. Just like your radio or television you can change the channel for your wireless network. In the United States there are 11 channels to choose from. Of these 11 channels there is only room in the spectrum for three channels that do not overlap each other, channels 1,6, and 11. Choose from one of these channels. For more information on WiFi channels check out our guide on the topic.

Scroll a little farther down and you can find the drop down box titled Security Mode. Use the drop down menu to choose WPA2-PSK. WPA2 is the strongest security protocol available today. For more information on the differences in the protocols, click the link titled WEP vs. WPA.

Under that is the Encryption Algorithm. This goes along with the WPA2-PSK. The router is asking you how you want to encrypt your data. Do you want to use TKIP or AES. We recommend AES. AES has not been cracked and is considered uncrackable with today's technology. TKIP has been cracked and has some flaws.

Next, you need to create a Pre-Shared Key. This is the PSK part of the WPA2-PSK. This is the password you will use to access your network. This needs to be strong and seemingly random. Create a password of at least 20 characters. Don't use personal information. Don't use any word that you could find in a dictionary. Do use symbols, numbers, and capital letters. If this seems daunting, check out our guide on the topic titled How to choose a strong password. Creating a strong password can be a lot of fun.

Finish by clicking the Apply button at the bottom of the page. That's it, you did it!

Possible Problems when Changing your WiFi Settings

After making these changes to your router you will almost definitely have to reconnect any previously connected devices. This is usually done at the device itself and not at your computer.

Other Arris DG950 Info

Don't forget about our other Arris DG950 info that you might be interested in.

This is the wifi guide for the Arris DG950. We also have the following guides for the same router: