Setup Router logo in white Setup router name logo in white
Get Software

Setup WiFi on the Asus RT-AC87U

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

The Asus RT-AC87U 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 Asus RT-AC87U Guides

This is the wifi guide for the Asus RT-AC87U 3.0.0.4.378_5134. 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.

NordVPN is the fastest VPN deal!

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 Asus RT-AC87U

To get started configuring the Asus RT-AC87U WiFi settings you need to login to your router. If you are already logged in you can skip this step.

To login to the Asus RT-AC87U, follow our Asus RT-AC87U Login Guide.

Find the WiFi Settings on the Asus RT-AC87U

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 Asus RT-AC87U router.

This wireless setup guide begins on the Network Map of the Asus RT-AC87U router. Start out by clicking Wireless beneath Advanced Settings.

Change the WiFi Settings on the Asus RT-AC87U

wifi wireless
This is the wifi setup page from your Asus RT-AC87U router.

This takes you to a new page.

Be sure that the Band is set to 2/4GHz.

We'll start by setting an SSID. This will serve as your network identification and can be whatever you like. For more information, take a look at our Wireless Names Guide.

Now open the drop down menu marked Control Channel and set it to either 1, 6, or 11. To learn why these are the best options, see our WiFi Channels Guide.

After that, make sure that the Authentication Method is set to WPA2-Personal. This will provide you with the strongest security. For more info, check out our WEP vs. WPA Guide.

Following that, set the WPA Encryption to AES.

Finally, enter your desired network password into the box labeled WPA Pre-Shared Key. A strong password can be difficult to think up on your own, so we've created a Choosing a Strong Password Guide to help you out.

That's all there is to do. 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 Asus RT-AC87U Info

Don't forget about our other Asus RT-AC87U info that you might be interested in.

This is the wifi guide for the Asus RT-AC87U 3.0.0.4.378_5134. We also have the following guides for the same router: