The GMesh GM-501 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 GMesh GM-501 Guides
This is the wifi guide for the GMesh GM-501. We also have the following guides for the same router:
- GMesh GM-501 - How to change the IP Address on a GMesh GM-501 router
- GMesh GM-501 - GMesh GM-501 User Manual
- GMesh GM-501 - GMesh GM-501 Login Instructions
- GMesh GM-501 - How to change the DNS settings on a GMesh GM-501 router
- GMesh GM-501 - How to Reset the GMesh GM-501
- GMesh GM-501 - GMesh GM-501 Screenshots
- GMesh GM-501 - Information About the GMesh GM-501 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 GMesh GM-501
To get started configuring the GMesh GM-501 WiFi settings you need to login to your router. If you are already logged in you can skip this step.
To login to the GMesh GM-501, follow our GMesh GM-501 Login Guide.
Find the WiFi Settings on the GMesh GM-501
If you followed our login guide above then you should see this screen.
This wireless guide begins on the Device Info page of the GMesh GM-501 router. From there, click the link in left sidebar labeled Wireless. Then Basic if needed.
Change the WiFi Settings on the GMesh GM-501
The first thing you need to do on this page is change the SSID. This is the name you create in order to identify your local network from the others around you. You can name it anything you want but don't use personal information. To learn more about the SSID, read our guide by clicking this link.
When you are done with that, click the Save/Apply button.
Now click the Advanced option in the left sidebar.
This takes you to a page like the one you see here.
There is a whole list of settings on this page. The only one we are interested in right now is the Channel. Make sure you are using channel 1,6, or 11. If you are not on one of these channels, change it by using the drop down list to pick the right one. If you want to learn more about this topic, read our WiFi Channels Guide.
Click the Save/Apply button if you changed your channel.
Next, tick the option in the left sidebar labeled Security.
This takes you to a page like the one above.
The first section on this page is titled WSC Setup AP. This is also called the WiFi Protected Setup or WPS. Don't use this as a way to connect to your network. WPS is an easy way for hackers to access your network. Read more by clicking this link.
The next section is titled Manual Setup AP. Use the Select SSID drop-down list to choose the SSID you just created on the first page.
Next is the Network Authentication. This is the security method you will use. We recommend using WPA2-PSK. To learn why this is the best option, click this link.
Now find the WPA Pre-Shared Key. This is the password you plan on using to grant access to your network through this router. We recommend using at least 14-20 characters in this password. Try to use some symbols, and numbers also. To learn more about creating strong passwords, read our Choosing a Strong Password Guide.
There is one more thing on this page you can change if you like. It is the WPA Encryption. The best encryption available to date is AES.
Click the Save/Apply button and 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 GMesh GM-501 Info
Don't forget about our other GMesh GM-501 info that you might be interested in.
This is the wifi guide for the GMesh GM-501. We also have the following guides for the same router:
- GMesh GM-501 - How to change the IP Address on a GMesh GM-501 router
- GMesh GM-501 - GMesh GM-501 User Manual
- GMesh GM-501 - GMesh GM-501 Login Instructions
- GMesh GM-501 - How to change the DNS settings on a GMesh GM-501 router
- GMesh GM-501 - How to Reset the GMesh GM-501
- GMesh GM-501 - GMesh GM-501 Screenshots
- GMesh GM-501 - Information About the GMesh GM-501 Router