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Setup WiFi on the Actiontec MI424WR GEN3I

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

The Actiontec MI424WR GEN3I 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.

NordVPN faster than ever deal!

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 Actiontec MI424WR GEN3I Guides

This is the wifi guide for the Actiontec MI424WR GEN3I. 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 Actiontec MI424WR GEN3I

To get started configuring the Actiontec MI424WR GEN3I 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 MI424WR GEN3I, follow our Actiontec MI424WR GEN3I Login Guide.

Find the WiFi Settings on the Actiontec MI424WR GEN3I

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 MI424WR GEN3I router.

Beginning on the Home page of the Actiontec MI424WR-GEN3I router, click the option near the top of the page labeled Wireless Settings. Then in the left sidebar click the option of Basic Security Settings.

Change the WiFi Settings on the Actiontec MI424WR GEN3I

wifi network
This is the wifi network page from your Actiontec MI424WR GEN3I router.

You should now be on the correct page to change the WiFi security settings.

  1. Turn Wireless ON. This should be on if you want to use your network.
  2. Change the SSID setting to any name or code you want. This is your wireless name. The name you want your network to be called. When entering your network name we suggest not using any personal information. For more information on what this is and how to create a good name, check out our guide called Wireless name.
  3. Channel - You can change your network channel if you need to. In the United States there are 11 channels to choose from. Of these 11 channels, there are only three that don't cause interference if everyone use them. We recommend using channel 1,6, or 11. For more information on why you should only use these three channels, check out our guide titled WiFi channels.

That's it for this page. Just click the Apply button near the bottom.

Click the option in the left sidebar labeled Advanced Security Settings.

router wifi security wireless
This is the wifi security page from your Actiontec MI424WR GEN3I router.

This takes you to the page you see here.

  1. Click the radio button labeled WPA2 (An enhanced revision of WPA providing stronger security settings). This is referring to the security of your network. For information on what this is check out our guide called WEP vs. WPA.
  2. This should open up a new space titled Pre-Shared Key or PSK. This is the Internet password. Don't use any personal information. Don't use any words you can find in a dictionary, in any language. Do use symbols, numbers, and capital letters in the middle of the password. For help in creating a strong password that is memorable, check out our guide titled How to Choose a Strong Password.
  3. When you are finished, click the Apply button.

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 Actiontec MI424WR GEN3I Info

Don't forget about our other Actiontec MI424WR GEN3I info that you might be interested in.

This is the wifi guide for the Actiontec MI424WR GEN3I. We also have the following guides for the same router: