INTERNET CONNECTION - ROUTER - 28.03.2014

Making the most of your router

The configuration screen

First of all, you should open the configuration screen of your router. In most cases, this is done by entering its IP address in your browser’s address bar. To find out this address, hit on the Windows key and the letter R simultaneously on your computer keyboard. In the window that’s opened, type “cmd” (without quotations marks) and click on the OK button. In the black screen that pops up, enter the “ipconfig” command (again without quotation marks) and confirm with the Enter key. A lot of highly technical data will appear, but look for Default Gateway and write down the IP address. When you now type this address in your browser’s address bar the router’s configuration screen will be opened.

Tip. If you haven’t changed your log-in data yet, you can typically log in here by using “admin” as username and password. If this doesn’t work, check out the Port Forward site ( http://portforward.com/default_username_password ) for the default log-in details for your type of router.

DHCP reservation

The router in your home or business is likely to function as a so-called Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server. This means that it will give all the devices in your network a different IP address. If you use, say, a printer or a storage device in this network and you find that the connection is sometimes broken, it can be advisable to configure your router so that these devices are always given the same IP address by the DHCP server. In the router configuration screen, look for the Static DCHP, DHCP Reservation or Address Reservation function - the name may differ from router to router.

Port forwarding

Is an FTP or web server running on one of the computers in your network at home or at the office? Within this network, this server can be reached through the internal IP address of this computer. However, to have access to this server from the outside as well (via the Internet), you should look for the Port Forwarding , Port Mapping or Virtual Server function in the configuration screen of your router. Indeed, the router should be told that incoming traffic (e.g., on port 8080) should be forwarded to the correct IP address of the computer concerned. This may sound complicated, but on the Port Forward website ( http://www.portforward.com ), you will find the instructions for most types of routers.

Even more tips

More tips for the optimal use of your router can be found at, amongst others, PC World ( http://www.pcworld.com/article/242112/router_tips_to_make_your_wireless_faster.html ). Note. These interventions may be quite technical, though, so it’s best to call in the help of a specialist if necessary. Tip. It’s a good idea to make a backup of the router configuration before making any changes. Almost any router type allows this via the configuration screen, for instance in the Administration or System Tools section. The backup is dumped into a file which you can restore through the Restore function in case of problems. Remember that you can always revert to the factory settings if things go completely wrong.