Learning how to connect your router and modem is one of the most crucial, yet also most simple, parts of building your home network.
Once you have all the required equipment, you pretty much just have to connect them together in the correct way.
Before You Cable Up
There are a number of things you will need before you can connect your router to your modem. You will need:
- A router
- A modem
- An Ethernet cable to connect your modem and your router
- An extra Ethernet cable to connect your router to your computer
- A coax cable to connect your modem to the internet
- Network device (laptop, PC etc)
How To Connect A Router And A Cable Modem Together
1. The first thing you will need to do is to connect your modem to your home internet connection point. To do this, you can simply connect a coax cable from your modem to the coax outlet in your home.
2. You then need to connect your modem and your router. You will do this using an Ethernet cable. Simply plug the Ethernet cable into the port on your modem and the 'WAN' port on your router.
On your router you will likely have many different Ethernet ports, so make sure you plug the cable into the Ethernet port that says ‘internet’ or ‘WAN’.
This port will usually be a different color to the other ports.
3. Now it is simply a case of turning both devices on. First, switch on the modem, making sure that you wait for all the lights to come on to show that you have a connection.
4. After this, you can turn on your router. Like with your modem, you should wait for all the lights to come on (there may be some intermittent blinking).
5. Congratulations, your router, and modem are now connected!
You may be able to connect to the internet straight away.
If you can't, you're probably going to have to make some configuration changes on either your modem or your router (or both).
Keep reading for more info.
Video Explaining How To Connect A Netgear Router To A Modem
Access Your Router
If you wish to set up your router or make any adjustments to your network, you will need to access your router’s GUI. To do this, first, plug an Ethernet cable from your router to your computer. Then open a web browser and type in your router’s default IP address.
The default IP address will be in your router’s manual. If for some reason you can’t find the router’s default address, you can try one of the common default IP addresses used for routers.
Our guide on finding your router's IP address may help
Some common IP addresses used by routers include:
- 192.168.1.1
- 192.168.1.254
- 192.168.0.1
You can also find a list of common IP addresses here.
After accessing your router, you will then have to log in.
Like with the IP address, your router's ID and password will be in the manual. If you can't access your manual, you can try one of a range of default passwords and IDs commonly used by router manufacturers.
One of the most common sets of IDs and passwords is quite simply:
User ID: admin
Password: password
...although if this doesn't work, a quick Google search of your routers brand and model number will likely come up with the correct ID and password.
If you're still stuck, you may need to get in touch with your ISP (Internet Service Provider).
Learn how to fully reset your router here
Conclusion
Hopefully, after reading this article you should have no problem connecting your modem to your router. It is generally a fairly simple process, although if you are still unsure about any of the finer points, please leave a comment below.
Alternatively, if you liked the article, please share it on your favorite social media channel.