How To Access Your Router Remotely

How To Access Your Router Remotely

Accessing your router remotely is a handy feature that allows you to manage your router from anywhere with an internet connection.

It is pretty easy to setup, and once setup is finished, it is almost as easy to log in remotely as it is to login while on your network.

Want to find out how to access your router remotely? Then please read on!

What Exactly Is Remote Access (And What Are The Benefits And Dangers Of Enabling It On My Router)?

Remote access for your router is a feature that allows you to log into your router from anywhere in the world that has an internet connection.

It allows you to do anything you are normally able to do by logging into your router on your home networks but remotely. This can include things such as changing your router's security settings and setup options.

Wireless Network Router

Of course, while this can be useful, allowing remote access does bring up a number of security risks. If remote access is allowed, anyone with internet access could theoretically gain access to your router if they have, or obtain via devious means, some simple information about your router.

This would allow them to do things such as find out(and change) your network’s security features, which could give them unrestricted access to your network.

As with anything on the internet, make sure you consider all the risks before changing any of your router’s settings!

For security reasons, we strongly recommend allowing Remote Access only as and when it is needed. At all other times you should consider disabling it.

How To Enable Remote Access And Access Your Router Remotely

In this guide, we will focus on Linksys routers. However, no matter what the brand of your router is, the process and the basics will be fairly similar.

1: Log In To Your Router

As with anything that involves changing the settings of your router, your first step will be to log into your router to access its web-based setup page.

2: Enable Remote Management

Next, you will have to enable remote management. Simply go to ‘Administration’ then find ‘Remote Management’. You then need to enable it. Remember to click ‘save Settings’ before you leave this page!

You should also be able to check your router’s remote management port on this screen. On Linksys (and most other) routers it is set to 8080, but it is worth making a note of it just in case.

Now before going on to the next step, please remember that turning on this feature allows access to your router from anywhere in the world. This does, of course, increase the chances of your router being hacked.

3: Find Your Router’s WAN IP Address

When you login to your router on your network you always have to type in your router’s LAN IP address. Similarly, when you want to log in to your router remotely, you have to type in your router’s WAN IP address. This is the address that can be accessed from anywhere on the internet.

To find your router’s WAN IP address on a Linksys router, simply click ‘Status’ and then find the ‘IP Address’ in the ‘Internet’ section.

4: Login To Your Router Remotely

Now that remote access is set up and you know your router’s WAN IP address and management port, you can try to access your router remotely.

To do this, connect to the internet on any network that isn’t your own. Open an internet browser and type in your router’s IP address followed by the management port. For example: 45.83.68.231: 8080.

This will bring you to your router’s login page and you can login to your router as you normally would.

Pro Tip: Change Your Router’s Login ??Details

Most routers use default login details to allow access to their web-based setup.

This isn’t generally a big problem (although you should still change your login details for extra security), when only people on the local network can access the router.

However, when anyone with an internet connection can access your router it is, of course, a good idea to change your router’s password.

You can do this from your router’s web based setup page. Simply log in to your router, click ‘Administration’, find the ‘Router Password’ section, and then enter a new and secure password.

As we recommended ?previously, consider only enabling Remote Management as and when required.

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