The Dlink DIR-857 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-857 Guides
This is the wifi guide for the Dlink DIR-857. 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-857
To get started configuring the Dlink DIR-857 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-857, follow our Dlink DIR-857 Login Guide.
Find the WiFi Settings on the Dlink DIR-857
If you followed our login guide above then you should see this screen.
On this new page click the option of SETUP at the top of the page. Then look in the left sidebar. Choose the option of WIRELESS SETTINGS.
Change the WiFi Settings on the Dlink DIR-857
This takes you to a page similar to the one seen above. Click the bottom option titled Manual Wireless Connection Setup.
On this page click the option to Enable Wireless.
Then in the box labeled Wireless Network Name enter a new name for your network. This name is how you identify your network. Do not use personal or router specific information in the network name. Learn more in our How to Change your Wireless Name guide.
If you are interested in changing your channel you can do that now. Deselect the option of Enable Auto Channel Scan. Then in the Wireless Channel drop down menu choose the channel you want to use. We recommend using channels 1,6 or 11 only. Find out more in our WiFi Channels guide.
Next, drop down to the Security Mode. Use the drop down list available to choose the security you want to use. I recommend using WPA-Personal.
At this point some new options should appear. Set the WPA Mode to WPA2 Only. This is the strongest security available to date. Learn what this means and your other options in our WEP vs. WPA guide.
Next, set the Cipher Type to AES.
Finally set the Pre-Shared Key. This is the network password. Make sure to use at least 14 characters here. Don't forget to include some symbols, numbers, and letters in this new password. It is important that this password be strong. The more random a password appears the stronger it will be. For more help check out our Choosing a Strong Password guide.
That's it, just don't forget to save your settings before you exit.
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-857 Info
Don't forget about our other Dlink DIR-857 info that you might be interested in.
This is the wifi guide for the Dlink DIR-857. We also have the following guides for the same router: