How to Set Up a Wired Router in Your New House

Whether you had setup your own wired router before or not, it can be a daunting task. It doesn’t have to be, however. If you know the order of operations as far as setup goes, you should be able to successfully set up even the most advanced wired routers in your residence.

1. Setup your ISP: This is obvious, but still has to be said. You should have already done this step, but in case you haven’t, you will need to contact the ISPs who provide to your area and pick the speed that is right for you.
2. Get the Wired Router: Once you know what speeds your ISP offers, you will know what routers will work. BlueGadgetTooth put together a list of the best wired routers that you can get to help you find the right one.
3. Plug it in: You need to connect the router’s WAN port to your DSL or cable modem. All routers have a WAN port or internet port that is separate from the LAN ports. Once you have the router connected to the modem or DSL, you will need to use one of the LAN ports to connect the router to a computer. You will use a network cable for this step. You should also make sure that the router has been plugged into your power outlet and turned on, or you will be very frustrated.
4. Web Interface: When you are all plugged in and ready to go, open up a browser on your computer. Your router should have a URL listed in its paperwork or on its box that will act as its default IP address. If you don’t find one, there are some common URLs that might work for you, like 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1. The login is almost always the same, with the user name “admin” and password of “1234,” “admin,” or even “password,” but you can get this from whoever made your router.
5. Setup Wizard: Of course no two wired routers are identical, but they should have a setup wizard that will help you get your router up and going. The wizard should launch once you have logged into your router. It will give you a step-by-step guided setup, allowing you to change the login information, the name of your router, and let you personalize all of the passwords. If you want to, you can skip the wizard and go into the router manually to customize your network.
6. WAN and LAN settings: Once you are all logged into your router’s settings, you can change the default settings. The WAN can be left to default or changed as you wish. The LAN is your network settings, letting you alter the router’s default IP address, change the range of IP addresses that can be used, and add clients to your DHCP reservation list as needed.

If you have followed all of the steps and your router still is not working, you might need to confirm your ISP connection in case there is any break in connectivity that could be impairing your connection. Another option is to press the reset button that should be locked on your router itself, putting the router back into its default mode. When all else fails, contact customer service for whoever made your router and see if they can troubleshoot with you.