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Setup WiFi on the Netgear CG3100

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Setup Router Staff
(Last Updated: ) | Reading Time: 3 minutes

The Netgear CG3100 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 Netgear CG3100 Guides

This is the wifi guide for the Netgear CG3100. 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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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 Netgear CG3100

To get started configuring the Netgear CG3100 WiFi settings you need to login to your router. If you are already logged in you can skip this step.

To login to the Netgear CG3100, follow our Netgear CG3100 Login Guide.

Find the WiFi Settings on the Netgear CG3100

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

router status mac address internet IP
This is the status page from your Netgear CG3100 router.

This guide begins on the Modem Status page of the Netgear CG3100. To change the Wi-Fi settings, click the option of Wireless Settings in the left sidebar under Setup.

Change the WiFi Settings on the Netgear CG3100

wifi wireless
This is the wifi setup page from your Netgear CG3100 router.

This takes you to the Wireless Settings page of the Netgear CG3100.

First, you need to change the Name(SSID). This is the name you need to create in order to identify your local network. While it really doesn't matter what you enter here, we recommend avoiding personal information. Learn more about this subject in our Wireless Names Guide.

Next is the Control Channel. Everyone should be on either 1,6, or 11. To learn why, read our WiFi Channels.

Now skip down to the Security Options and pick the radio dot labeled WPA2-PSK (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 Pre-Shared Key) for the maximum security available today. For more on this, read our WEP vs. WPA Guide.

You will then be asked to choose an Encryption. We recommend the choice of AES.

The final setting that needs to be changed is titled Pre-Shared Key. This is the network password. It is important to create a strong password to deter an possible attacks on your network. We recommend a minimum of 14-20 characters and at least one symbol, number, and capital letter in your new password. Learn more in our Choosing a Strong Password Guide.

That's it, you are finished, just click the Apply 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 Netgear CG3100 Info

Don't forget about our other Netgear CG3100 info that you might be interested in.

This is the wifi guide for the Netgear CG3100. We also have the following guides for the same router: