Short answer: connect to your router’s Wi-Fi or plug in with a cable, type the router’s address into your browser’s address bar, and sign in with the admin password you created when you set it up. That’s not the Wi-Fi password.
Step 1: connect to the router
The settings page lives on the router itself, so you have to be on its network. TP-Link notes that you must be connected by Ethernet or Wi-Fi, and that the page doesn’t need a working internet connection. That’s useful when the internet is down.
Step 2: open the router’s address
Type the address into the browser’s address bar. TP-Link warns that typing it into a search engine won’t take you to the login page.
| Brand | Address |
|---|---|
| TP-Link | tplinkwifi.net or 192.168.0.1 |
| NETGEAR | routerlogin.net or 192.168.1.1 |
| ASUS | www.asusrouter.com or the LAN IP, e.g. 192.168.50.1 |
These come from each maker’s own instructions. Other brands, and internet provider gateways, use their own addresses.
If you don’t know the address, use your router’s IP, also called the default gateway. Windows shows it as “Default Gateway” in your network details, Mac and iOS as “Router”, and Android and ChromeOS as “Gateway”.
Step 3: sign in
You need the router’s admin password. NETGEAR’s user name is admin with the password you chose during setup. ASUS asks you to create a login account the first time you sign in, and newer TP-Link models require a custom admin password on first login.
The admin password and the Wi-Fi password are different things. NETGEAR states plainly that the Wi-Fi password is not the admin password. Many routers also have a phone app (Nighthawk, ASUS Router, TP-Link Tether) that signs you in the same way.
If the page won’t load
- Turn off any VPN or proxy. TP-Link says these can stop your browser reaching the router’s local address.
- Try the IP address instead of the name, using the default gateway from step 2.
- A security warning is normal. TP-Link explains that its interface uses a self-signed certificate, which browsers flag.
- Check you’re on the right network. If your provider’s gateway is also a router, you may be reaching that one instead; see double NAT explained.
If you’ve forgotten the password
The only way back in is a factory reset, which erases your settings. ASUS’s instructions are to hold the reset button for at least 5 seconds until the power light flashes. After a reset, set the router up again and choose a strong new admin password.
Once you’re in, go through our router security checklist.