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Setup WiFi on the Netgear VMDG485

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Setup Router Staff
(Last Updated: ) | Reading Time: 4 minutes

The Netgear VMDG485 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 VMDG485 Guides

This is the wifi guide for the Netgear VMDG485 v1. 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 VMDG485

To get started configuring the Netgear VMDG485 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 VMDG485, follow our Netgear VMDG485 Login Guide.

Find the WiFi Settings on the Netgear VMDG485

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 VMDG485 router.

Starting on the Home page of the Netgear VMDG485 router click the Advanced Settings link in the lower right corner of the page.

subManu subModel router
This is the general page from your Netgear VMDG485 router.

Choose the option of Wireless Radio, under the heading of Wireless.

Change the WiFi Settings on the Netgear VMDG485

wifi wireless
This is the wifi setup page from your Netgear VMDG485 router.

Under the main heading of Wireless Frequency 2.4GHz, scroll down until you see the Channel. Be sure you are on channel 1,6, or 11. To learn why you should only use these three channels, read our WiFi Channels Guide.

Now click the Apply button at the bottom of this page.

Click the Advanced Settings option at the top of the page to go back to the Advanced Settings page. Then click the new option of 2.4GHz Primary Wireless Network.

wifi wireless
This is the wifi setup page from your Netgear VMDG485 router.

On this new page, use the SSID box to enter a new network name for your internet connection. It doesn't matter what you enter here but we recommend avoiding personal information. To learn more about this topic, read our Wireless Names Guide.

Below that is the Security Mode. The best choice for home networks is WPA2-PSK [AES]. If you want to learn what this is and why it is the best option for your home network, read our WEP vs. WPA Guide.

The last setting that needs to be changed is titled Passphrase. This is the password you use to gain access to your network. We recommend a minimum of 14-20 characters and at least one symbol, number, and capital letter. Learn great ways to make passwords memorable and strong in our Choosing a Strong Password Guide.

That's it, your network is now more secure. Don't forget to 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 VMDG485 Info

Don't forget about our other Netgear VMDG485 info that you might be interested in.

This is the wifi guide for the Netgear VMDG485 v1. We also have the following guides for the same router: