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Setup WiFi on the TP-Link TD-W8980

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

The TP-Link TD-W8980 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 TP-Link TD-W8980 Guides

This is the wifi guide for the TP-Link TD-W8980. 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 TP-Link TD-W8980

To get started configuring the TP-Link TD-W8980 WiFi settings you need to login to your router. If you are already logged in you can skip this step.

To login to the TP-Link TD-W8980, follow our TP-Link TD-W8980 Login Guide.

Find the WiFi Settings on the TP-Link TD-W8980

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 TP-Link TD-W8980 router.

this guide will begin on the Device Information page of the TP-Link TD-W8980 router. To configure the wireless settings, click the option in the left sidebar labeled Wireless 2.4GHz, then Basic Settings.

Change the WiFi Settings on the TP-Link TD-W8980

wifi wireless
This is the wifi setup page from your TP-Link TD-W8980 router.

Let's first change the SSID. It should be the very first setting. Use this box to enter a new name for your network. This name is your network identification and should be unique. While it really doesn't matter what you enter here we recommend avoiding personal information. Take a look at this guide for more on the subject.

Now go ahead and take a look at the channel. Make sure you are using channels 1,6, or 11 for the best reception. Take a look at this guide for more information.

Save your changes. Then back in the left sidebar click the link titled Wireless Security under the heading of Wireless 2.4GHz.

router wifi security wireless
This is the wifi security page from your TP-Link TD-W8980 router.

On this page, choose the radio button labeled WPA/WPA2 - Personal(Recommended). It should be the second one on the page.

Now change the Authentication Type. For the best security available right now, choose WPA2-PSK. To learn more, read this WPA2 guide.

Go ahead and set the Encryption to AES.

The last setting you need to change is called the Wireless Password. This is your internet password. Don't skip this step, your password is an important part of the security. Don't use less than 14 characters here with some symbols, numbers, and capital letters mixed in. To create a very strong and memorable password, check out this guide.

That's it, just click the Save button and you are done.

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 TP-Link TD-W8980 Info

Don't forget about our other TP-Link TD-W8980 info that you might be interested in.

This is the wifi guide for the TP-Link TD-W8980. We also have the following guides for the same router: