The FRITZ 6490 Cable 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 FRITZ 6490 Cable Guides
This is the wifi guide for the FRITZ 6490 Cable. 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 FRITZ 6490 Cable
To get started configuring the FRITZ 6490 Cable WiFi settings you need to login to your router. If you are already logged in you can skip this step.
To login to the FRITZ 6490 Cable, follow our FRITZ 6490 Cable Login Guide.
Find the WiFi Settings on the FRITZ 6490 Cable
If you followed our login guide above then you should see this screen.
Begin by clicking the Wireless option in the left sidebar.
Then be sure the Radio Network option is highlighted.
Change the WiFi Settings on the FRITZ 6490 Cable
This brings us to the Wireless > Radio Network page.
Go to the section titled Radio Network. Enter a new network name in the space labeled Name of the wireless radio network (SSID). Be creative but avoid personal information. Learn more in our Change your Wireless Name guide.
When you are finished click the blue Apply button to save your changes.
Now click the option of Security in the left sidebar.
You should now be on the page you see above. First, put a mark in the radio button that says WPA Encryption (highest security). Learn more about this on our WEP vs. WPA page.
Next, under WPA Encryption choose WPA2 (CCMP).
Then set the Network Key. This is the wireless password. Create a strong password of at least 10 characters with a mix of letters (upper and lowercase), numbers, and symbols. Learn more in our WiFi Channels guide. Learn more about passwords in our Creating a Strong Password guide.
Nothing else needs to be done, simply click the blue Apply button to save your changes.
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 FRITZ 6490 Cable Info
Don't forget about our other FRITZ 6490 Cable info that you might be interested in.
This is the wifi guide for the FRITZ 6490 Cable. We also have the following guides for the same router: