How to find the IP address of your router

Tired of being the only wireless network in your apartment building without a clever name like “Wu-tang LAN” or “Bill Wi the Science Fi?” Or maybe you just want to make your network password more secure so that it prevents your neighbors from mooching off your internet connection. You’re not the only one who needs to. Most routers come with a default IP address and login credentials, which vary from one manufacturer to the next. If you haven’t bothered to go in and make changes to your network settings, you may find that you can still access the admin panel using that information. To be able to do that though, you need to know how to find the IP address of your router. After you’ve gained access to your router’s settings, you can change how your network is displayed, who can access it, and make sure your connection is secure. It would also be a great time to change that default username and password so that no one else can use this guide to change the access protocols back. If you’re in search of a new router, some may be able to help increase your overall network security with new features and built-in malware protection. Be sure to check out our guide on the latest and best routers available on the market. Linksys Step 1: Most Linksys routers have the same default settings. The admin panel can be accessed on most Linksys routers by entering “http//:192.168.0.1” in the address bar of your browser. If you own a smart router, enter “http://myrouter.local” instead. Step 2: Log in using admin for both the username and password, assuming you haven’t changed the default username and password already. Step 3: You’ll want to make sure to change your router passwords the first time you log in, lest you leave yourself susceptible to anyone on your Wi-Fi network accessing your router’s admin page. If you need more help, use Linksys’ official support portal. D-Link Step 1: You’ll be able to log in to your D-Link router by using: http://mydlinkrouter.local or http://192.168.0.1 and if that doesn’t work, 192.168.1.1 should. Step 2: The default username is admin and you’ll want to leave the password field blank. Step 3: Since most D-Link routers are not password-protected by default, you’re going to want to add a password as soon as possible to prevent hackers from accessing your network. D-Link also has a dedicated support knowledge base should you need more help. Belkin Step 1: For almost all Belkin routers, the default web setup is located at http://192.168.2.1 though http://router may also work for you. Due to the method in which login credentials are set up, you likely won’t have to enter anything in the username and password fields when trying to access the admin panel. Step 2: By default, Belkin routers have no password on the admin account. This means the username field should be left blank, though you may have to enter “admin” instead. Step 3: You’ll definitely want to change the username and password if you have a Belkin router. It’s simple for someone with access to your network to make changes in the admin panel that could open security holes or allow them to install malware and hacking software. More information can be found for specific router models on the Belkin support site. Netgear Netgear Nighthawk AC2600 router-top More Story continues Bill Roberson/Digital Trends Step 1: A number of Netgear routers feature the login credentials on the bottom or back of the device, but if yours does not, the company has still made it easy to access your admin panel. If you’re using a Netgear router, simply enter http://www.routerlogin.net in the address bar of your browser or navigate to 192.168.0.1 to access the login screen. Step 2: The username is almost always admin, and the password will either be password or 1234 if you’re using an older device. Step 3: Having a text URL makes things easy to remember, but it also makes your router’s settings more vulnerable. If someone has access to your network, they don’t need to determine its IP address. For this reason, it’s particularly important to change the default login to prevent any unwanted changes to your network settings. Netgear’s support knowledge base will give you more information on specific router models if you need it. Asus Step 1: Nearly all Asus routers use 192.168.1.1 as the default IP, which makes it easy to access the admin panel in your browser. Newer routers, however, will direct requests to http://router.asus.com to your local router’s setup page. Step 2: The username and password should be admin on almost all models and firmware revisions. Step 3: The default passwords can help if you’ve never changed your settings before, but it’s recommended that you change them the first time you access the admin panel to prevent unauthorized access by anyone who’s able to access your Wi-Fi network. The support team at Asus can give you more help if you need it, as well as access to various articles on the company’s range of devices. Other routers Regardless of your router’s manufacturer or model, there is a surefire way to find its IP address, even if it isn’t operating on the default settings. If you’re running Windows 10, you can enter cmd in the search field and click the top result to access the Command Prompt. Then, in the resulting window, type ipconfig to bring up a page with information on your network’s connection. It’s one of the most important commands to know when it comes to using the Command Prompt interface. how to find your routers ip and admin cmd02 The field marked Default Gateway shows the IP address of whatever router you’re connected to at the time. For almost all routers, you can enter this IP address in your browser’s URL bar to access your router’s login page. If you’re running MacOS, this information can be found in System Preferences. Under Network, select the tab that corresponds to your current connection (wired or wireless), and then click on Advanced. Click the TCP/IP tab, and the IP address of your router will appear either as Router or Default Gateway, depending on which version of MacOS you’re currently running. There are many different companies that make routers, and if yours isn’t listed here, RouterPasswords has compiled a large database of default usernames and passwords sorted by make and model. If you find that you aren’t able to log in to the admin panel with one of these, then your login credentials may have been changed at some point. Need some help tracking that password? Consider a password manager such as those featured in our guide. If this is the case, you’ll need to perform a factory reset on your router. The exact process for doing so varies from router to router, but you should be able to find instructions on the manufacturer’s support, site or in the documentation provided with your router. If you’ve lost the physical copy of the instructions, just Google manual or pdf along with the make and model of your router.