Accessing your modem through the router may seem tricky and highly technical. But it’s a very simple process.
The great thing is all the modem configurations can be done from the wireless router. In addition to broadcasting your internet signals, the router contains all the configurations of your wireless access.
Most do come with a manual that contains all the important information you need to access and specifically modify any network settings.
This article will take you through each step. Go through the steps keenly to learn how to switch up your modem settings, change passwords and lastly, update your firmware.
How to Access Modem through Router
Accessing the modem through the router is quite easy. However, you must access your router settings. Firstly, you need to log in to your router. Then look for a list of all the devices that are connected to it.
Your modem should be on the devices list. To access the modem, you’ll have to open chrome or any other browser and put in the IP address. You should be able to access your modem.
How To Access Your Router Settings
The router is the custodian of all your Wi-Fi network settings. If you want to do any configuration, you’ll have to log in to your firmware or routers software.
From the firmware, you can certainly modify the password, rename your Wi-Fi network and many more. However, you have to first get into your router settings to make any of these changes.
The Login process is always the same in all the routers, regardless of the router type or network provider. Like it’s the same when you are using a combination of modem/router or a dedicated router.
Find The Router IP Address.
We use the browser to log into the router firmware. The great thing is any browser can perfectly do this job.
We have several browsers like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Safari. Choose the one that interests you.
From the browser, you will see the address field. You have to type the address on the browser.
But it might be different with your router. It’ll be better if you confirm the router’s IP address first. Finding the IP address from windows is not tricky.
Go to the Windows such bar and type “cmd”. To open the command prompt, click “enter.” After opening the command prompt page, write “ipconfig” and click on enter.
Some information will be displayed. Look for the default gateway under the LAN or Ethernet adaptor. That’s certainly your router, and the digits next to it are the IP address.
In windows 10, finding the IP address is straightforward. Now that you have the IP address, you can move to the next step.
Password And Username
These are the information you need to feel after entering the IP address. The username and password are critical and a must to access your router settings.
The information can be default or uniquely created. In the case where you did create new login credentials, you’ll have to use them.
If you do not remember the details or never change them, signing in might be troublesome. But do not worry, there’s always a solution.
Some routers have the password recovery feature. If it applies to your router, then you’ll see it once you enter the wrong credentials severally.
Router Settings
After successful login, you can now access the router settings. You’ll be free to change anything you want, plus see all the devices that are connected and manage them. This includes the modem, phones and computers.
You can modify the network name, password; create parental controls and many more. Always remember to apply/save the changes before navigating to the next screen.
How To Access Modem Settings
The great thing is that today, most modems have built-in wireless networking. This makes it easy to access the modem settings.
With this type of modem, you can access the setting page from any device connected to the network. If the modem does not have wireless networking, you’ll have to use a computer.
Note: The modem has built-in wireless networking if the wireless network is only provided with one internet device (router).
It’s the most popular setup, and with it, you can access both the modem and router settings from any device connected to the network.
Username And Password
To access the modem setting page, you’ll have to use a browser. Any browser can be used to perform the functions. However, it would be best if you had your sign-in credential in hand.
If you did not change your modem information, you’d have to use default information. The default information can be found in your modem or ISP paperwork.
You can search for the default login credentials online. The information is always the admin, usernames and password.
Suppose the information is still set to default purpose to change it once you find the information. It’ll make your network more secure.
The Steps
Step 1
Find your modem IP address. You’ll need the IP address to access the modem’s web management portal. From here, you can do any setting.
Step 2
As mentioned, you can use any web browser to access your modem settings. Therefore open any web browser.
You should be connected to your network while doing this. Type in the modem IP address and click on enter.
Give the page some time to load. It should take some seconds to load completely.
Step 3
After a successful loading, you’ll be redirected to the web management portal. Use your credentials to log into your specific modem portal.
If you are still using default settings, ensure to change them after logging in.
Step 3
The layout is always different with different modems. I can’t be certain about the location of your settings.
However, look around the portal for settings or options. Some modems have various choices under the setting.
That’s simple and advanced. The simple setting is about the basic things in the modem, while the advanced setting involves the critical settings.
In some modems, when you log in, it will directly take you to settings. So you won’t have the struggle of looking for the settings.
From the modem portal, you’ll be able to do several things like changing the password and many more.
Memorize where the setting page is located. It will be helpful in the future. In case your internet has issues, or you want to troubleshoot your network connection.
The Best Cable Modem
There are many types of modems from various manufacturers. However, selecting the right one can be kind of tricky. In this section, we have highlighted some of the best picks available.
Motorola MB7621
This cable modem is quite reliable. The great thing about it supports the fastest internet speeds that are available in most American homes.
It’s also compatible with almost all non-gigabit plans offered by the various service providers in the United States.
This model works perfectly with plans of up to 600 MBs per second. It also comes with a warranty of two years.
Netgear CM600
Its performance is similar to that of Motorola MB7621. However, it’s slightly more expensive than the Motorola MB7621.
The only bad thing about this model is that it comes with a one year warranty. The average speed of the internet in America is about 180 Mbps.
This is a great speed. For any rate below 300 Mbps, then the Netgear CM500 will be the perfect choice for you. The model is also quite popular for its reliability.
Arris Surfboard SB6183
This modem does offer solid performance. It will surely satisfy all your internet needs and that of your customers.
It’s an old version and quite hard to find these days. However, if found, the modem goes at a competitive price and does come with a two-year warranty. This is a plus, and you won’t have to worry since you’ll be sorted for two years.
How To Choose The Right Modem
Compatibility
Before making a purchase, ensure to confirm with the ISP. The modem should be compatible with the service you want to buy. The certified DOCSIS modems function perfectly with the DOCSIS internet service providers.
Warranty and Price
This does not mean that you should go for the cheapest modems. It’s because the most affordable is not as powerful.
However, pay for something that will offer value for money in several years. Always compare the prices from different dealers before making a purchase. I’m sure you’ll get a great deal somewhere.
The warranty option should also be great. The warranty should not be anything below one year.
Conclusion
Many people think that accessing the modem through the router is tricky or impossible. But I can assure you it’s so possible and easy.
The most important details that you need are the IP address and the login information. The login information is the username and password.
With these, you’ll be good to go. I hope the article has been helpful to you.
