A guide to Linksys routers

Linksys is a popular brand of home routers manufactured by Cisco. A router joins two computer networks together. There are many types of routers, such as wireless routers, DSL routers, and cable routers. Once, you have your Linksys router connected, it is simple to setup and configure. Once, you have the router set up and configured, you can access the Internet on any computer in the network.

Linksys router setup

The procedure -Place the Linksys router in a central location. Make sure that the router is not surrounded by metal. Metal affects the Linksys range. -Attach the antennas to the router, if you have a wireless router. Connect the Ethernet cable from your Internet provider’s modem into the port on the back of the Linksys router labeled Internet or WAN. -Connect another Ethernet cable into one of the available ports on the back of the router numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. Plug the other end of this cable into the Ethernet port on your computer.

Configure Linksys router

Configuration Open your web browser, such as Internet Explorer or Firefox. Type http://192.168.1.1 into the address bar and press Enter. The password You will be prompted to enter your user name and Password. Leave the user name field blank and enter admin as the password and click OK. This is the default password for all Linksys routers. You will see many configuration options after you log in. The router ships The Linksys router ships with default settings enabling it to work right out of the box, so you will not need to change anything if you don’t want to. If you are using a wireless router, it is recommended that you set an SSID to identify the router as your own and configure WEP to encrypt wireless traffic. Encrypting wireless traffic -Click on Internet Setup on the main screen. -Select your connection type from the drop down menu. - Select DHCP for cable modems and PPPoE for DSL modems. If you are unsure what you should select, check with your Internet Service Provider for help. -Set the SSID (service set identifier) to identify the router and change the password. -Encrypt the wireless connection by using a WEP (Wireless Encryption Protocol) key. -Click the Wireless Security option, enter a very unique password and click Generate. If anyone tries to connect to your router outside of your network, they will have to enter in this password.