“Setting up a WiFi router? Nothing could be simpler, Watson! Even if you are a very far person from the depths of knowledge of all the secrets of the computer world, most likely you have still heard of such a thing as Wi-Fi! Let's immediately decide what this word means.
WiFi is a technology for wirelessly transmitting information via radio signals.
Now it has become widespread, so in order to keep up with the homosapiens of the 21st century, I strongly recommend getting involved in the topic and actively mastering and using it. The advantage of setting up wifi at home over a cable connection is so huge that there is no point in even explaining it - Internet and data exchange wirelessly! No sockets, cords or other millennia-old nonsense - I took out a laptop or smartphone (or whatever else is weighing on your pocket?) - turned it on and away I go...
If you are reading this article, then the question of setting up a WiFi router after purchase has arisen for you. Well, let's figure out how to set up WiFi on a laptop and computer with Windows 10 or 7 from scratch or reconfigure it when switching to another provider.
Setting up a Wi-Fi router via the website
Now let's look at the entire setup process in more detail. I’ll immediately make a reservation that the menu sections on the router’s website, or rather the web interface of its administration panel, may have different names in different models and are located in different parts of the menu. The main thing is to understand the essence in which section what needs to be written during installation.
So, first of all, you need to purchase a router with wifi support. To set up a router to distribute a high-speed signal, it is advisable to purchase equipment with maximum throughput (currently there are up to 450 Mb/s), which is called a reserve. All the features of the choice are described in detail in another article on this blog.
Possible problems and their solutions
The most common problem is that you enter the router’s IP address in the browser, and instead of prompting for a login and password, a message appears stating that such a page was not found.
Please note the following points:
- If the connection is established, check its parameters.
- You may have made a mistake when entering data.
- If you are connecting via cable, but you also have Wi-Fi on your computer, turn it off. And vice versa: when connecting via a wireless network, disconnect the cable from the router.
- Check whether the cable is tightly inserted into the connectors of the router and network card. The problem could also be with the cable itself. If you have a spare, try replacing it.
If all else fails, reset your router to factory settings. Perhaps there was a malfunction in the device itself or its parameters were changed, for example, by the seller during testing.
If you get to the router page, but after entering your login and password you cannot enter the web interface, then most likely you will also have to reset the settings.
Setting up a WiFi router - connecting a laptop
Let's move on to setting up WiFi on the laptop. Let's look at the installation using Windows 7 as an example, although on XP everything will be the same - the only difference is in the names of the menu items in the system itself. But first of all, keep in mind that the laptop must have a WiFi module - either built-in, which you will be notified by a sticker on the case informing you of its presence, or some kind of button to activate it.
If you don’t have it, then you need to purchase and install a WiFi adapter—details about choosing this device are here.
Next, go to the network connections section using one of the following routes:
- Windows XP: Start > Control Panel > Switch to Classic View > Network Connections.
- Windows 7: “Start > Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center > Manage network connections > Change adapter settings.”
We find our wireless connection, right-click on it and go to “Internet Protocol Version 4” and in the properties of the network adapter, check the box to receive DNS automatically.
Open the laptop with the wifi module turned on and find the wireless connection icon in the lower right corner of the Windows icon bar.
Click on this icon - a list of WiFi networks available within the reception radius will open. We find ours with the name just configured on the router and log into it using the specified password.
Sign in from your phone via Wi-Fi
You can also enter the router settings using a wireless network from a tablet, phone or laptop. A cable connection is more reliable and stable, so it is recommended to use it for setup. However, if this is not possible, you can also use a wireless network connection. This method is strictly not recommended only if you are flashing the device - if the connection is lost, the router may fail.
Entering the router settings via Wi-Fi is fundamentally no different from connecting via cable. The wireless network is enabled by default on most modern routers, and its parameters can be found there, on the label at the bottom of the device.
Setting up a network connection is similar to that described in the previous paragraph - you need to either choose to receive an IP address automatically or specify it manually. By default, the address is selected automatically. And almost always, when working via Wi-Fi, a DHCP server is running on the router. So this shouldn't be a problem.
There are two ways to connect to the router remotely from your phone:
- Using WPS (QSS), if there is such a function and it is enabled. This is the simplest connection option.
- A normal connection that requires you to enter a security key (if the network is password protected).
Connection via WPS is described in detail in the article on our website.
With a normal connection, go to the phone settings. Select the connection point. We go to Wi-Fi. We check that Wi-Fi is turned on. Find your router in the list of wireless networks. Enter the default password (network key) shown on the sticker.
On some routers, the connection may not be password protected. In this case, it is recommended to immediately set a password when setting up the device for the first time.
If the connection is successful, launch any browser on your tablet or phone and enter the IP of your router in the address bar. To enter the router menu, you will need to enter your login and password. Just like on a PC, the main page of the device’s web interface will open.
Since mobile devices have become ubiquitous and widespread, router manufacturers are creating special applications for iOS and Android, by installing which you can manage device settings.
This is much more convenient than logging into the router’s web interface on your phone via a browser. But this feature is not yet implemented for all models.
Possible errors when setting up a router
When setting up a router to distribute a wifi signal on their own, beginners often make fairly simple mistakes. I will now give the solution to the most common ones.
Incorrect cable connection to the router
Very often, novice users confuse which connector the cable from the provider is inserted into, and which connector the patch cord connecting the router to the computer is inserted into. So remember - the Internet cable always goes only to the “WAN” connector - on most models it is marked with a special color or the inscription Ethernet.
DHCP server function not working
Among other things, the main and very convenient task of a router is to automatically assign IP addresses to connected devices. The function of the so-called DHCP server is responsible for it. If it is disabled on your device, then you need to assign addresses manually for each computer, and if you have not done this, naturally they will not be able to see each other and access the Internet. Therefore, either activate it or assign an IP for each device on the network manually.
Operating two DCHP servers simultaneously
If your network consists of several routers, then only one of them should work in IP address distribution mode.
Wireless network channel
Very often, readers complain about poor and unstable connections when they are close to the router. This could be because your neighbors are also using a wireless router and their radio channels are interfering. To avoid this, you need to change the wireless network channel settings in the router admin panel from the “Auto” mode to any number from 1 to 12. Also, interference can be created by operating household appliances.
If all the router settings have been made correctly, then the Internet should start working wirelessly. Follow the blog updates to learn how to increase Wi-Fi range and many other useful things.
Types of connection
There are several ways to connect to the router to enter settings :
- The most popular is connecting to a computer via a cable (patch cord). This method is convenient because it does not require special skills. Just enter the IP address of the router in the address bar of your browser, specify your login and password, and you will be taken to the device’s web interface.
- The second method is to configure the router from the command line using the Telnet protocol. It allows you to configure the router without logging into the web interface using commands. This method may seem difficult for beginners, but some users prefer to use it.
- The third way is to connect using console. Not available for all devices, but only for those with a special connector. It can take the form of a COM port or an RJ45 network connector for twisted pair. Connection to a computer is made via a COM port.
Let's consider each of the above methods in detail.
How to find out the IP address of a router on Mac OS
Apple laptops or computers have a standard “Network” utility for setting up a network connection. And through it you can also get technical information about the current connection. The standard address of the router is also indicated there. That is, the user will need to do the following:
- Click on the Apple icon (top left) and select Network Settings.
- In the menu that opens, select “Network”.
- A window will appear with a list of all network adapters. You need to select the one you are using (marked with a green icon). The requested information is located in the “Router” section.
How to find out the IP address of a router in Windows
To find out the router’s IP using standard Windows tools, you need to:
- In the tray, click on the network connection indicator.
- Click on the current connection and select “Properties”.
- In the next window, scroll to the very bottom. Enter the address in the “IPv4 DNS servers” line.
Other technical information about the connection is also indicated there: the name of the network adapter, data reception/transmission speed, router MAC address, and so on. Everything you might need to set up a local network on your own in Windows.
How to find out the IP address of a phone or tablet
If you don’t have a laptop or computer at hand, you can use a smartphone.
- You first need to connect to the router via WiFi.
- Next, you need to go to “Settings”, select “WiFi”, select the current network to which the device is connected.
- The “Gateway” or “Router” line will indicate the network address of the router.
You can also use third-party applications. For example, you can scan the entire local network and find out the IP address of each connected device using WiFi Analyzer (the application can be downloaded for free).
How to find out the IP address of a router in Linux
Any Linux distribution has a terminal through which you can find out the router’s IP. To do this, use the route -n . You can enter without the su or sudo prefix (that is, root rights are not required).
The local IP address of the router is in the first line (where Destination is 0.0.0.0, that is, this is the “starting” point for the network connection).
