Section 23. About Internet Settings

23. About Internet Settings

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

About Configuring the Wireless Router

Access Router Configuration

The wireless router's Internet settings are essential; they must be entered correctly so that the wireless router can connect to the broadband device and ultimately to your ISP that provides your Internet connection. You should have the following information (it was provided to you by your ISP when you signed up with the service) at the ready to configure the router's Internet settings:

• Login Name and Password If your service provider requires you to log in to access the Internet, your ISP should have provided you with a login and password. These settings must be entered into the router configuration to access the Internet. This logon name and password are not the same as the logon name and password you use to access the WiFi router through your web browser. You must get this special logon and password from your Internet service provider.

Note

Some ISPs might also provide you with a service name to access the Internet. You will also need this information to configure the wireless router. Call your ISP's help desk before configuring the WiFi router so that you can gather the information necessary to configure the router correctly.

• IP Address and Subnet Mask If your ISP has provided you with a static IP address, you will need the address with which you were provided. Otherwise, you will configure the wireless router so that it gets its IP address and other TCP/IP settings dynamically.

• DNS Server Names Some ISPs require you to configure the router so that it knows the IP addresses of your primary and secondary DNS name servers. Otherwise, this information is configured dynamically.

Make sure that you jot all this information down on a piece of paper so that you can configure the router when you access the configuration utility. In situations where you don't need a logon name (and password) and receive your IP address and other TCP/IP settings dynamically through your ISP's DHCP server, you won't need any of this information, which makes the router configuration extremely straightforward.

As with any of the router and wireless network adapter settings that we discuss, the actual settings vary from device to device. However, you will find that the router configuration utilities for various vendors' wireless routers are very similar in terms of how settings are grouped on the configuration screens.