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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.

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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. 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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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.

router setup
This is the setup page from your Linksys WRT160N router.

This guide starts on the Basic Setup page of the Linksys WRT160N router. To configure the WiFi settings, click the option of Wireless at the top of the page. Then, below that pick the option of Basic Wireless Settings.

Change the WiFi Settings on the Linksys WRT160N

wifi wireless
This is the wifi setup page from your Linksys WRT160N router.

On this page, click the radio button labeled Manual.

First, use the Network Mode drop down list to pick Mixed.

Second, enter a new name for your local network in the box titled Network Name (SSID). This name is used for your local network identification. It doesn't matter what you enter here but we recommend avoiding personal information for your security. Learn more about the SSID in our Wireless Name Guide.

In the Channel Width drop down list, pick the option titled Auto (20Mhz or 40MHz).

Next is the Wide Channel. We recommend picking channel 6 here. In the Standard Channel choose either channel 1 or 11. Learn why we recommend these three channels in our WiFi Channels Guide.

The last setting on this page is called SSID Broadcast. If you want to hide your network name from scanning wireless devices click the Disabled button. Remember that this is not a good security measure because hackers can still find hidden networks.

Click the Save Settings button then click Wireless Security at the top of the page in blue.

router wifi security wireless
This is the wifi security page from your Linksys WRT160N router.

The first drop down list on this new page is titled Security Mode. We recommend choosing the most secure option of WPA2 Personal. To learn why this is the best choice for home networks, read our WEP vs. WPA guide.

Below that is the Passphrase. This is the password you type into any wireless device you want to connect to your internet. It is important that you change this password from the default because hackers know the default passwords and try those first. Make this password strong with a minimum of 14 to 20 characters. We also recommend using not only letters, but numbers and symbols as well. Learn more tips in our Choosing a Strong Password Guide.

Then at the bottom of the page, click the blue Save Settings button.

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. We also have the following guides for the same router: