The Arris TG862A 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 TG862A Guides
This is the wifi guide for the Arris TG862A. We also have the following guides for the same router:
- Arris TG862A - How to change the IP Address on a Arris TG862A router
- Arris TG862A - Arris TG862A Login Instructions
- Arris TG862A - Arris TG862A User Manual
- Arris TG862A - How to change the DNS settings on a Arris TG862A router
- Arris TG862A - How to Reset the Arris TG862A
- Arris TG862A - Arris TG862A Screenshots
- Arris TG862A - Information About the Arris TG862A 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 TG862A
To get started configuring the Arris TG862A 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 TG862A, follow our Arris TG862A Login Guide.
Find the WiFi Settings on the Arris TG862A
If you followed our login guide above then you should see this screen.
You are placed on the System Basic Setup page of the Arris TG862A router. This is the correct page to be on in order to change the configuration of your wireless settings.
Change the WiFi Settings on the Arris TG862A
On this page the first thing you need to change is the Wireless Network Name (SSID). This is referring to the name that identifies your network from others around you. This should be changed. Create an original name but don't use any personal information here. For help on this subject, check out our guide titled Wireless name.
Next is the Broadcast Network Name (SSID). If you leave this checked then you are visible to the surrounding networks. If you choose to uncheck this box, your network is now hidden from the surrounding networks, but not necessarily to a hacker with the right scanning tools.
Scroll down a little farther and you can find the Channel. You should make sure you are on either channel 1,6, or channel 11. In the United States there are 11 channels you can choose from but there is only room in the spectrum for three channels that do not overlap each other, channels 1,6, and 11. For more information on this subject, check out our guide titled WiFi channels.
Going down the page a little farther find the Security Mode. This is referring to the type of security you want for your wireless network. The newest and strongest is WPA2-PSK. For a great guide on the differences in the security modes, check out our guide titled WEP vs. WPA.
Next is the Encryption Algorithm. Basically the router is asking how do you want to encrypt your information that you are sending over the air waves. There are two choices. TKIP has some pretty bad flaws, and AES is so far considered uncrackable. We recommend AES.
The last thing that you need to change is the Pre-Shared Key. This is the PSK part of the WPA2-PSK. The Pre-Shared Key is the password the the router uses to allow access to the network. This password should be quite strong. Use a password that is at least 20 characters long. Avoid using personal information in this password. Avoid using any words that could be found in a dictionary. We do recommend adding some symbols, numbers, and capital letters somewhere in the password. It can be a lot of fun creating a strong password, if you want more help, check out our guide, How to choose a strong password.
You are finished, just don't forget to click the Apply button before you exit.
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 TG862A Info
Don't forget about our other Arris TG862A info that you might be interested in.
This is the wifi guide for the Arris TG862A. We also have the following guides for the same router:
- Arris TG862A - How to change the IP Address on a Arris TG862A router
- Arris TG862A - Arris TG862A Login Instructions
- Arris TG862A - Arris TG862A User Manual
- Arris TG862A - How to change the DNS settings on a Arris TG862A router
- Arris TG862A - How to Reset the Arris TG862A
- Arris TG862A - Arris TG862A Screenshots
- Arris TG862A - Information About the Arris TG862A Router