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Setup WiFi on the RealTek RT-3500

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

The RealTek RT-3500 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

Have you considered using a VPN when you connect to the internet? A VPN is a great way to increase your security and anonymity while surfing.

We use and recommend NordVPN because not only is it the fastest VPN, it includes a new feature called Meshnet that makes securely sharing your home network super simple. 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.

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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 RealTek RT-3500 Guides

This is the wifi guide for the RealTek RT-3500. 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 RealTek RT-3500

To get started configuring the RealTek RT-3500 WiFi settings you need to login to your router. If you are already logged in you can skip this step.

To login to the RealTek RT-3500, follow our RealTek RT-3500 Login Guide.

Find the WiFi Settings on the RealTek RT-3500

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 RealTek RT-3500 router.

Let's start this wireless setup guide on the Home page of the RealTek RT-3500 router. Start by clicking the Wireless file name in the left sidebar. This opens a new set of choices, select the first one titled Basic Settings.

Change the WiFi Settings on the RealTek RT-3500

wifi wireless
This is the wifi setup page from your RealTek RT-3500 router.

You are now on the Wireless Basic Settings page. Find the space titled SSID. This is your network identification. It needs to be changed to something you create. While it really doesn't matter what you enter here we suggest avoiding personal data. Check out our Wireless Names Guide for more information.

The next setting that can be changed is called the Channel Number. Make sure you are using channels 1,6, or 11. To learn why read our WiFi Channels Guide.

Now hit the Apply Changes button to save your changes.

Now you need to click the option in the left sidebar labeled Security.

router wifi security wireless
This is the wifi security page from your RealTek RT-3500 router.

Once on this new page, use the Encryption drop-down list to choose WPA2. If you are interested in learning why, read our WEP vs. WPA Guide.

Set the WPA Authentication Mode to Personal (Pre-Shared Key).

Then make sure the WPA2 Cipher Suite is set to AES.

Change the Pre-Shared Key Format to Passphrase.

You can now enter a Pre-Shared Key. This is the password you use to access your network. We highly recommend creating a strong password of at least 14 characters. Try not to use words. The more random your password looks, the stronger it is. Try using symbols or numbers instead of some letters. More ideas can be found in our Password Guide.

When you are finished, click the Apply Changes button at the bottom of the page.

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 RealTek RT-3500 Info

Don't forget about our other RealTek RT-3500 info that you might be interested in.

This is the wifi guide for the RealTek RT-3500. We also have the following guides for the same router: