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Setup WiFi on the Linksys WRT160N

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Setup Router Staff
(Last Updated: ) | Reading Time: 6 minutes

The Linksys WRT160N 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.

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 Linksys WRT160N Guides

This is the wifi guide for the Linksys WRT160N v3. 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 Linksys WRT160N

To get started configuring the Linksys WRT160N WiFi settings you need to login to your router. If you are already logged in you can skip this step.

To login to the Linksys WRT160N, follow our Linksys WRT160N Login Guide.

Find the WiFi Settings on the Linksys WRT160N

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

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Begin on the Basic Setup page of the Linksys WRT160Nv3 router. To setup the WiFi, click the option of Wireless at the top of the page.

Change the WiFi Settings on the Linksys WRT160N

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This should direct you to a page like the one you see above, the Basic Wireless Settings page.

Tick the radio button at the top of the page labeled Manual.

The first setting is titled Network Mode. We recommend choosing Mixed.

Second, change your Network Name (SSID). This is the name you create in order to identify your network. Create an original name here. It doesn't matter what you enter here but we suggest avoiding personal information. Learn more in our Wireless Name Guide.

Set the Channel Width to Auto (20MHz or 40MHz).

If you are asked for a Wide Channel, choose channel 6. Set the Standard Channel to 1 or 11. Learn more in our WiFi Channels Guide.

Don't make any other changes on this page, just click Save Settings.

Go back to the top of the page and click Wireless Security.

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You are now on the Security page. Use the Security Mode drop down list to choose WPA2 Personal. If you are interested in learning why this is the best choice, read our WEP vs. WPA guide.

The Encryption is next. Set this to AES.

Now change the default Passphrase. This is the password you type into any wireless device you want to connect to your internet. It is important to change this password because hackers know the default passwords and try those first. Create a strong password of at least 14 characters. Try and use some symbols, and numbers along with the letters. Learn more in our Choosing a Strong Password Guide.

Nothing else should be changed, click the Save Settings button 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 Linksys WRT160N Info

Don't forget about our other Linksys WRT160N info that you might be interested in.

This is the wifi guide for the Linksys WRT160N v3. We also have the following guides for the same router: