How do I Install Wireless Router Behind DSL Modem?

Get rid of cable clutter in your home with a wireless router.

With a DSL modem and wireless router, you can connect all of the computers in your home or office to the Internet without the clutter and inconvenience of cables. Although originally designed to connect to a single computer via a RJ-45 Ethernet cable, DSL modems easily bridge with a router to provide multiple computer connectivity via wired or wireless connections. Wireless routers offer a lot more flexibility for small networks and are just as easy to install as the older wired types.

Things You'll Need

• RJ-45 ethernet cable
• DSL account username and password
• Wireless router
• AC adapter for wireless router
• User guide or manual for the router

Instructions

1. Power off the DSL modem and disconnect the RJ-45 cable that leads to the DSL modem.

2. Plug the AC adapter into the wireless router and connect the RJ-45 cable from the DSL modem into the "DSL," "WAN" or "Internet" port on the wireless router.

3. Connect other RJ-45 cables to network ports on the router and any computers that require wired network connections. Even if you have no computers that require a wired connection, you must connect at least one wired PC to the router to set up the wireless network.

4. Power on the DSL modem first and then the wireless router. Go to a PC connected to the router with an RJ-45 cable.

5. Power off the computer and then turn it back on to allow Windows to detect the new network connection and receive an IP address from the wireless router.

6. Launch a Web browser on your PC.

7. Refer to the user guide or manual for the wireless router to determine its configuration IP address. In most cases, the IP address is "192.168.0.1" or something similar.

8. Enter the configuration IP address for the router into the address bar of the browser, then press the "Enter" key.

9. Enter the default username and password for the wireless router when prompted to do so and press the "Enter" key. The user guide or manual contains the default username and password settings for the router. In many cases, the default username is "admin" or something similar. Likewise, the default password is "password" or "1234."

10. Click the "Setup" or "Auto Setup" link on the router configuration menu and wait while the router connects to the DSL modem and attempts to determine the connection type. If the router fails to connect automatically, click the "DSL" or "PPPoE" connection type when prompted.

11. Enter the username and password assigned to you by the DSL subscriber service. Click the "OK," "Save Changes" or "Reboot" button on the configuration screen. Wait while the wireless router reboots and connects to the Internet via the DSL modem and the parameters you entered.

12. Click "Wireless Settings" or a similarly named option on the configuration menu. Enter information about your wireless network when prompted by the setup wizard.

13. Close the Web browser and restart it. You can now surf the internet using the wireless router. Connect wireless computers to the router as needed.

References

• PCMag: How to Set Up a Wireless Home Network
• Netgear Support: Wireless Router Setup Manual
• Microsoft Windows: Set Up a Wireless Router
• Microsoft at Home: 5 Steps -- How to Set Up Your Home Wireless Network
• Cisco: Setting-Up a Linksys Wireless-G VPN Router with DSL Internet
• Cisco: Accessing the Linksys Wireless-G VPN Router's Web-Based Setup Page