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Setup WiFi on the Actiontec GT784WNV

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Setup Router Staff
(Last Updated: ) | Reading Time: 6 minutes

The Actiontec GT784WNV 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 Actiontec GT784WNV Guides

This is the wifi guide for the Actiontec GT784WNV MTS. 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 Actiontec GT784WNV

To get started configuring the Actiontec GT784WNV WiFi settings you need to login to your router. If you are already logged in you can skip this step.

To login to the Actiontec GT784WNV, follow our Actiontec GT784WNV Login Guide.

Find the WiFi Settings on the Actiontec GT784WNV

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 Actiontec GT784WNV router.

You should see a screen with a bunch of options running along the top of the page. Click the one labeled Wireless Setup.

Change the WiFi Settings on the Actiontec GT784WNV

wifi wireless
This is the wifi setup page from your Actiontec GT784WNV router.

This takes you to a page similar to the one above. On this page you can:

  1. Turn the WiFi on and off
  2. Change the WiFi name
  3. Change whether or not your WiFi name is broadcast.
  4. Change the channel your WiFi is broadcasting on.

You want the WiFi turned on, so make sure 1. Set the wireless radio state is set to Enable.

It can be a lot of fun to change the wireless name. It is also a lot easier to recognize your WiFi connection if you have it personalized. To do this change what is written in 2. Change the network name (optional).

Tip: For safety reasons do not use your name or important information in your network name. To learn more read my How to Change your Wireless Name page.

If you want to change whether or not your WiFi name is broadcast do that next. Use 3. Set SSID broadcast to either broadcast or hide. I personally recommend leaving it to broadcast. Some say that hiding is better because it gives your wireless connection a little more security through obscurity. This is true however there is a lot of software out there that can detect hidden connections just as easily as not. Hiding your WiFi connection does not make your connection any more secure.

The last setting you can change on this page is the channel. You can do this by opening up the drop down list under 4. Change network channel and pick from channels 1,6 or 11. If you live in close proximity to other wireless connections (neighbors) you may be partially sharing a channel with them. Wireless channels take up 5 channels each. You need to either be on the other end of the channel spectrum then your neighbors or on the exact same channel. Partial sharing causes the most interference. Everyone should be using channels 1,6, or 11 to be polite and cause the least amount of interference for both you and the one you are partially sharing with. More information on this topic can be found on my page titled WiFi Channels.

When you are finished click the Apply button to save your changes.

Now let's secure your wireless connection. To do this click the option in the left sidebar labeled Wireless Security.

router wifi security wireless
This is the wifi security page from your Actiontec GT784WNV router.

On this page we will:

  1. Choose the WiFi connection you are going to changing the security to.
  2. Choose the type of security you want for your wireless connection.
  3. Pick the type of encryption you want to use.
  4. And finally, create a strong WiFi password.

First, we need to make sure the WiFi name is in the drop down box below 1. Select the SSID (Network Name). Go ahead and open up the drop down list and pick the WiFi name or network name you created on the last page.

The next step is titled 2. Select security type. Open up the drop down list next to Security Type and pick the option you want. This router has 5 options. In order of least secure to most secure they are: Security Off, WEP, WPA-Personal, WPA - WPA2-Personal and WPA2-Personal. I strongly recommend using WPA2-Personal This is the most up to date security type available. Learn more on my WEP vs. WPA page.

Now you need to pick the style of encryption. Open up the drop down list under 3. Select encryption type. You have the option of Both, AES, and TKIP. The strongest encryption available today is AES.

Last, but definitely not least is the 4. Enter security key/passphrase. This is your WiFi password. I strongly recommend creating a secure password. To help you with this step I have written the page titled Choosing a Strong Password.

When you are finished, click the Apply button to save your changes.

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 Actiontec GT784WNV Info

Don't forget about our other Actiontec GT784WNV info that you might be interested in.

This is the wifi guide for the Actiontec GT784WNV MTS. We also have the following guides for the same router: