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

Have you considered using a VPN when you connect to the internet? A VPN is a great way to increase your security and anonymity while surfing.

We use and recommend NordVPN because not only is it the fastest VPN, it includes a new feature called Meshnet that makes securely sharing your home network super simple. 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.D. 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.

Don't forget to sign up for NordVPN's promo deal before it's gone.

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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.

Starting on the Home page of the Actiontec MI424-WR-Rev-D router, click the link at the top of the page labeled Wireless Settings. Then to the left of the page, click Basic Security Settings.

Change the WiFi Settings on the Actiontec MI424WR

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

You should now be on the page you see here.

  1. Turn Wireless ON. This should by default be turned On. Be sure it is on.
  2. Change the SSID setting to any name or code you want. This is the name of your wireless network. You can call it anything you want. It just identifies your network from those around you. We recommend not using any personal information in this name. Personal information would point to you and a potential hacker may decide to choose your network to hack because they may then use other personal information to try and guess your password. Go ahead and enter your wireless name in the box labeled SSID. For more information on this, check out our guide titled wireless name.
  3. Channel - You can change the channel your WiFi sends information on if you think you can get better reception. In the United States there are only 11 channels you can choose from. Due to overlapping channel problems, there are only three of those 11 channels that everyone should use. Choose from channel 1,6, and 11. For more information on why you should only use one of these three channels, check out our guide on the subject titled WiFi channels.
  4. Click on the button next to WPA-PSK. This refers to the security you use to secure your WiFi transmissions. Go ahead and click the WPA-PSK button. For more information on the different security protocols, check out our guide on the subject titled WEP vs. WPA.
  5. Select WPA-PSK String. This is the password for your network. It is extremely important to make this strong and random. The password should not contain anything that may be easy to guess. For instance, do not include any personal information. Do not include any word found in any dictionary. Do use symbols, numbers, and capital letters within the password. This password should be as long as you can make it and still be memorable. For help in creating a strong and memorable password check out our guide, how to choose a strong password.
  6. When you are finished on this page, go ahead and click the Apply button.

That's it, you are done!

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.D. We also have the following guides for the same router: