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If you have a broadband connection to the internet, whether it’s DSL, cable or even a T1 line, then you will also have a physical device that routes your local private network to the public internet. Unless you have a single computer or a simple peer-to-peer network that uses ICS (Internet Connection Sharing, which we discussed recently) this device connecting you to the outside world could be a hardware firewall, a wireless access point, or a connection-sharing device such as a proxy server.

Whatever this device is, it will connect to the Internet in the same way that a single computer does, and will need to be configured in much the same way too. Although these routing devices are not necessarily equivalent to a general-purpose PC, they perform similar functions as far as the Internet connection goes, and are nothing to be intimidated by.

First, you would need to make sure that your broadband connection is completely functional and your configurations are working. The information you would need on hand includes:

IP Address (Static or Dynamic)
Subnet Mask
Gateway
DNS Servers

Static IP addresses are not commonly assigned for residential applications since you only need one IP address. This is why some ISP providers identify your system and provide a temporary IP address based on your registered MAC address or PPPoE, and you are requested for a login and password to connect.

If this is an expansion and you already have a machine up and running with configurations you can’t even remember, just go to START-RUN and type in CMD to go to your command prompt. Then type in IPCONFIG, which will display all the settings listed above that you will need for your gateway device.

Most routers are configured by default to automatically obtain an IP address from the broadband modem if you have a DHCP server available. These are the most common configurations for your routers:

The simplest configuration is if you have static IP Address. Most router/gateways are accessible via an administration page using your browser. Your documentation will provide you the IP address and login/password for your router/gateway. Normally it would be just typing in http://192.168.0.1 (if this is the correct IP address of the router). Then it will prompt you to login. Enter all essential information as listed above and most probably this will be the only configuration you would need after your router reboots.

If you are required by your ISP to login for Internet access, then you will need to configure your router for PPPoE and just next to this will be configuration settings for your login and password. Make sure you also set your IP address to "Dynamic IP" or "ISP Provides IP automatically."

If your ISP originally required you to register your MAC address then you will need to "clone" the MAC address of the computer you used when you first set-up your Internet connection. A MAC address is a unique number that is on each network card. The router will be able to recognize the computer’s MAC address and be able to copy it to its own so when it logs into your ISP, it would be recognized as your old registered MAC address.

Most if not all router/gateway/access points use a Web-base configuration interface. They probably have other functions available like filtering and packet forwarding, but these can be configured later once the basic connection settings are done. In addition to configuring the connection between the routing device and your broadband Internet modem, you also need to configure the routing device to serve as a DHCP server so it can provide IP address information to your local network clients. Wireless Access Points and VPNs are configured similarly in that you will either assign a static IP to your network or enable your DHCP.

You might need to reboot your system to renew your IP and acquire the new configuration. This would automatically assign your IP, gateway, and DNS setting which should now give you access to the internet using your newly configured router, gateway, wired or wireless access point.

Disclaimer - The Micro 2000 Tech Tip is a free service providing information only. While we use reasonable care to see that this information is correct, we do not guarantee it for accuracy, completeness or fitness for a particular purpose. Micro 2000, Inc. shall not be liable for damages of any kind in connection with the use or misuse of this information.