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Setup WiFi on the Dlink DIR-803

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Setup Router Staff
(Last Updated: ) | Reading Time: 3 minutes

The Dlink DIR-803 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.

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 Dlink DIR-803 Guides

This is the wifi guide for the Dlink DIR-803. 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-803

To get started configuring the Dlink DIR-803 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-803, follow our Dlink DIR-803 Login Guide.

Find the WiFi Settings on the Dlink DIR-803

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 Dlink DIR-803 router.

Once you've logged into the Dlink DIR-803 router you should be taken to the Home page. Start off by clicking Wireless on the left hand side of the page. Then click wlan2(2.4Ghz) located in the left hand sidebar. Then click Basic Settings just beneath that.

Change the WiFi Settings on the Dlink DIR-803

wifi wireless
This is the wifi setup page from your Dlink DIR-803 router.

This brings you to a new page.

Unfortunately we don't have a screenshot of the wlan2(2.4GHz) page, but it's the same as the page displayed above.

Start off by setting an SSID. This will serve as your network identification and can be whatever you want. However, due to security reasons, we strongly recommend avoiding any personal information. To learn more check out our Wireless Names Guide.

After that you'll need to choose a Channel Number. The best options to choose are either 1, 6, or 11. Why are these the best choices? Read our WiFi Channels Guide to find out.

Be sure to save your settings. Now click Security on the left hand side of the page.

router wifi security wireless
This is the wifi security page from your Dlink DIR-803 router.

Begin by opening the Select SSID drop down menu and choosing the SSID you just created.

The Encryption needs to be set to WPA2. Why is this the best option? Check out our WEP vs. WPA Guide to learn more.

Now make sure that the Authentication Mode is set to Personal (Pre-Shared Key). Also be sure to set the WPA2 Cipher Suite is set to AES.

Set the Pre-Shared Key Format to Passphrase.

Lastly you'll need to set a Pre-Shared Key. This will be your network password and can be anything you like. However bear in mind that a strong password consists of no personal information and is 14-20 characters in length. For more helpful hints be sure to take a look at our Choosing a Strong Password Guide.

Congratulations! You're finished. Just be sure to click Apply Changes 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 Dlink DIR-803 Info

Don't forget about our other Dlink DIR-803 info that you might be interested in.

This is the wifi guide for the Dlink DIR-803. We also have the following guides for the same router: