Setup WiFi on the Linksys WRT54GR

The Linksys WRT54GR 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.

Don't forget to sign up for NordVPN's promo deal before it's gone.

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 WRT54GR

To get started configuring the Linksys WRT54GR 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 WRT54GR, follow our Linksys WRT54GR Login Guide.

Find the WiFi Settings on the Linksys WRT54GR

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

router setup — This is the *setup* page from your Linksys WRT54GR router.

Beginning on the Basic Setup page of the Linksys WRT54GR router click Wireless at the top of the page.

Change the WiFi Settings on the Linksys WRT54GR

wifi wireless — This is the *wifi setup* page from your Linksys WRT54GR router.

This should take you to a page that looks similar to the one you see above.

Wireless - Enable this setting in order to turn on your wireless network.
Network Mode - Our recommendation is to set this to Mixed.
Network Name (SSID) - This is the name you create in order to identify your internet connection. It doesn't matter what you enter here but we advise you to stay away from using personal information. Learn more in our Wireless Name Guide.
Channel - For the least amount of interference everyone should use channels 1,6, or 11. Learn why in our WiFi Channels Guide.
SSID Broadcast - If you want to hide your SSID click the Disabled button. This doesn't completely keep you safe from hackers. You can still find hidden networks using the right tools.
Save Settings - Tick this button near the bottom of the page in order to apply the changes you just made.

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

router wifi security wireless — This is the *wifi security* page from your Linksys WRT54GR router.

On this new page you can make some changes to the security settings for your wireless network.

Security Mode - We recommend setting this to PSK2. This is the same thing as WPA2 PSK. Learn why this is the best option by reading our WEP vs. WPA guide.
Encryption - Pick AES if given an option.
Passphrase - This is the password you use to access your network. We recommend creating a strong password of at least 14-20 characters. Try and use some symbols, numbers, and capital letters in this password. Learn more tips in our Choosing a Strong Password Guide.
Key Renewal - Go ahead and leave this at the default setting of 3600 seconds.
Save Settings - Tick this in order 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.

Setup WiFi on the Linksys WRT54GR

Use a VPN Instead

Other Linksys WRT54GR Guides

WiFi Terms

Wireless Name

Wireless Password

Wireless Channel

Encryption

Login To The Linksys WRT54GR

Find the WiFi Settings on the Linksys WRT54GR

Change the WiFi Settings on the Linksys WRT54GR

Possible Problems when Changing your WiFi Settings

Other Linksys WRT54GR Info