4 Easy Steps to a Linksys Router Setup

To get through your Linksys router setup, you're going to need to have all the information to login to your internet that you've got from your ISP (Internet Service Provider).  You'll need the username and password along with the setting we'll enter here to get your internet set up.  Once that's completed, don't forget to set up your wireless router security so your connection is only used by who you decide.

If your router is able to have an open source, I highly recommend going with Tomato, it's served me really well, and after the installation, I'd never go back to the factory firmware again.  If you're not sure what I'm talking about simply ignore this talk about firmware and continue reading below.

Now that your firmware is set, or you've decided to go with your factory firmware, let's go through a basic Linksys router setup.  Make sure you've connected the modem from your ISP to your router, then connect the router to the computer before you begin the next steps.  Some pictures of this are available at set up a home network.

Steps to a Linksys Router Setup

• Step 1 - Install a firmware, or decide to stay with your factory firmware.
• Step 2 - Get the manual and find the address to log into your router.  This is typically 192.168.1.1 if you get asked for a username and password it's usually admin for both.  This information will be in your manual as well.
• Step 3 - Click on Basic setup, or Setup if you have a factory firmware.
• Type - Refers to the type of internet connection, as you can see here mine is PPPoE.
• Username - Assigned by your ISP
• Password - Enter your password that you got from your ISP
• Service Name - Enter anything you'd like to call your internet connection.
• Connection Mode - If you have any type of high speed internet service, select keep alive.
• Check Interval - I have mine set to 15 seconds, this is how often the router will look to see that your internet connection is still connected.
• MTU - If you have this from your ISP, you can change it, otherwise the default will be fine.
• Static DNS - You can leave these blank, however, typically ISP DNS servers are slow, if you enter 208.67.222.222 for the first and 208.67.222.220 you'll get a much faster DNS server.
• DHCP Server - Check this box, this way the router will assign an IP to your computer and automatically give you internet access to anyone that plugs into your router.

You can click on Save at the bottom of the page if you wish and your Linksys router setup is all set to go, if you want wireless set up as well, continue to finish the last step.  On the factory router setup, you might need to save, then find the router wireless settings. Feel free to click around and find the wireless settings, as nothing is saved until you click save.

• Step 4 - Once you've found the wireless setup, we'll enable it, and set up some security, your linkys router setup isn't complete without it.
• Enable Wireless - Just check the box to enable wireless internet.
• Wireless Mode - Select access point to connect any device just like it was wired in.
• If you have a mode - Leave this default unless you know which mode is supported by all your devices.  In this case, I use mixed.
• SSID - Enter a short name that you'd like to call your wireless connection.  You'll need this to connect your wireless devices.
• Broadcast - If you have this box, make sure it's checked.
• If you have a channel option - You can leave this default, unless you have interference or connection problems at which point you can try one of the other settings.
• Security - Change this to WPA2 Personal.
• Encryption - Change to AES.
• Shared Key - Type any text in here you'd like.  You'll need this as a password on devices you want to connect to this network.

There we go, click on Save and your linksys router setup is complete.  Give your router about a minute to save all the settings. To start with the new settings and let your computer connect to the newly set up network, remove the power wire from the router, wait 30 seconds, then plug the router back in.

Write down the SSID and the Shared key, you'll need to have them for all wireless devices to be connected to your network.  If you want to make the most of your computer network connection, the speed up my internet page will help you make the most of your internet connection.