Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2021 December 17

= December 17 =

Wi-Fi query
Can a router that my subcriber provided be replaced by one that I choose (buy) in a plug-n-play kind of sernio ? Or is the bandwith/dependability already set before the router? Thanx for any input. - FlightTime  ( open channel ) 20:58, 17 December 2021 (UTC)
 * Usually you can use any router, but you need to know how to set up it properly. Ruslik_ Zero 20:04, 18 December 2021 (UTC)
 * — did you mean "... that my ISP provided"? If so, check with your ISP. Some ISPs (e.g. 2 in Australia that I have used) will provide some technical support, but limited by their lack of knowledge of that particular router that you have. Eg they might tell you to ensure that foo is enabled, and that bar is set to 3, but they might not be able to tell you exactly where in the configuration menus those settings are on your router (if it is one they are not familiar with). Mitch Ames (talk) 06:59, 19 December 2021 (UTC)
 * But be aware that the ISP tech support are not perfect. I recently had a problem when I did a factory reset of the router that my ISP had provided. They gave me a specific list of settings that I had to change from the default - but they missed one, which caused subtle problems that took me two weeks to track down. Mitch Ames (talk) 07:07, 19 December 2021 (UTC)
 * My ISP takes care of firmware updates. If you have your own equipment, it is possible you may have a problem with arranging firmware updates, which ultimately may become a security problem if vulnerability loopholes cannot be closed. --Lambiam 09:08, 19 December 2021 (UTC)
 * Every router or modem that I've owned in the last 20 years has allowed me to update the firmware, always obtained directly from the router/modem manufacturer. (Including a Netgear, admittedly a few years ago - I have a different brand now.) Some technical competence is required, but I prefer not to let anybody - including my ISP - control my hardware over the internet. (It's a personal choice - I know it is not for everyone. And I know that the ISP has a great deal of control of my internet connection, obviously.) Mitch Ames (talk) 09:53, 19 December 2021 (UTC)
 * Could you explain what you mean by a "plug-n-play kind of scenario"? Pretty much every router has the user ability to configure plug and play. If you think your router is out of date, your ISP should give you a new one for free. The maximum bandwidths are definitely already configured: your maximum external bandwidth onto the internet is set by your ISP. Often if you pay more you can get a faster connection: the actual speed may vary according to the time of day, the number of users in your street, etc., unless you have a full fibre connection (often 1 Gb) to your front door. Your Wi-fi bandwidth inside your house will be dependent on your router's wireless capabilities. The specs are at Wi-Fi. The strength of the signal depends on a wide variety of factors: eg the router's location; the wi-fi capability of your device; the number of other wi-fi users; any wireless repeaters will reduce the signal by 50%; even a plate glass window and certainly a brick or stone wall will severely affect its speed. Apple routers have their own specific set of rules and terminology, about which I have minimal knowledge. To access your router's configuration: If you are running Windows, open a command prompt (Windows Key → Run → type  ) and type  . Note down the IP address of the Default Gateway (usually  ) and enter that number in the url bar of your browser (usually press F6). Your router's admin username and password should be printed on the back of your router or on a removable plastic slip. The plug and play section should be accessible from there. Consult your router's User Manual (RTFM). If you don't know what you're doing, there are many ways to mis-configure it, and you should seek expert help from a local PC repair shop or technician. Unless you are aware of any known problems specific to your router, there should be no reason at all to update the firmware. MinorProphet (talk) 17:00, 20 December 2021 (UTC)
 * You will need to check with your ISP. They may restrict what equipment you can use on their network, and may enforce this with authentication. As others have noted your modem/router/gateway has no effect on the bandwidth that the ISP makes available to you. That is all controlled "upstream" of you, at their equipment. The only scenario where it would make a difference would be if said modem/router/gateway was faulty in some way that made your network connection not work like it should (for instance, making the connection drop out). --47.155.96.47 (talk) 02:17, 24 December 2021 (UTC)
 * — While that is true, the original question was specifically about wi-fi, so we should consider the wi-fi bandwidth (eg between laptop and router), not just the bandwidth between router and ISP. My router (Netcomm NF18ACV) has (advanced) settings that explicitly allow me to "specify the maximum bandwidth of the 802.11g [wi-fi] network". Mitch Ames (talk) 02:35, 24 December 2021 (UTC)
 * Good catch. Though if you want optimum Wi-Fi performance, and can't/don't want to replace the ISP device, the best thing is to not use the Wi-Fi on it and use a high-quality Wi-Fi router, mesh network, etc. "behind" it on your LAN. This is what I do. --47.155.96.47 (talk) 05:20, 24 December 2021 (UTC)