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

Setup WiFi on the Cisco 870 Series

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

The Cisco 870 Series 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 is the fastest VPN!

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 870 Series Guides

This is the wifi guide for the Cisco 870 Series. 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 faster than ever 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 Cisco 870 Series

To get started configuring the Cisco 870 Series 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 870 Series, follow our Cisco 870 Series Login Guide.

Find the WiFi Settings on the Cisco 870 Series

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 Cisco 870 Series router.

You begin on the Status page of the Cisco 870-Series router. To setup the WiFi click the link in the left sidebar labeled Wireless. Then be sure that Basic Settings is chosen.

Change the WiFi Settings on the Cisco 870 Series

wifi wireless
This is the wifi setup page from your Cisco 870 Series router.

You should now be on a page like the one you see above. There are two things that need to be changed on this page.

  • The SSID - This is the name of your network. You should give it a unique name, just avoid anything personal. Using personal information may make you more of a target. For more info on this topic, check out our guide titled Wireless names.
  • The Channel Number - Here you need to be on channel 1,6, or 11. These three channels are the most you can get out of the spectrum without overlap. For more on this topic, click the link titled WiFi Channels.

Finish this page by clicking the Save button.

Next, click the link titled Security in the left sidebar.

router wifi security wireless
This is the wifi security page from your Cisco 870 Series router.

On this page, the things that need to changed are:

  • The Encryption - Use this drop down list to choose the option of WPA2(AES). Click our guide titled WEP vs. WPA for more on this topic.
  • The WPA Authentication Mode should be set to Personal (Pre-Shared Key).
  • We suggest setting the WPA Cipher Suite to AES.
  • The WPA(Pre-Shared Key) Format should be set to Passphrase.
  • The WPA Pre-Shared Key is the password you use to access your network. This needs to be a strong password of at least 20 characters. To learn how to create a strong password that is memorable, click the link titled Choosing a strong password.

That's all there is to it, simply click the Save button and 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 870 Series Info

Don't forget about our other Cisco 870 Series info that you might be interested in.

This is the wifi guide for the Cisco 870 Series. We also have the following guides for the same router: