The Dlink DIR-524 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.
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-524 Guides
This is the wifi guide for the Dlink DIR-524. 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 Dlink DIR-524
To get started configuring the Dlink DIR-524 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-524, follow our Dlink DIR-524 Login Guide.
Find the WiFi Settings on the Dlink DIR-524
If you followed our login guide above then you should see this screen.
We begin this guide on the Home page of the Dlink DIR-524 router. To change your wireless network settings click Wireless Settings on the left hand side of the page.
Change the WiFi Settings on the Dlink DIR-524
This brings you to the page shown above.
Start off by setting a new Wireless Network Name. This can be whatever you want it to be, however, due to security reasons we strongly recommend avoiding the use of any personal information. For more on this topic visit our Wireless Names Guide.
Following that open the drop down menu labeled Wireless Channel and choose either 1, 6, or 11. Why are these options the best ones? Read our WiFi Channels Guide.
Next you'll need to set the Security Mode to WPA2-PSK. This will provide you with the strongest security. Check out our WEP vs. WPA Guide for more info.
After choosing the correct security mode option a new option should become available. This should be labeled Password, Passphrase, or Pre-Shared Key. This will serve as your network password and can be anything you like. However keep in mind that a strong password is 14-20 characters in length and includes no personal information. For more help take a look at our Choosing a Strong Password Guide.
That's it! You're finished. Just don't forget to click Save Settings near the top of 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 Dlink DIR-524 Info
Don't forget about our other Dlink DIR-524 info that you might be interested in.
This is the wifi guide for the Dlink DIR-524. We also have the following guides for the same router: