Setup WiFi on the Linksys WRT160NL

The Linksys WRT160NL 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.

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 Linksys WRT160NL

To get started configuring the Linksys WRT160NL 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 WRT160NL, follow our Linksys WRT160NL Login Guide.

Find the WiFi Settings on the Linksys WRT160NL

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

router setup — This is the *setup* page from your Linksys WRT160NL router.

This guide begins on the Basic Setup page of the Linksys WRT160NL router. From here click the option of Wireless, then Basic Wireless Settings under that.

Change the WiFi Settings on the Linksys WRT160NL

wifi wireless — This is the *wifi setup* page from your Linksys WRT160NL router.

This brings you to a page similar to the one you see here if you have clicked the button labeled Wi-Fi Protected Setup. Don't use WPS, it is a weak form of security. Read our What is WPS Guide.

Click the button at the top of the page next to Wireless Configuration that says Manual.

First is the Network Mode. We recommend choosing the option of Mixed.

Next is the Network Name (SSID). The SSID is a name you create in order to identify your network. What you enter here is not important, but we recommend avoiding personal information. Learn more in our Wireless Name Guide.

Choose Auto for the Radio Band.

Under that is the Wide Channel. We recommend picking channel 6 here and channels 1 or 11 in the Standard Channel. If you are interested in learning why this is our recommendation, read our WiFi Channels Guide.

That's all you need to do, just click the Save Settings button at the bottom of the page.

Now go back to the top of the page and click the option of Wireless Security.

router wifi security wireless — This is the *wifi security* page from your Linksys WRT160NL router.

On this new page, use the drop down titled Security Mode to choose the option of WPA2 Personal. Learn why this is the best option in our WEP vs. WPA guide.

Next is the Encryption. We recommend setting this to AES.

The last setting that needs to be changed is called the Passphrase. This is the password you type into wireless devices for them to access your network. It is important that you change your password from the default. Hackers know all the default passwords and will try these first. Create a strong password of at least 14-20 characters using a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols. Learn more about this topic in our Choosing a Strong Password Guide.

That's it, just click the Save Settings 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.

Setup WiFi on the Linksys WRT160NL

Use a VPN Instead

Other Linksys WRT160NL Guides

WiFi Terms

Wireless Name

Wireless Password

Wireless Channel

Encryption

Login To The Linksys WRT160NL

Find the WiFi Settings on the Linksys WRT160NL

Change the WiFi Settings on the Linksys WRT160NL

Possible Problems when Changing your WiFi Settings

Other Linksys WRT160NL Info