Recommended settings for Wi-Fi routers and access points

For the best security, performance, and reliability, we recommend these settings for Wi-Fi routers, base stations, or access points used with Apple products.

This commodity is primarily for network administrators and others who manage their ain network. If yous're trying to bring together a Wi-Fi network, one of these articles should help:

  • Mac: Connect to Wi-Fi and resolve Wi-Fi bug.
  • iPhone, iPad, iPod touch: Connect to Wi-Fi and resolve Wi-Fi issues.

About privacy and security warnings
If your Apple device shows a privacy warning or weak-security alert about a Wi-Fi network, that network could expose information about your device. Apple recommends connecting to Wi-Fi networks that meet or exceed the security standards in this commodity.

Before changing the settings on your router

  1. Back up your router'south settings, in case you need to restore them.
  2. Update the software on your devices. This is disquisitional to ensure that your devices take the latest security updates and work best with each other.
    • First install the latest firmware updates for your router.
    • So update the software on your other devices, such as on your Mac and on your iPhone or iPad.
  3. On each device that previously joined the network, you might need to forget the network to ensure that the device uses the router's new settings when rejoining the network.

Router settings

To ensure that your devices can connect securely and reliably to your network, apply these settings consistently to each Wi-Fi router and access indicate, and to each band of a dual-band, tri-band, or other multiband router.

Security

Set to WPA3 Personalfor better security
Gear up to WPA2/WPA3 Transitional for compatibility with older devices

The security setting defines the type of authentication and encryption used by your router, and the level of privacy protection for data transmitted over its network. Whichever setting you lot choose, always set a strong countersign for joining the network.

  • WPA3 Personal is the newest, nearly secure protocol currently available for Wi-Fi devices. It works with all devices that support Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), and some older devices.
  • WPA2/WPA3 Transitional is a mixed mode that uses WPA3 Personal with devices that support that protocol, while allowing older devices to utilise WPA2 Personal (AES) instead.
  • WPA2 Personal (AES) is advisable when y'all can't employ 1 of the more than secure modes. In that case, also choose AES as the encryption or cipher type, if available.

Weak security settings to avoid on your router

Don't create or join networks that use older, deprecated security protocols. These are no longer secure, they reduce network reliability and operation, and they cause your device to show a security alarm:

  • WPA/WPA2 mixed modes
  • WPA Personal
  • WEP, including WEP Open up, WEP Shared, WEP Transitional Security Network, or Dynamic WEP (WEP with 802.1X)
  • TKIP, including whatever security setting with TKIP in the name

Settings that turn off security, such as None, Open up, or Unsecured, are also strongly discouraged. Turning off security disables authentication and encryption and allows anyone to join your network, access its shared resources (including printers, computers, and smart devices), use your internet connection, and monitor the websites you visit and other data transmitted over your network or net connection. This is a risk even if security is turned off temporarily or for a guest network.

Network name (SSID)

 Set up to a single, unique name (example-sensitive)

The Wi-Fi network name, or SSID (service set identifier), is the proper name your network uses to advertise its presence to other devices. Information technology's also the name that nearby users see on their device'southward list of available networks.

Utilise a name that's unique to your network, and make sure that all routers on your network use the aforementioned name for every band they support. For example, don't utilize common names or default names such as linksys, netgear, dlink, wireless, or 2wire, and don't give your 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands different names.

If you don't follow this guidance, devices might not connect reliably to your network, to all routers on your network, or to all available bands of your routers. And devices that join your network are more than likely to encounter other networks that have the same name, and so automatically try to connect to them.

Subconscious network

Set to Disabled

A router can be configured to hide its network name (SSID). Your router might incorrectly use "closed" to hateful hidden, and "broadcast" to mean not subconscious.

Hiding the network name doesn't conceal the network from detection or secure it confronting unauthorized access. And because of the way that devices search for and connect to Wi-Fi networks, using a hidden network might expose data that can exist used to identify you and the hidden networks you utilize, such as your home network. When connected to a hidden network, your device might show a privacy warning because of this privacy risk.

To secure access to your network, utilize the appropriate security setting instead.

MAC address filtering, authentication, access command

Set to Disabled

When this feature is enabled, your router can exist set up to allow only devices that have specified MAC (media access control) addresses to bring together the network. You shouldn't rely on this feature to forbid unauthorized access to your network, for these reasons:

  • It doesn't prevent network observers from monitoring or intercepting traffic on the network.
  • MAC addresses tin easily be copied, spoofed (impersonated), or changed.
  • To help protect user privacy, some Apple devices use a unlike MAC address for each Wi-Fi network.

To secure access to your network, use the appropriate security setting instead.

Automatic firmware updates

 Gear up toEnabled

If possible, gear up your router to automatically install software and firmware updates as they become bachelor. Firmware updates can affect the security settings available to you, and they deliver other important improvements to the stability, functioning, and security of your router.

Radio mode

Prepare to All (preferred),orWi-Fi 2 through Wi-Fi half-dozen (802.11a/g/northward/ac/ax)

These settings, available separately for the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, control which versions of the Wi-Fi standard the router uses for wireless communication. Newer versions offer better performance and back up more devices concurrently.

It'southward ordinarily best to enable every way offered by your router, rather then a subset of those modes. All devices, including older devices, can then connect using the fastest radio mode they back up. This too helps reduce interference from nearby legacy networks and devices.

Bands

Enable all bands supported by your router

A Wi-Fi band is like a street over which data tin can flow. More than bands provide more data chapters and performance for your network.

Channel

Set to Auto

Each band of your router is divided into multiple, independent communication channels, like lanes in a street. When channel selection is gear up to automatic, your router selects the best Wi-Fi channel for you.

If your router doesn't support automated channel selection, cull whichever aqueduct performs best in your network environment. That varies depending on the Wi-Fi interference in your network environment, which can include interference from any other routers and devices that are using the same aqueduct. If y'all have multiple routers, configure each to use a different channel, specially if they are close to each other.

Channel width

Set to 20MHz for the 2.4GHz ring
Set to Autoor all widths (20MHz, 40MHz, 80MHz) for the 5GHz band

Channel width specifies how large of a "piping" is bachelor to transfer information. Wider channels are faster but more susceptible to interference and more likely to interfere with other devices.

  • 20MHz for the 2.4GHz band helps to avoid functioning and reliability issues, especially near other Wi-Fi networks and 2.4GHz devices, including Bluetooth devices.
  • Auto or all channel widths for the 5GHz band ensures the all-time performance and compatibility with all devices. Wireless interference is less of a concern in the 5GHz band.

DHCP

Prepare to Enabled, if your router is the only DHCP server on the network

DHCP (dynamic host configuration protocol) assigns IP addresses to devices on your network. Each IP address identifies a device on the network and enables it to communicate with other devices on the network and internet. A network device needs an IP address much like a phone needs a telephone number.

Your network should take simply i DHCP server. If DHCP is enabled on more than one device, such as on both your cablevision modem and router, address conflicts might prevent some devices from connecting to the internet or using network resources.

DHCP lease time

 Set to eight hours for home or function networks;ane hr for hotspots or guest networks

DHCP charter fourth dimension is the length of time that an IP address assigned to a device is reserved for that device.

Wi-Fi routers normally have a limited number of IP addresses that they tin assign to devices on the network. If that number is depleted, the router can't assign IP addresses to new devices, and those devices can't communicate with other devices on the network and internet. Reducing DHCP lease time allows the router to more than quickly reclaim and reassign old IP addresses that are no longer being used.

NAT

Set to Enabled, if your router is the only device providing NAT on the network

NAT (network address translation) translates betwixt addresses on the internet and addresses on your network. NAT can exist understood by imagining a company's mail department, where deliveries to employees at the company'due south street address are routed to employee offices within the building.

Generally, enable NAT only on your router. If NAT is enabled on more i device, such equally on both your cable modem and router, the resulting "double NAT" might crusade devices to lose admission to certain resources on the network or net.

WMM

Prepare to Enabled

WMM (Wi-Fi multimedia) prioritizes network traffic to improve the performance of a diverseness of network applications, such equally video and voice. All routers that support Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) or afterward should take WMM enabled by default. Disabling WMM can affect the performance and reliability of devices on the network.

Device features that can affect Wi-Fi connections

These features might bear on how yous gear up your router or the devices that connect to it.

Private Wi-Fi Address

Location Services

Make sure that your device has Location Services turned on for Wi-Fi networking, because regulations in each state or region define the Wi-Fi channels and wireless signal strength allowed there. Location Services helps to ensure that your device can reliably see and connect to nearby devices, and that it performs well when using Wi-Fi or features that rely on Wi-Fi, such as AirPlay or AirDrop.

On your Mac:

  1. Choose Apple bill of fare  > System Preferences, so click Security & Privacy.
  2. Click the lock in the corner of the window, then enter your administrator password.
  3. In the Privacy tab, select Location Services, then select Enable Location Services.
  4. Scroll to the bottom of the list of apps and services, then click the Details button next to System Services.
  5. Select Networking & Wireless (or Wi-Fi Networking), then click Done.

On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch:

  1. Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services.
  2. Plough on Location Services.
  3. Scroll to the bottom of the listing, then tap System Services.
  4. Turn on Networking & Wireless (or Wi-Fi Networking).

Auto-Join when used with wireless carrier Wi-Fi networks

Wireless carrier Wi-Fi networks are public networks prepare by your wireless carrier and their partners. Your iPhone or other Apple tree cellular device treats them equally known networks and automatically connects to them.

If you see "Privacy Alarm" under the name of your carrier's network in Wi-Fi settings, your cellular identity could be exposed if your device were to join a malicious hotspot impersonating your carrier's Wi-Fi network. To avoid this possibility, yous tin can preclude your iPhone or iPad from automatically rejoining your carrier'south Wi-Fi network:

  1. Go to Settings > Wi-Fi.
  2. Tap next to the wireless carrier's network.
  3. Turn off Auto-Join.

Data about products not manufactured by Apple, or independent websites not controlled or tested past Apple, is provided without recommendation or endorsement. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, functioning, or employ of third-party websites or products. Apple makes no representations regarding 3rd-party website accuracy or reliability. Contact the vendor for boosted data.

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