Routers & Wireless Access Points

Any home router can be used on the UConn campus to provide a wireless signal by simply connect to the wall jack via the “network” or “internet” port. However, they must be registered prior to use via our SelfReg system. We highly recommend securing any router you plan to use, as it cuts down on virus threats. Also, any traffic through a router counts against the bandwidth total of whomever it is registered to.

• Wireless access points are similar to routers, but they provide only a single connection. These can work as wireless receivers in addition to broadcasting a signal, making them an inexpensive means of providing a wireless connection for game consoles.
  
  
• Before trying to secure a router, verify that you can connect through it with a wire. To access a router’s settings page, open a web browser (i.e. Internet Explorer) and type in the device’s address. This is almost always some variation on 192.168.1.1 (sometimes .0.1 or .2.1).
  
  
• If none of these work, you will have to look up your router’s address. To do so, click the Start button, and select the “Run” command near the bottom-right corner.  Type “cmd” into the prompt that comes up, and press enter – you should see a black window. In this window, type “ipconfig” and press enter. Somewhere in the resultant text, there should be a number corresponding to “Default Gateway;” this should be your router address.
  
  
• Upon accessing your router, you will be prompted for a username and password. This is a different password from the one used to connect wirelessly. All routers have a separate username and password used to change the settings, usually printed on the bottom of the device itself.
  
  
• After this, you should finally see your settings page. Unfortunately, these vary from one router to another. Consult your product documentation if it is available; look for a “wireless security” menu.
  
  
• There are several different modes of wireless security. We recommend using WPA or WPA2, as they are both very secure, and you can use regular number-and-letter passwords with either of these. Wireless cards manufactured before 2005 or so may not be able to connect to WPA2 networks.