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Setup WiFi on the Linksys WRT54GS

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Setup Router Staff
(Last Updated: ) | Reading Time: 8 minutes

The Linksys WRT54GS 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 WRT54GS Guides

This is the wifi guide for the Linksys WRT54GS 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.

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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 WRT54GS

To get started configuring the Linksys WRT54GS 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 WRT54GS, follow our Linksys WRT54GS Login Guide.

Find the WiFi Settings on the Linksys WRT54GS

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

router setup
This is the setup page from your Linksys WRT54GS router.

For the Linksys WRT54GSv3 you begin on the Basic Setup page. From here, click the Wireless link at the top of the page.

Change the WiFi Settings on the Linksys WRT54GS

wifi wireless
This is the wifi setup page from your Linksys WRT54GS router.

This places you on a page quite similar to the one you see above. The first drop-down menu is titled Wireless Network Mode. This is referring to the wireless devices you plan on connecting to your local internet. We recommend Mixed.

Next is the Wireless Network Name (SSID). This is your network ID name. Create an original name here. While it doesn't matter what you enter in this box, we recommend avoiding personal information such as names or numbers. For more information, read our Wireless Name Guide.

Below that is the Wireless Channel. For the least amount of interference we recommend that everyone use the channel numbers of 1,6, or 11. Learn more in our WiFi Channels Guide.

The last thing you can change if you want is the Wireless SSID Broadcast. If you want to hide your SSID from your neighbors then go ahead and click the Disable button. This only hides your SSID, it doesn't make it invisible. A hacker intent on finding hidden networks can still find yours.

Click the Save Settings button at the bottom of the page. Then go back to the top of the page and click the link titled Wireless Security.

router wifi security wireless
This is the wifi security page from your Linksys WRT54GS router.

On this new page, use the Security Mode drop down list to choose the appropriate security mode for your network. We recommend updating your firmware version to allow for WPA2 Personal. Read our WEP vs. WPA guide for more information.

Then below that you may be asked for a WPA Algorithm. If you are given a choice we recommend AES.

Now for the WPA Shared Key. This is the password you use to gain access to your network. We recommend changing this as soon as possible. Create a strong password of at least 14-20 characters. We also suggest using at least one symbol, number, and capital letter within this new password. Learn more tips regarding this topic, read our Choosing a Strong Password Guide.

That's it, just 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 WRT54GS Info

Don't forget about our other Linksys WRT54GS info that you might be interested in.

This is the wifi guide for the Linksys WRT54GS v3. We also have the following guides for the same router: