Question about a wireless router

[imjustagirl2]

I don't know if Rosie is on, and since my question is somewhat time dependent, I thought I'd open it up here.

Can I just unplug my wireless router from my apartment, drive it to my parents' house two states away, and plug it in there and just have it work? Do I have to reconfigure it? Does the same password hold?

How does it work?

 

[spup1122]

To the best of my limited knowledge, the router should reconfigure itself to work at your parents house and the same password should always hold true.

 

[indiansnetwork]

I don't know if Rosie is on, and since my question is somewhat time dependent, I thought I'd open it up here.

Can I just unplug my wireless router from my apartment, drive it to my parents' house two states away, and plug it in there and just have it work? Do I have to reconfigure it? Does the same password hold?

How does it work?

It will work fine as long as you do not a have an encrypted network. (as you should) You will have to reinstall your wireless router to network with the new cable or DSL ip address. Your wireless router should have come with a start up disc when you bought it. If you lost that disc or never received one for some reason most routers have online support to assist you in setting up your network.

 

[imjustagirl2]

I lost everything. :(

 

[spup1122]

I don't think he's right. My IP address was floating and my wireless did just fine with whatever IP address it decided to use that day.

 

[pallister]

No way some tech person somewhere can extract it?

 

[indiansnetwork]

I lost everything. :(

The router should have a reset button on it. (most likely in the back you need to use a pencil or pen to push) You have to reset the router to factory defaults first. After resetting the router you have to reconfigure your router. If you plan on doing banking or other financial transactions I would suggest you set up a new password encrypted network. Once again find or use the CD that came with your router. If you do not have this go to the manufacturers web site and use their support to set up a new network. At most it will only take about 25-30 minutes to set it up. I would strongly suggest you write all the process down and write your network passwords down. Once you set up the network your laptop should store the password info so if you get disconnected it will reconnect as needed. One caveat. You have to be on the same Internet provider to use your network.

 

[imjustagirl2]

One caveat. You have to be on the same Internet provider to use your network.

What? Seriously? Because my IP is one local to my city of residence. It won't be the same at my folks. Does that really matter?

****.

 

[indiansnetwork]

I don't think he's right. My IP address was floating and my wireless did just fine with whatever IP address it decided to use that day.

That can be true but if you originally set up a encrypted network you will have to reset the routers setting given that she may be on a different Internet provider. If the provider is the same but if you move you may still need to set up a new network but not likely. The key is if it does not work you have to reset the router and start with factory defaults.

 

[indiansnetwork]

One caveat. You have to be on the same Internet provider to use your network.

What? Seriously? Because my IP is one local to my city of residence. It won't be the same at my folks. Does that really matter?

****.

What internet provider do you have at home and what will you have at your parents? If you use Verizon at home but use AT&T at your parents your router will not work. But if you use Verizon at both you could be fine?
The key is if it does not work you have to reset the router and start with factory defaults.
[/quote]

 

[imjustagirl2]

So let's say I use some local company that is a fly-by-night operation, and my mom's on Verizon (no idea). If I reset my router, will it work? Or am I completely ****ed regardless because our providers don't match?

 

[indiansnetwork]

The IP address is assigned by your provider so if you change Internet providers they will not have matching or updated addresses and will not allow you to connect through a wireless network.

 

[spup1122]

The reset button on the back of the router does not reset the router to factory settings. It resets the internet connection. This is why I believe you are incorrect. You're giving false information off the bat.

 

[imjustagirl2]

ROSIE! HELP ME!

 

[indiansnetwork]

So let's say I use some local company that is a fly-by-night operation, and my mom's on Verizon (no idea). If I reset my router, will it work? Or am I completely ****ed regardless because our providers don't match?

Once you reset it you will be fine and will be able to connect wirelessly again.
I strongly suggest you set up a encrypted network if you plan on doing banking as wireless Internet connects can allow some one to steal you banking information.

 

[indiansnetwork]

The reset button on the back of the router does not reset the router to factory settings. It resets the internet connection. This is why I believe you are incorrect. You're giving false information off the bat.

The only reason I know this works is because I have had to set up my wireless connection in a new location after moving. You are correct it does reset the Internet connect but in order for it to work correctly with your computer both the computer and router have to configured together.

 

[DrRosenpenis]

I have a Linksys router. I moved recently and my laptop actually picked up the router without it even being plugged in. Weird, but true.

 

[indiansnetwork]

ROSIE! HELP ME!

I know this seems complicated and if I could I would set it up for you as I have done this for many people. I am sure you will figure it out and that if you need help their will be people that can help you. You are smart and I am sure you will be fine but I can always offer my help.

 

[The Big Ragu]

So let's say I use some local company that is a fly-by-night operation, and my mom's on Verizon (no idea). If I reset my router, will it work? Or am I completely ****ed regardless because our providers don't match?

IJAG, Short answer is you will probably be fine.

Your ISP nothing to do with anything. The router will work with any WAN (wide area network, or internet connection).

The question is how you have the router set up. Home routers do two things: They take an internet connection to multiple computers and they allow multiple computers to communicate to each other through a network.

If you just took the router out of the box, hooked it up to your cable or DSL modem and hooked a few computers up to it--and didn't change any settings so that you are encrypting data (would have required you set up each computer with the encryption key, so you will know if you did this)--then you shouldn't have any problems taking it somewhere else, hooking it up to their high-speed connection and using it to share the connection. What the router is likely doing, is attaching itself to your ISP IP address, assigning a standard IP address (usually 192.168.1.1) to the router and using the DHCP protocol to attach an IP address to each computer (usually something like, 192.168.1.100, 192, 168.1.101, etc.) so they can communicate with the router.

Chances are you won't have any problem at your parents' house, but bring the manual with you.

By the way, I have no idea what it's like where you live, but where I live I'd never leave a wireless connection unencrypted. Some of my neighbors stupidly do and the signal reaches my living room. I could take control of their computer if I wanted, or piggback off their ISP connection and do something illegal, like trade kiddie porn, if that is the type of person I was. And when the authorities came looking for someone, it would be them, because the ISP's IP address was assigned to their cable or DSL connection.

 

[indiansnetwork]

I have a Linksys router. I moved recently and my laptop actually picked up the router without it even being plugged in. Weird, but true.

Linksys routers are the best. Unless you set up a encrypted password protected network you will not need to reset the router as it should pick up the network automatically.