Setup WiFi on the Actiontec MI424WR

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Setup Router Staff
(Last Updated: ) | Reading Time: 5 minutes

The Actiontec MI424WR 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 Actiontec MI424WR Guides

This is the wifi guide for the Actiontec MI424WR Rev.C. 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

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

Find the WiFi Settings on the Actiontec MI424WR

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 router.

The wireless setup guide for the Actiontec M1424-WR-Rev-C router starts on the Main page. To begin configuring your wireless settings, click the Wireless Settings icon near the top of the page. From there, click Basic Security Settings.

Change the WiFi Settings on the Actiontec MI424WR

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

You should now be on the page you see here.

Start off by setting the Wireless option to On.

Now for the SSID. This will serve as your network identification and can be anything you like. However, due to security reasons, we strongly recommend that you avoid any personal information. For more on this subject, take a look at our Wireless Names Guide.

Following that you'll need to set the Channel. This should be set to either 1, 6, or 11. Why is this important? Read our WiFi Channels Guide to find out.

Lastly for this page, make sure that WEP is set to Off. Want to know why? Check out our WEP vs. WPA Guide.

That's all here. Just be sure to click Apply before moving on.

Now click Advanced Security Settings located on the left hand side of the page.

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

On this new page select the WPA2 (An enhanced revision of WPA providing stronger security settings) option.

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

This opens a new section.

Begin by setting the Authentication Method to Pre-Shared Key.

After that you'll need to set a Pre-Shared Key. This will be your network password and can be whatever you want. However, bear in mind a strong password consists of 14-20 characters and contains no personal information. For more helpful tips, check out our Choosing a Strong Password Guide.

Finally, set the Encryption Algorithm to AES.

Congratulations! You're done. Just don't forget to click Apply before leaving the page.

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 Info

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

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