Setup WiFi on the Netgear DGN1000SP

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

The Netgear DGN1000SP 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 faster than ever deal!

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 DGN1000SP Guides

This is the wifi guide for the Netgear DGN1000SP. 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.

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

NordVPN birthday deal!

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 Netgear DGN1000SP

To get started configuring the Netgear DGN1000SP 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 DGN1000SP, follow our Netgear DGN1000SP Login Guide.

Find the WiFi Settings on the Netgear DGN1000SP

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 DGN1000SP router.

You should begin on the Router Status page of the Netgear DGN1000SP. To change the WiFi settings, click the option in the left sidebar labeled Wireless Settings. This is under the main heading of Setup near the top of the page.

Change the WiFi Settings on the Netgear DGN1000SP

wifi wireless
This is the wifi setup page from your Netgear DGN1000SP router.

You are now on the correct page to make the necessary adjustments to your wireless setup.

First, use the box labeled Name(SSID) to enter a new name for your network connection. Be creative but try and avoid personal information. Click this link to learn more.

Select the Region in which this router is being used.

Then use the drop-down list titled Channel to select the correct channel. For the best reception everyone should be using channels 1,6, or 11. Click this link to learn why.

Now scroll down to the Security Options. There are six different choices here. Click this link to learn about your different options. We recommend picking the option of WPA2-PSK (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 with Pre-Shared Key).

There is one more setting that needs to be changed. You need to enter a Network Key (8 ~ 63 characters). This is the password you use for your network. Create a password of at least 14-20 characters. Use some symbols, and numbers along with the letters in your new password. Click this link to learn more ways of creating a strong password.

When you are done click the Apply button.

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 DGN1000SP Info

Don't forget about our other Netgear DGN1000SP info that you might be interested in.

This is the wifi guide for the Netgear DGN1000SP. We also have the following guides for the same router: