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Setup WiFi on the Netgear CG3100D-2

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

The Netgear CG3100D-2 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 CG3100D-2 Guides

This is the wifi guide for the Netgear CG3100D-2. 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 CG3100D-2

To get started configuring the Netgear CG3100D-2 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 CG3100D-2, follow our Netgear CG3100D-2 Login Guide.

Find the WiFi Settings on the Netgear CG3100D-2

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 CG3100D-2 router.

After you have finished logging into the Netgear CG3100D-2 you start on the Gateway Status page.

To change your WiFi settings, click the option in the left sidebar labeled Wireless Settings under the main heading of Setup.

Change the WiFi Settings on the Netgear CG3100D-2

wifi wireless
This is the wifi setup page from your Netgear CG3100D-2 router.

You are then directed to a page similar to the one seen above.

First, change the Name(SSID). This is the network name you create in order to identify your network later on. It doesn't matter what is entered here but it's a good idea to avoid personal information. Learn more about your SSID in our Wireless Names Guide.

The next setting that should be checked it titled Control Channel. Make sure you are on channel 1,6, or 11. To find out why read our WiFi Channels guide.

Now scroll down to the section labeled WiFi Protected Setup (WPS). We highly recommend avoiding WPS if possible. WPS is an easy way in for a network intruder. Learn more in our What is WPS Guide. Make sure to Disable the WPS Config.

In the section labeled WPS Settings place a check mark in the box labeled Disable Router's PIN.

Next, scroll down and find the section labeled Security Options. For the best security, we recommend choosing the option of WPA2-PSK [AES]. To learn why this is the best choice, read our WEP vs. WPA Guide.

That's all there is to it, just click the option of Apply 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 CG3100D-2 Info

Don't forget about our other Netgear CG3100D-2 info that you might be interested in.

This is the wifi guide for the Netgear CG3100D-2. We also have the following guides for the same router: