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Setup WiFi on the 2wire 3801HGV

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Setup Router Staff
(Last Updated: ) | Reading Time: 3 minutes

The 2wire 3801HGV 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.

Use a VPN Instead

Have you considered using a VPN instead of forwarding a port? For most users, a VPN is a much simpler and more secure choice than forwarding a port.

We use and recommend NordVPN because not only is it the fastest VPN, it includes a new feature called Meshnet that makes forwarding a port no longer necessary for most applications. With NordVPN Meshnet, you can connect to your devices from anywhere in the world, completely secure, over a highly encrypted VPN tunnel.

When shopping for a VPN, make sure that they meet the following criteria:

  • Your VPN provider should have a no-logs policy. This means that they do not keep any logs of any kind.
  • Make sure that your VPN provider has lots of exit nodes all around the world.
  • Check that your VPN will not affect your speed.
  • Verify that your VPN provider uses WireGuard as the underlying protocol.
  • Many people prefer a VPN provider that is not based in the United States.

This is the list of requirements that we used when we were shopping around for a VPN provider. There are lots of free, shady VPN providers out there that we looked at and dismissed.

Based in Panama, using diskless servers, and with over 6,100 servers in 61 countries, we can safely say that NordVPN satisfies all of these requirements.

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Once you've set up your NordVPN account on multiple computers and enabled Meshnet, you can seamlessly access all of your devices as if they were on the same network. You don't even have to log in to your router. It's very simple.

Every time you click on one of our affiliate links, such as NordVPN, we get a little kickback for introducing you to the service. Think of us as your VPN wingman.

Other 2wire 3801HGV Guides

This is the wifi guide for the 2wire 3801HGV. 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.

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You might notice that most of our site doesn't have ads on it. This is because we use partnerships with companies like NordVPN to keep the site running. Thank you for supporting us by using our referral links.

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 2wire 3801HGV

To get started configuring the 2wire 3801HGV WiFi settings you need to login to your router. If you are already logged in you can skip this step.

To login to the 2wire 3801HGV, follow our 2wire 3801HGV Login Guide.

Find the WiFi Settings on the 2wire 3801HGV

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

router status mac address internet IP
This is the status page from your 2wire 3801HGV router.

This WiFi setup guide begins on the Home page of the 2Wire 3801HGV router.

Click the Settings choice at the top of the page.

Below this a new menu appears. Pick LAN, then Wireless under that.

Change the WiFi Settings on the 2wire 3801HGV

wifi wireless
This is the wifi setup page from your 2wire 3801HGV router.

You should now be on a page that looks like the page above.

The first section is labeled Wireless Interface. Under that is a Wireless Interface drop down box. Make sure this is Enabled. Next is the Wi-Fi Protected Setup. Keep the WPS Disabled. WPS can be cracked very easily.

The next section is called Network. The Network Name (SSID) is the name you give your network. Make sure this name doesn't contain any personal information. Below that is the SSID Broadcast. If you enable this it becomes visible to neighboring networks. If you disable the broadcast it is invisible to the general public but not to hackers with the proper tools. Next is the Wireless Channel. Choose channel 1,6, or 11. These are the three channels that everyone should use to avoid overlapping.

Below that is the Security section. You should by default have your Wireless Security Enabled. Under that is the Authentication Type. WPA2-PSK (AES) is the strongest security for your data at the moment. The other options available are very vulnerable to attack. Next, tick the radio button labeled Use custom Wireless Network Key. This is the password to access your network. Make a strong password. Your password should be as long and random as possible. Don't use any dictionary words or personal information. Make sure to use some symbols, numbers, and capital letters.

Everything else on this page can be left as they are. Simply click the Save button at the bottom of the page.

You did it, congratulations!

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 2wire 3801HGV Info

Don't forget about our other 2wire 3801HGV info that you might be interested in.

This is the wifi guide for the 2wire 3801HGV. We also have the following guides for the same router: