Setup WiFi on the Dlink DIR-815

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

The Dlink DIR-815 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 Dlink DIR-815 Guides

This is the wifi guide for the Dlink DIR-815. 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.

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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-815

To get started configuring the Dlink DIR-815 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-815, follow our Dlink DIR-815 Login Guide.

Find the WiFi Settings on the Dlink DIR-815

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

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This is the general page from your Dlink DIR-815 router.

This WiFi guide starts on the INTERNET CONNECTION page of the Dlink DIR-815 router. From here, click the link in the left sidebar labeled WIRELESS SETTINGS.

Change the WiFi Settings on the Dlink DIR-815

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This is the wifi setup page from your Dlink DIR-815 router.

You are taken to a page where at the bottom of the page you need to click the button labeled Manual Wireless Network Setup. This takes you to the WIRELESS NETWORK page.

On this page, the first section is titled WI-FI PROTECTED SETUP(ALSO CALLED WCN 2.0 IN WINDOWS VISTA). Also known as WPS, this is a very insecure option for connecting to the internet. Do not use WPS. To learn more about this, read our What is WPS Guide.

The next section is called WIRELESS NETWORK SETTINGS. Find the box labeled Wireless Network Name. This is the name you create for your local network so you can identify it later. Be creative, just don't use personal information. To learn more about this topic, read our Wireless Names Guide.

To change the Wireless Channel, you will need to uncheck the box marked Enable Auto Channel Selection. Then, below that, in the drop-down menu titled Wireless Channel choose the channel you want to be on. Make sure to only use channels 1,6, or 11. To know why you should only be using these three channels, read our WiFi Channels Guide.

Scroll down to the next section titled WIRELESS SECURITY MODE. In this section use the drop down menu titled Security Mode to choose the right security for your network. Our recommendation is the use of Enable WPA2 Only Wireless Security (enhanced). This is the most secure option. If you want to know more about the different security modes, read our WEP vs. WPA Guide.

The Cipher Type should be set to AES for the best encryption.

Next, select PSK, from the drop down menu of PSK/EAP.

Under that is the Network Key. This is referring to the password. This password should be at least 14-20 characters in length with a mix of letters, symbols, and numbers. Read our Choosing a Strong Password Guide for more information on this topic.

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 Dlink DIR-815 Info

Don't forget about our other Dlink DIR-815 info that you might be interested in.

This is the wifi guide for the Dlink DIR-815. We also have the following guides for the same router: