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Setup WiFi on the Trendnet TEW-653AP

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

The Trendnet TEW-653AP 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 Trendnet TEW-653AP Guides

This is the wifi guide for the Trendnet TEW-653AP. 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 Trendnet TEW-653AP

To get started configuring the Trendnet TEW-653AP WiFi settings you need to login to your router. If you are already logged in you can skip this step.

To login to the Trendnet TEW-653AP, follow our Trendnet TEW-653AP Login Guide.

Find the WiFi Settings on the Trendnet TEW-653AP

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 Trendnet TEW-653AP router.

This guide begins on the Status page of the TRENDnet TEW-653AP. From there, click the link on the left side of the page labeled Wireless. Below that some new choices appear, pick the one titled Basic.

Change the WiFi Settings on the Trendnet TEW-653AP

wifi wireless
This is the wifi setup page from your Trendnet TEW-653AP router.

On this new page, there are two settings that can be changed. The first is titled SSID1. This is your network ID and should not contain any personal information. More can be found in this guide.

The other setting is titled Channel. You need to be on channels 1,6, or 11. Find out why in our wireless channel guide.

Go ahead and click the Apply button. Then click the option in the left sidebar labeled Security.

router wifi security wireless
This is the wifi security page from your Trendnet TEW-653AP router.

You are now on a page similar to the one you see here. Open up the drop-down menu titled SSID Selection and pick the SSID you just created on the previous page.

A little farther down the page, open up the drop down menu titled Encryption. Choose the type of security you want to use for your network. We recommend using WPA2-PSK. To learn more about your different options, check out this WEP vs. WPA guide.

You will also need to enter a internet password. This may be called a Key or Passphrase. This should consist of 14 to 20 characters with some symbols, capital letters, and numbers mixed in. If you need help, check out our Password Guide.

That's it, your network is now more secure. Just don't forget to save your changes by clicking the Apply. You may need to reboot this router in order for these setting to take effect.

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 Trendnet TEW-653AP Info

Don't forget about our other Trendnet TEW-653AP info that you might be interested in.

This is the wifi guide for the Trendnet TEW-653AP. We also have the following guides for the same router: