Problems with configuring the WiFi modem router? Here are some tips and tricks to follow.

Guide to configuring a WiFi modem router

It’s true. At first glance, one might think it is a complex task. It might seem to need a friend’s or a “smanettone” cousin’s help. Instead, with a little effort and patience, anyone can set up your home Wi-Fi router when you first switch it on. An important operation for many reasons. It optimizes the home LAN and speeds up browsing, thanks to services like Quality of Service. It also connects devices, like hard drives and printers, for all network users.

Above all, however, it improves the security of the home network and complicates the lives of hackers and cybercriminals who would like to access data on our electronic devices. From the Wi-Fi network (and therefore from the router), we spend most of our data and information online; setting up Wi-Fi routers correctly, in short, can help you avoid online identity theft.

In addition, to make life easier for users, many manufacturers have created apps that allow you to configure routers from smartphones: just configuring a WiFi modem router network and starting the application to change the Wi-Fi settings and have a high-performance and secure home network solution. In the event that your router is not supported (or the manufacturer has not yet made the app), do not worry: as mentioned, configuring a WiFi modem router is a simple operation all in all, which will take away a few minutes.

Place the router

Place the router

The first step to take when configuring the router has nothing to do with the web interface and device settings. Fundamental, with a view to a home network that works best and offers the best possible performance, is to position the router correctly. In order for the wireless network to reach all rooms without creating a black spot, it is necessary to keep the router away from load-bearing walls or beams so as not to shield the radio signal. And do not forget that Wi-Fi works on the same frequencies as the cordless phone and the microwave (just to mention two devices among many): if they were positioned close to the modem router, expect interference and noise to worsen the range of the network device.

Find router IP address

Find router IP address

To configure a router, access its admin panel. Type its private IP into your browser’s address bar. Most Wi-Fi modem routers have the IP address either 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1. It relates mainly to what the device’s manufacturer deems best for it. If these don’t work, use the router’s instructions for the correct IP address.

You must open the Command Prompt in Windows, input the string “ipconfig,” then hit “Enter.” Locate the router’s IP address on the screen by looking for the default Gateway line. Users using MacOS must go to System Preferences. Double-click Network after that. Next, access the attached support card (ethernet or Wi-Fi). In order to access the TCP/IP tab, click the Advanced button. At the router, you will find the IP address you are looking for.

After entering your password and login, you may access the Control Panel.

You can visit the router’s administrative panel after determining its IP address. Open a browser. Type the address you found and press “Enter.” In a few seconds, an alert will appear. Enter the username and password to access the panel. This is a security measure to prevent any user connecting to the Wi-Fi network from safely accessing the router’s settings.

At the first access, you must use the credentials set by default by the device manufacturer; usually, it is the “admin-password” or “admin-admin” couple. Should you fail to access these keys, it is advisable to consult the edges of the box or the instruction booklet. Once logged in, remember to immediately change the username and password to access the router. As you may have noticed, these are rather simple credentials to guess and therefore not very safe. Therefore, to improve the security of the LAN, it will be better to choose a secure username and password.

Configure settings for the Internet connection.

After this, you must search the Internet or the menu’s Internet settings. Or, wait for the network device to display a window to start configuring a WiFi modem router. A pop-up may appear with “Configure” or “Wizard.” You can now set the values for the ISP connection.

In the Vpi field (Virtual Path Identifier), enter 8. In the Vci field (Virtual Channel Identifier), enter 35. Two values are fundamental for connecting to the Internet. They allow us to find the path and destination of data packets on the network. The VCI decides which channel to use on the Internet. The VPI determines the path to follow.

If the ISP uses the PPPoE protocol, set Encapsulation to VC Mux and MTU to 1500. If it’s PPPoA, set Encapsulation to Mmc and MTU to 1492. The MTU indicates the max size of a packet on the net. If the config uses PPPoE, it can be no larger than 1500 bytes. If it’s based on PPPoA, the max size is 1492 bytes. We will split all packets over this limit into smaller ones that meet these values.

How to configure a WiFi modem router and set a password

Set up Wi-Fi password

After setting up the Internet, confirm it works. Then, check the wireless network’s security. The IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi protocol offers users various security protocols. They use different encryption keys. The most secure is WPA2, which offers 256-bit encryption. When choosing the security protocol, it is also worth creating a secure password, which shields the network from attempts to attack brute force. A good solution can be to rely on the diceware and create a complex passphrase that is at the same time simple to remember.

DNS, QoS, port forwarding, and other options

Those just seen are the basic steps to follow to set up the Wi-Fi router the first time you turn it on. The network device, however, offers many other options to configure so as to improve its performance and extend its functionality. In the case of slow navigation, for example, it is worth trying to change DNS (even if the domain name system provided by ISPs usually has excellent performance) or follow the path of quality of service and give different priority to the different types of data packages. Alternatively, you can set up port forwarding and make sure that devices like consoles have unrestricted access to the bandwidth by fixing any incorrect configurations.