Using a router for multiple computer Internet Access - pt. II

By Joshua Erdman
Digital Foundation, inc.

with your DSL or cable modem connection

In the last article we explained how to set up your router to share your Internet connection with multiple computers with DHCP as you assigned Internet setting. This articles assumes that your ISP has assigned you an address (or even multiple addresses).

Make sure you followed all the steps outlined in the previous article. These steps will get all your computers configured correctly to communicate with the router. Now we just need to set the router up.

For this next part, we need the assigned settings from your ISP
These are:
IP Address
Subnet Mask
Gateway
DNS Servers

You can obtain this information in either the packet that your ISP has sent you, or from the current TCP/IP settings on your computer that is using the high speed connection. After you obtain these settings we will enter the router configuration interface.

Entering the Linksys Router Configuration

Make sure your computer is set up in the previous article and the router is turned on. Then reboot your machine. At this point when your computer comes back on, it will automatically recieve a network address from the router.

The router configuration is done through a webpage interface. So pull up a web browser and type the router's IP address into your address bar. typically it is: http://192.168.1.1.

One way to find out the router's IP address is to go to the commandline on your computer (Click Start -> Run, then type CMD and press enter). Then type the command 'ipconfig' there look for the address of your 'Default Gateway' this is your router's IP address.

Browing to your router's IP address should pull up the router configuration page, or at least take you to a prompt for a username and password. The default username and password varies between manufacturers but you can find this in your user manual. Typically for Linksys it is: user:admin password:linksys.

I suggest you change the password after you finish setting up your network. You do not need anyone hacking into your router because you left the default security settings on. That is definitely something someone without a clue would do.

Clue: If the username and password mentioned above does not work, consult the manual that your router came with, it is possible that they could have changed the default settings. The same goes for the Address you typed in your address bar.

Configuring the Linksys Router

"WAN settings" is the area where we will put in the assigned settings from your ISP. After you get these settings in save the configuration. You may have to reboot the router for the settings to take effect.

Testing your connection

Things should now be configured. Test it out by browsing to a popular website (Like NetworkClue.com).

Article last reviewed: 06/27/2004

Created by: Digital Foundation, inc.

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