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Q. I'm trying to secure my Linksys wireless router. Unfortunately, I don't have the manual. I can't find the IP address I need to access the router. Is there a way to find the IP address without the manual?
A. Securing your wireless network is something everyone should do. It keeps leeching neighbors from bogging down your connection. And it helps keep attackers and criminals off of your network.
Every wireless router has encryption settings. You can access your router through your browser. But you need to know the router's IP address to do it. You'll also need to connect your router and computer physically. That requires an Ethernet cable.
I advise keeping all of your manuals for situations just like this. You never know when you'll need to reference them. However, you're not out of luck. It's actually pretty easy to find your router's IP address.
Router manufacturers usually have a default IP address. It is the same for most of their models. Most Linksys routers use 192.168.1.1.
Open a browser and enter http://192.168.1.1 in the address bar. Hopefully, this will take you to the router's log-in screen. -
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Other manufacturers also have default IP addresses. D-Link and Netgear often use 192.168.0.1. And Belkin routers regularly have 192.168.2.1.
But there is no guarantee these defaults will work for your router. Every manufacturer has routers that don't use the default.
The manual will tell you the default IP address. Luckily for you, it's easy to get a new manual. Manufacturers put them online. You can just download a copy.
Go to the manufacturer's Web site and find your router. There are usually several versions of any router. Be sure you find the correct model number. A little searching should lead you to the manual.
But there is a chance the manual won't help at all. The router's default IP address can be changed. I'm guessing this hasn't happened. It has to be changed manually. But I'm going to cover it, just in case.
In this case, turn to your computer. It uses the IP address to communicate with the router. That means your computer has all the information you need. You just have to look it up.
On a computer running Windows, click Start>>All Programs>> Accessories>>Command Prompt. Enter "ipconfig" (without the quotes). Hit the Enter key. -
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This will bring up a lot of information about your network. You can ignore most of it. The line you're looking for is labeled Default Gateway. This is your router's IP address.
Mac users can find their router IP address just as easily. Connect the computer and router via Ethernet cable. Click the Apple logo at the top of the screen. Select System Preferences. Click Network. Select Ethernet from the left side of the window. Find the IP address labeled Router.
Now, you can set up your network security. But be sure to do it right
