How does router online setup work?

NervousNovice

Member
Apr 15, 2004
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I'm going to get a D-Link DI-604 Router and I know I need to do the setup via browser or online, something like that.

It doens't make sense to me. I mean, when I setup other hardware, say a webcam, then I go to install a webcam driver and setup the webcam, all done on my computer. Similarly, I was thinking to setup a router I would install a driver, then adjust the setting, then I can use it.

I also went to D-Link website's Emulator. At there I can adjust firewall setting, admin password, all those stuff but I'm NOT using their router yet; I'm still using my phoneline connection. Then it tells me "your setting is reset" or something. I was thinking: "what the heck? how can it be set? I dont' even have a router."

It gives me a feeling that it's like Asus provides you a website to adjust your cpu voltage there.

I don't see how DLink know I'm using their router. It doesn't seem that I need to register and setup my own account so I don't see how they can change my router setting. And even if I'm using their router, how can my router setting get changed when I adjust some numbers on a (seemingly unrelated) DLink website. It makes more sense that there is a software CD that I can install and adjust the router on my computer.

Can someone please explain to me how the setup works, how does my router got setup? Is it something like I tell the website what to do and it sends signal to adjust my router?

Thanks.
 

jackschmittusa

Diamond Member
Apr 16, 2003
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Never used their emulator. An emulater pretends to be the real thing. It is just a practice app so you can get the feel of how it will work on your real router. You make contact with your router through a browser (type 192.168.2.1 or something similar into the address bar of the browser, the manual will tell you exactly what the address is) and make all adjustment/settings that way. Most routers have a wizard to help with the setup. I'm sure you will find the basic setup quite easy with the manual and help files. You will need to know whether your ISP uses static (unlikely), dynamic, or PPPPOE for the ip address. They can tell you which.
 

Nothinman

Elite Member
Sep 14, 2001
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It doens't make sense to me. I mean, when I setup other hardware, say a webcam, then I go to install a webcam driver and setup the webcam, all done on my computer. Similarly, I was thinking to setup a router I would install a driver, then adjust the setting, then I can use it.

But a router is like a second PC, you wouldn't try to plugin the second PC to your box to set it up would you? A router is just a small PC running an embedded OS (ios, cbos, Linux, etc) that's sole purpose is to route network traffic between two networks, your Internal network and the Internet.

Generally you connect directly to the router via telnet, ssh, http and adjust the settings there. The only website involved would be the one running on the router itself.
 

JackMDS

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 25, 1999
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1. You get the Router. (Plug it and switch it On).
2. You make sure that your computer is set to get IP Auto.
3. You plug your computer to a regular port in the router using regular CAT5e cable.
4. You start the browser (I.E) on the computer.

You look at the Router Booklet it will tell you the IP of the Router.

You type the IP into the Browser Address Bar http://192.168.x.x (X are numbers that will be in the Router?s Booklet).

You press <ENTER>, Wow magic the Router?s Main Menu will come up, and you can configure your Router.

Why the Router behave this way? See Nothinman post above.

:sun: