Whether you just bought a new house or moved to a new apartment there are a few essentials you will want to get set up as quickly as possible. One essential for all your communication and entertainment needs is an internet connection. Setting up your internet should be as easy as connecting a couple of cables if you have already paid for service through an internet service provider. If you haven’t, that must be done before following these steps. Before starting, make sure you have a modem with a power cord, a coaxial cable or a phone cord depending on your connection type, an Ethernet cable, and a router (the router is optional).
Connect The Modem
The first step is to connect an Ethernet cable by plugging one end into a computer and the other end into a port on the router. Typically an Ethernet cable will be provided with your modem or router, but any Ethernet cable will work and they can be bought at most stores. Next, you will need to connect the modem to a cable outlet using a coaxial cable if you have cable internet or into a phone jack with a phone cord if you have DSL internet. If your cable outlet is already in use, you can use rf splitters to give you extra outlets.
Power On And Test Connection
Now you are ready to connect the power cord and plug it into an outlet. Once this is done your modem should start to boot up and you should see lights turn on. It usually takes a minute or so for the modem to boot up. Once your power is on, you can open a web browser on your computer and test your connection. If you type in a website and it loads, you are connected. If not, make sure all cables are properly connected, restart your modem or computer, or contact your ISP.
Set Up Network
After this, you have the option to connect to a router if you have one. Routers give additional Ethernet ports and often provide a wireless signal so you can set up WiFi. Some modems are an all in one unit that provides wireless signals and extra Ethernet ports, so this step is not necessary. Connecting a router is as simple as connecting the Ethernet cable from the modem into the “Ethernet in” port on the router instead of directly into a computer. You can now connect to your modem’s IP address to set a password and security. Typically, the IP address will be 192.168.0.1 and 192.168.1.1. but you can search for your specific IP address. You should now be ready to surf the web!