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Setup WiFi on the Dlink DIR-450

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

The Dlink DIR-450 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.

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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 Dlink DIR-450 Guides

This is the wifi guide for the Dlink DIR-450. 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 Dlink DIR-450

To get started configuring the Dlink DIR-450 WiFi settings you need to login to your router. If you are already logged in you can skip this step.

To login to the Dlink DIR-450, follow our Dlink DIR-450 Login Guide.

Find the WiFi Settings on the Dlink DIR-450

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

router setup
This is the setup page from your Dlink DIR-450 router.

To configure the WiFi settings on the Dlink DIR-450, you begin on the INTERNET CONNECTION page. From there, click the link in the left sidebar titled WIRELESS SETTINGS. You may then need to click the option near the bottom labeled Manual Configure.

Change the WiFi Settings on the Dlink DIR-450

wifi wireless
This is the wifi setup page from your Dlink DIR-450 router.

This takes you to a page like the one you see here. First, make sure that the Enable Wireless box is checked.

Then, under that, is the Wireless Network Name. This is the name you create to identify your network from the others around you. Be creative, but avoid using personal information. To learn more about this, read our guide titled Wireless Names.

If you want to change the Wireless Channel you have to uncheck the box labeled Enable Auto Channel Scan. Then go back up to the Wireless Channel pull-down list and choose from channels 1,6, and 11. These three channels do not overlap one another. To learn why you should only use these three channels, read our WiFi Channels Guide.

Go to the next section titled WIRELESS SECURITY MODE and choose the option of Enable WPA2-Personal Security. To learn the differences in the security modes, read our WEP vs. WPA Guide.

A new box should appear at this point titled WPA Personal. Use the Cipher Type to choose from TKIP or AES. Our recommendation is AES, it is considered very strong.

Next is the PSK/EAP. Select PSK from the pull down list.

After that is the Passphrase. This is the password you use to gain access to your network. Make sure that this password is at least 14-20 characters in length. This password should contain some numbers, symbols, and letters. To learn more about this topic, read the guide titled Choosing a Strong Password Guide.

Re-type this password in the Confirmed Passphrase box.

Click the Save Settings 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 Dlink DIR-450 Info

Don't forget about our other Dlink DIR-450 info that you might be interested in.

This is the wifi guide for the Dlink DIR-450. We also have the following guides for the same router: