How to Make Changes to Your Router Settings

By Andreas Last updated Apr 17, 2022

If you haven’t given your router much thought in the past, you might be asking why you should bother learning how to alter router settings in the first place. After all, if everything has been functioning well up to this point, why take the chance of breaking something?

The following are the reasons why you should learn how to change your router settings

The reason is straightforward: because you stand to gain greater and stand to lose nothing. Much in the same way that it’s practically difficult for you to physically harm your computer by accidentally clicking on the incorrect link or fiddling with its settings, contemporary routers are meant to be completely foolproof.

The worst thing that may happen is if you alter the settings of your wireless router in such a manner that it makes it simpler for others to steal your personal data. An extremely likely possibility, on the other hand, is that you learn how to modify the settings of your wireless router in order to keep your personal information as safe as possible.

Knowing how to alter your router settings also helps you to take full use of some of the more complex functions of your router, many of which you may not even be aware of at the time of changing your router settings. Don’t be concerned: even if you think yourself to be a computer novice, you’ll be able to figure out how to adjust your router’s settings within minutes.

How to Gain Access to a Router

If you want to mess about with the settings on your router, you’ll need to learn how to log in as an administrator. To begin, if you’re connected to the same network as the router (that is, you’re either directly linked to the router through an Ethernet cable or directly connected to a wireless network generated by the router), you may use the following easy method:

Open your favorite web browser.
One by one, enter the following IP addresses into the URL bar: 192.168.0.1, 192.168.1.1, 192.168.2.1, 10.0.1.1, 10.0.0.1, 10.10.1.1.

It is possible that you may see a login window or a welcome page. If this is the case, you will be sent to the next part of this article. You may also attempt the following approach if you are unable to connect to your router using any of the IP addresses provided above:

To access the Windows logo, which is placed on the left side of the taskbar, click it.

To access the Settings menu, click the gear symbol.
Select Network & Internet from the drop-down menu.
Select View your network’s properties from the drop-down menu.
Look for the phrase “Default gateway” farther down the page.
The IP address of your router is shown by the number next to it.
In the URL bar of your chosen web browser, type in the address you just typed in.
If you see a login window or a welcome page, this indicates that you have successfully connected to the router.

Afterward, you’ll need to log in as an administrator. Unless you’ve updated your router’s admin password, there’s a significant probability that the password “admin” will function. When in doubt, check the information label on the bottom or back of the router for a solution. The default username and password for a router are occasionally printed on the device by the manufacturer.

You should try again after pressing the reset button on the back of your router for a long period of time if you are still having trouble. If none of these steps succeed in granting you access to your router’s administrative interface, look for online assistance. Several websites, such as this one, provide a comprehensive list of routers, along with the accompanying administrative login details.

How to Change Your Router’s Password

After getting access to your router, the first thing you should do is change the default password to something more secure to protect your network. If you leave the default password in place, anyone who wants to play with your router’s settings may just go up to it and change the settings. For example, the intruder may deactivate your wifi security and steal your personal information without you being aware of what was happening.

To change your router’s password:

Enter your router’s IP address into your favorite web browser.
Log in with the default username and password (both admin, usually).
Go to settings.
Select Change Router Password or a similar option.
Enter the new password.
Save the new settings.

A strong password should be at least eight characters long and contain a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters to ensure that it is difficult to guess.

How to Change the IP Address of a Router

Before we go into detail about how to alter your router’s IP address, we’d like to make clear the distinction between a public and a local IP address.

A public IP address is an address that computers and servers outside your network see when you connect to them, as implied by the name. When you visit a website such as What Is My IP?, which is a leader in the provision of IP address lookup services, you’ll see the address in the address bar.

Your public IP address is issued to you by your internet service provider, and you normally do not have any influence over how it is displayed publicly. Although some Internet service providers (ISPs) supply static IP addresses to their clients, the likelihood is that you have a dynamic IP address that changes from time to time on its own or in response to a request.

It is possible to modify the IP address issued to your router and all other devices that are connected to it, however, your global IP address cannot be changed. This is how to accomplish it on D-Link routers, and the procedure will be similar on routers from other manufacturers as well.

In your favorite web browser, type in the IP address of your router to gain access.
Log in using the username and password that were assigned to you.
Setup may be accessed by clicking on it.
Select Network Configuration from the drop-down menu.
In the Router Settings section, enter the new IP address of the router.
Save the changes by clicking on the Save button.

After you’ve changed the IP address of your router, you won’t be able to reach it using the previous address anymore. It’s important to keep this in mind since it might cause confusion the next time you decide to update the settings on your router.

How to Change Your SSID

SSID (Service Set Identifier) is a fancy phrase for network name, which is actually just a fancy term for the network name. As you’re undoubtedly aware, all Wi-Fi networks are identifiable by a unique sequence of characters that is unique to each network. If you haven’t updated the settings on your wireless network in a long time, the odds are that your Wi-Fi has a rather basic name, to begin with. In order to transform it into something more memorable, you must follow a few simple procedures.

In your favorite web browser, type in the IP address of your router to gain access.
Log in using the username and password that were assigned to you.
Setup may be accessed by clicking on it.
Select Wireless Configuration from the drop-down menu.
Fill in the blanks with your new SSID.
Save the changes and wait for your router to restart when it has been restarted.

Stay away from anything that might be construed as insulting when naming your Wi-Fi network while creating a network name. We also advise against attempting to make your network appear as though it is a public hotspot on the internet. Using a fictitious name for your Wi-Fi network does nothing to protect your privacy or security, but it might cause your download and upload rates to significantly slow down.

How to Configure Multi-SSID and Guest Wi-Fi

Today’s wireless routers have the capability of broadcasting several access points at the same time. It is common practice to utilize a single access point to connect known devices to the network, and to build an entirely different access point for visitors. Most significantly, you no longer have to provide your primary Wi-Fi password with strangers and trust that they won’t post it somewhere else as a result of doing so.

In order to set up a guest Wi-Fi network using a Netgear router, follow the steps outlined below. For routers from other manufacturers, the procedure should be quite identical to the one described above.

In your favorite web browser, type in the IP address of your router to gain access.
Input the user name and password for the router.
Select the Guest Network option.
Make sure that the Enable SSID Broadcast check box is checked before continuing.
Provide a name for the guest network.
Choose one of the security options.
To save your configurations, click the Apply button.

How to Change the Wireless Channel and Band

There are numerous different 802.11 standards that are supported by wireless routers, each of which provides several separate radio frequency ranges (also known as bands) for use in Wi-Fi communications, with each band being divided into several channels.

Generally speaking, if you have a modern router, the odds are good that it supports both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequencies. Because the 5 GHz band is less frequent than the 2.4 GHz band, it is less crowded than the 2.4 GHz band, making it an excellent choice for highly populated metropolitan areas where Wi-Fi networks are found in high densities.

An advanced network analyzer such as NetSpot can supply you all the information you want in order to make an informed decision when it comes to determining which Wi-Fi channel is the most appropriate for your needs.

Download and install NetSpot.
Launch the application and activate Discover mode.
Wait a short while for NetSpot to collect information about surrounding Wi-Fi networks and present wireless data as an interactive table.
Click the “Channels 2.4 GHz” header to see where Wi-Fi channels are overlapping.
Look for the channel with the least number of networks present on it.

Choose channel 1, 6, or 11 when picking a channel in the 2.4 GHz band if you’re using the 2.4 GHz band. These are what are known as non-overlapping channels, which simply implies that they do not overlap with one another in any way.

How to Set Up Parental Controls

Parental controls are tools that assist you in reducing the likelihood that your kid may be exposed to improper information while online. Filtering and monitoring are the two primary sorts of controls that may be applied to a system. With filtering, you may restrict access to unsuitable information for children and set time restrictions on how much time they can spend on the computer. Monitored browsing allows you to see exactly what your kid is doing on the internet, allowing you to react as soon as you suspect that your child is in danger.

In most cases, parental controls are found under the router’s settings, although they may also be found under a separate category if necessary. Because children will go to great lengths to overcome any content restrictions you put in place to safeguard them, it is highly suggested that you use a PIN to access parental controls on your computer.

How to Activate Remote Management

To keep an eye on your network’s activities, you don’t even have to be present at your location. Because of the remote management capabilities, you can keep an eye on it from anywhere in the world using your smartphone or a laptop computer.

To connect to your router from a different network, follow these steps:

Enter your router’s admin panel.
Go to settings and look for Remote Management.
Turn on Remote Management and save your settings.

In most cases, remote management is switched off because it poses a significant security risk to the system. Hackers may attempt to crack your router’s password and utilize remote administration to jeopardize your network’s security. That’s why we recommend that you switch off remote management if you know you won’t be utilizing it for an extended period of time.

How to See Who Is Connected to My Router

Is it a problem for you that your internet speeds swing up and down regardless of what you’re doing online? There’s a potential that someone other than you is connected to your network and using your bandwidth without your knowledge. It’s necessary to get into your router’s administration panel in order to determine whether or not this is the case:

Find out your router’s IP address.
Type in that IP address in a browser window.
Log in as admin.
Look for an option called “My Network” or “Attached Devices” or something similar.
If you see a device that shouldn’t be connected to your router, kick it off your network and ban its MAC address.

Conclusion

It is possible to tinker with and change the settings on routers, which are sophisticated equipment with a profusion of various options. The steps outlined in this article will show you how to access your network and adjust its settings, including the wireless router settings. It is hard for us to cover all potential router configurations in one post, but we have covered the most important ones.