The ZyXEL X650 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.
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 ZyXEL X650 Guides
This is the wifi guide for the ZyXEL X650. 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 ZyXEL X650
To get started configuring the ZyXEL X650 WiFi settings you need to login to your router. If you are already logged in you can skip this step.
To login to the ZyXEL X650, follow our ZyXEL X650 Login Guide.
Find the WiFi Settings on the ZyXEL X650
If you followed our login guide above then you should see this screen.
We begin this guide on the Home page of the ZyXEL X650 router. To change your wireless settings click General Setup. From there click 2.4GHz Wireless on the left hand side of the page and then Basic Settings just beneath that.
Change the WiFi Settings on the ZyXEL X650
This brings you to a new page.
Begin by setting the Band to 2.4 GHz (B+G+N).
After that you'll need to set an SSID. This will serve as your network name and can be anything you like. However, due to security reasons we strongly suggest avoiding the use of any personal information. To learn more be sure to visit our Wireless Names Guide.
Now set the Channel Number to 1, 6, or 11. Want to know why these are the best options? Read our WiFi Channels Guide to find out.
That's it for this page. Click Apply before moving on.
Now click Security Settings on the left hand side of the page.
You should be brought to the page shown above.
Start off by setting the Encryption to WPA pre-shared key. Now set the WPA Unicast Cipher Suite to WPA2(AES). These options will provide you with the strongest security. For more information check out our WEP vs. WPA Guide.
Following that set the Pre-shared Key Format to Passphrase.
Finally you'll need to set a Pre-Shared Key. This will be your network password and can be whatever you want. However bear in mind that a strong password consists of 14-20 characters and includes no personal information. For more help take a look through our Choosing a Strong Password Guide.
Congratulations! You're finished. Just be sure to click Apply before closing 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 ZyXEL X650 Info
Don't forget about our other ZyXEL X650 info that you might be interested in.
This is the wifi guide for the ZyXEL X650. We also have the following guides for the same router: