Setup WiFi on the Cisco Linksys E1550

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

The Cisco Linksys E1550 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 Cisco Linksys E1550 Guides

This is the wifi guide for the Cisco Linksys E1550. 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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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 Cisco Linksys E1550

To get started configuring the Cisco Linksys E1550 WiFi settings you need to login to your router. If you are already logged in you can skip this step.

To login to the Cisco Linksys E1550, follow our Cisco Linksys E1550 Login Guide.

Find the WiFi Settings on the Cisco Linksys E1550

If you followed our login guide above then you should see this screen.

router setup
This is the setup page from your Cisco Linksys E1550 router.

You begin on the Basic Setup page of the Cisco Linksys-E1550 router. To configure the WiFi settings, click the link titled Wireless. Then, below that choose Basic Wireless Settings.

Change the WiFi Settings on the Cisco Linksys E1550

wifi wireless
This is the wifi setup page from your Cisco Linksys E1550 router.

On this page the first option is Manual or Wi-Fi Protected Setup. We highly recommend avoiding Wi-Fi Protected Setup because it is quite easy to crack. Click the radio dot labeled Manual. Please read our guide titled What is WPS for more information.

Next is the Network Mode. This is referring to the age of the wireless devices you plan on using to access this network. Most people have mixed ages of devices, so click the option of Mixed.

After that is the Network Name (SSID). This is the name you give your network so you can identify it later on. We recommend not using any personal information in this name. For more on this topic, click the link titled Wireless names.

Beneath that is the Channel Width. We recommend using Auto (20MHz or 40MHz).

Now we come to the Channel. Be sure you are on channel 1,6, or 11. These three channels are the most you can get out of the wireless spectrum with out overlap. Overlap causes a lot of interference. For more on this topic, click the link titled WiFi Channels.

The last thing on this page that you may want to change is the SSID Broadcast. If you want to camouflage your network name, click the link titled Disabled. Remember that this only hides your name from your neighbors. If someone is intent on cracking your network, they can still find it with the right program.

Click the Save Settings button in the blue bar at the bottom of the page.

Then, click the option at the top of the page labeled Wireless Security.

router wifi security wireless
This is the wifi security page from your Cisco Linksys E1550 router.

On this page, change the Security Mode to WPA2 Personal. To learn why this is the best and most secure option, click the link titled WEP vs. WPA.

The other option on this page is the Passphrase. This is the password you use to access your network. It needs to be a strong password. Don't use any personal information in this password, it is much easier to guess. Don't use any real words either, these are cracked quickly. A strong password has at least 20 characters. It also has at least one symbol, number, and capital letter. To learn how to create a strong and memorable password, read our guide titled Choosing a strong password.

Click the Save Settings button when you are finished.

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 Cisco Linksys E1550 Info

Don't forget about our other Cisco Linksys E1550 info that you might be interested in.

This is the wifi guide for the Cisco Linksys E1550. We also have the following guides for the same router: