What Does a Router Do For Your Computer

A router takes information that arrives through our broadband signal via a modem, decipher it and then deliver it to our computers. A router ‘sits’ between a modem and your computer. This hardware device also choose the best route for our data packet so that we receive the information quickly. Routers are used in home or office networks to share a single Internet connection with multiple computers.

These specialized computers have two separate, but related, jobs:

They make sure information goes to the intended destination.
They also make sure that information doesnt go where its not needed.

Routers used in networks can perform the following functions:

• Act as the default gateway.
• Restrict broadcasts to the LAN.
• Learn and advertise lop free paths.
• Move (route) data between networks.

How to Access Your Router

Open the browser and type the address of your router in the address bar and hit Enter. Your router’s address will depend on its brand. Common brands and their default address include:

Linksys - http://192.168.1.1
Netgear - http://192.168.0.1.
D-Link - http://192.168.0.1
3Com - http://192.168.1.1
Belkin - http://192.168.2.1

Sometimes the default address and default password can be seen printed on the router, but if they cant be found then you can search on the internet.

Type http://192.168.1.1/ (this is the default IP address for the Linksys router) into the addres bar and press enter. A log-in box will then appear. The password and username are both admin for newer Linksys routers. But the password for an older Linksys router is admin with a blank username.

After a set-up page loaded, enter the password and username originally supplied by your ISP to you for accessing the internet. You can contact your provider if you do not know this information.

How to Reset Your Router

If you forgot your router’s password you can reset the router but before doing that, you may want to try the default password and username. Although this is not the same for all routers but it may allow you access to your router.

To reset the router: most routers have a small pinhole on the bottom (or on the back of the router). Pressing this tiny button in and holding on the button for about 10-15 seconds will hard reset the device.