We are all moving to a more smart home. This means that more and more people are embracing technology in every facet of their lives. With that in mind, however, many people keep on asking, “without a laptop or a PC, can I set up a Wi-Fi router?” In a few words- YES!
?In this day and age, it is quite hard to find someone without a laptop or a personal computer. However, it seems like people are now investing more in smartphones and tablets. This means a millennial may have a phone and a tablet and have no computer.
In other cases, you may have a computer that is toast. In this case, if you want to connect the router to access the internet in your home. We all know that the smart home utilizes a router for the devices to function.
In this case, we can use the phone or the tablet to set up the router.
However, using a computer is still preferred since you can set up the router fully. The mobile devices are able to partially set up the router in most cases.
Below is a step by step guide on how you can set up a Wi-Fi router without a computer.
Before starting the procedureKindly ensure that the smartphone or the tablet that is running on Android or IOS software that you are using has enough charge for the procedure. In case the smart device does not have enough charge, kindly connect it to a power source. This will ensure that you have sufficient charge in your device to complete the procedure.On your smart device, install network discovery software. This may not be necessary if your default logging-in process goes smoothly. The software includes either FING, EZ NetScan, or any other network discovery software. Kindly note that these apps are free for download from Google Playstore or Apple store depending on the device you are using.Have an object with a pointed tip like a pen or a needle. The object will be necessary in case you need to do a router reset.If possible, kindly trace the router manual that comes with the device or the instructions indicated at the back of your router.? The manual is important in setting up the router for you to access the internet. You can also get the manual on the manufacturer’s website if you do not have one in your possession.
If you have all these then you are ready to start the setup process. Therefore, let’s get rolling.
Every router comes with a default username and password that is used to login to the admin panel. This will be noted in the manual that comes with the device. If you can’t find it there, search for the details using the router model number on your search engine.A process on how to set up a WiFi router without a computer
Whether you are using an android device or an IOS device, the procedure for the router setup is almost the same. The following are the steps that you will need to set up the router.Step 1: Switch on the router
For this step ensure that the router is connected to a power source and then press the switch on button. The router may take some time to boot once the power-on button is pressed. In most routers, the device takes a minute or two for it to power up.
However, the time it takes to boot depends on the router. The manual that comes with the router will give you a direction on how to know if the router is on.Step 2: Turn on the WiFi on your android or IOS smartphone or tablet
Turning on the WiFi on your phone will show all the available WiFi networks. If you are at a place with many WiFi connections, you will find several networks in your WiFi connection. Therefore select the network that comes from your router and connect.
The network name or SSID in most cases involves the brand name of your router in combination with some numbers. For example, if you are using a Netgear router, the SSID will be “NETGEARXXX”
You can also check the network name/ SSID at the back of your router or in the device manual that accompanies the device when you buy it. In most cases, the network name will be listed together with the default WiFi password.Step 3: Select the router network and key in the password
As we have indicated in step 2 above, the device comes with a listed password and network name. Kindly select the router network and then key in the password. Once you do that the device will take some time to connect to the network.Step 4: Find the router IP address
You can find the internal IP address sing 3 simple ways. These methods help you connect easily to the WiFi and are easy to accomplish if you followed the preparation steps above. The three ways are:Refer to the router manual
When you buy a brand new router, the gadget comes with a manual to guide the use of the router. Therefore during setup, check the default IP address of your router on your manual.Check for the IP address on the sticker at the back of your router
Most routers come with a sticker attached to the back. This sticker has basic instructions on how to use the router. During setup, therefore, you can check the IP address on the sticker by turning the router upside down.Using the network discovery software
The downloaded network apps can help in getting the IP address in case it cannot be found on the manual or at the back of the router. Apps like EZ Netscan and FING are very easy to use when you have an internet connection.
Just open the downloaded app with your internet on. Once open, search for the WiFi router IP address where it is displayed next to the SSID name. Because of this, you can easily locate the IP address. The default IP address is 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 but the network discovery software will guide you on the IP address.
For example, if you are using FING, the IP address will be shown under the SSID of the network you are using just adjacent to the Wi-Fi symbol.Step 5: In your android or IOS device, open the browser and type the IP address
Starting with the ‘http://’ key in your IP address in the address bar of your browser. Once the IP address is typed in and you have pressed enter, the device will now give you a login screen (admin page). On this login screen, you will put in the default login details to log in.
These login details are available at the sticker on the back of the router or with the device manual. These details will enable you to access Wi-Fi in your device.
In case these details do not work then try the following details:
Username: admin
Password: password
This will then work and give you access to the router admin page. You can now make the change to the Wi-Fi router. This way you can give your Wi-Fi router the username and password that you prefer in a similar way to the way you can change the details on a computer.
How to reset the router if the steps above do not work
While the steps above will most definitely work in most routers, it may not work in some devices. This may be because of not following the steps as stipulated above or some other reasons.
In this case, you can rest the router using the ‘reset button’ or using the ‘restore factory settings button.” This button is found at the back of the modem and is outlined in red. You can reset your Netgear router as shown here.
Using the pointed object that we set aside at the start of the process, press the reset button for at least 30 seconds and up to a minute. The pressing of the reset button should be done until the router lights blink off and back on.
After the factory settings are restored, you can follow the procedure again. Kindly note that pressing the button will result in losing any information that is already keyed into the router setup.
If after repeating the procedure the router does not work, then call the customer service of your router brand. They will assist you with their setup procedure.Important things to note
The last 2 steps are very important in the setup process. This is because before the whole process is complete you cannot access the admin panel.
Since no routers have the same setup menu, it is good to refer to the router manual if the process does not work. For Arris modem routers, the process is as described here.
It is important to make sure that the Android or IOS device that you are using does not go off in the setup process.
There are several good routers you can set up using this simple procedure. These routers work can be used in providing internet for most of the internet service providers like Spectrum, Xfinity, AT&T among others.The final word
The above steps give a guide on how to set up a WiFi router without a computer. It is quite clear it is possible to set up a router without a computer but if a computer is available, it is better suited for the job. This is because some of the tasks being done on a smart device are easily done on a computer.
In some cases, you may also want to connect this router to another router wirelessly. This will enable you to get connected to the internet no matter how far you are from the primary router. You may also use an extender to accomplish this.
Kindly also inform us if this procedure does or does not work for you by leaving a comment.