Setup WiFi on the Dlink DIR-860L

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

The Dlink DIR-860L 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-860L Guides

This is the wifi guide for the Dlink DIR-860L. 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-860L

To get started configuring the Dlink DIR-860L 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-860L, follow our Dlink DIR-860L Login Guide.

Find the WiFi Settings on the Dlink DIR-860L

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

router setup
This is the setup page from your Dlink DIR-860L router.

You begin on the Home page of the Dlink DIR-860L router. To configure the WiFi settings, click the link on the left side of the page labeled WIRELESS SETTINGS.

Change the WiFi Settings on the Dlink DIR-860L

wifi wireless
This is the wifi setup page from your Dlink DIR-860L router.

This takes you to a new page where you need to click the button near the bottom labeled Manual Wireless Connection Setup.

wifi wireless
This is the wifi setup page from your Dlink DIR-860L router.

You are then directed to a page like the one you see here.

  • Find the Wireless Network Name box. This is the name you create to identify your network. Go ahead and be creative, but avoid personal information. To learn more about wireless names, read our guide by clicking this link.
  • Next, locate the Wireless Channel pull-down menu. You can change the channel by unchecking the box titled Enable Auto Channel Scan. Then, using the pull-down menu next to Wireless Channel, select the channel you wish to be on. Be sure you are using channels 1,6, or 11. To learn why you should only use these three channels, read our guide titled WiFi Channels.
  • Scroll down to the Security Mode and choose the option of WPA-Personal. To learn the differences in the security modes, read our guide on the topic titled WEP vs. WPA.
  • In the WPA Mode box, enter the choice of WPA2 Only for a more secure network.
  • The Cipher Type should be set to the best encryption, AES.
  • After that, you need to change the Pre-Shared Key. This is the password you use to access your home network. We recommend using some symbols, numbers, and letters. This password should be at least 14-20 characters in length. To learn more, read our guide on this subject by clicking this link.
  • When you are finished with these settings, click the Save Settings button at the bottom or 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-860L Info

Don't forget about our other Dlink DIR-860L info that you might be interested in.

This is the wifi guide for the Dlink DIR-860L. We also have the following guides for the same router: