How to Access Router | Complete Guide

Your router saves your home Wi-Fi network settings. If you want to change something on your network, you need to log in to your router’s software, firmware. From there, you can rename your network, edit passwords, adjust the security level, create a guest network, and configure or change a variety of other options. Are But how do you get into your router first for these changes?

The process of logging into your router should be the same whether you use your internet provider’s router or you bought your router. It should also be the same whether you use a dedicated router or a combination modem/router provided by your provider. If you are an Apple user, you can check our recommendations on the best wireless routers for apple products.

How to Access Router | Complete Guide

Find Your Router’s IP Address

You log in to your router’s firmware through the browser. Anyone will browse. In the Address field, type the IP address of your router. Most routers use the address 192.168.1.1. But that doesn’t always happen, so you’ll want to verify your router’s address first.

To find your router’s IP address, type cmd in the Windows search bar and press Enter to open a command prompt. Type ipconfig at the command prompt and press Enter to execute the command. Scroll through the information until you see the default gateway configuration under the Ethernet or wireless LAN adapter. This is your router, and next to it is the IP address of your router. Close the window when done.

In Windows 10, you can also see Settings> Network & Internet> Status> Hardware & Connection Features. The next screen shows the details of your various network connections. Scan the entry for Ethernet or Wi-Fi and find the default gateway configuration to find your router’s IP address. Once you have the correct IP address, type it into your browser’s address field and press Enter.

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Username and Password

After typing the IP address, you are asked for a username and password to access your router’s firmware. This is either your router’s default username and password or a unique username and password you created when you set up the router.

If you have created your username and password, log in with these credentials. However, if you do not remember your login credentials or have never changed them from the unit defaults, signing up becomes difficult. Some routers offer password recovery. If this is true of your router, this option should appear after entering the wrong username and password. 

Typically, this window will ask for your router’s serial number, which you can find at the bottom or side of the router.

If you have never changed the router login credentials, many people use the admin’s default username and password as the default password. Try this combination to see if it works. 

Otherwise, your best bet is to run a web search for your router’s brand default username and passwords, such as NetGear, Linux, Asus, or TPLink.