How to Add an Android Device to your Belkin Router

What’s the point in having a stylish, new Android Jelly Bean or Ice Cream Sandwich device if you don’t use it to access Wi-Fi through your Belkin Router? Well that’s what an Android device is mostly used for. You can connect to your home network, surf the web, email, game, download apps, or share files etc. to and from other devices.

You can do much more than what I just said here. Amazing it sounds and easy it is to set up your Android device to your Belkin router: 

You can also check out my previous post on adding XBOX 360 to your wireless router.

Step1: Make sure that your Belkin router iks on and you are connected to your wireless home network. Also make sure that you can browse the Internet.

Step2: Also make sure that you have your wireless network name (SSID) and the encryption key handy. Without this information, you cannot connect to your home network on your Android device.

Step3: If you never set up a custom SSID name and security key, you can find the default ones at the bottom of your Belkin router. The information also comes with your original Belkin router setup documentation.

Step4: Once you have the details, do this. On your Android device, tap Settings> Wireless and Network> Wi-Fi. Your Android device will now display the available wireless networks.

Step5: Once you see your wireless network name (the SSID), select it and then tap Connect. If set up a secured wireless network, it may prompt you to enter your encryption key or passphrase.

Step6: Enter the key and proceed to connect. Wait unless you are connected to your Wi-Fi network. When done, open your browser and start browsing the web or emailing etc.

Step7: That’s all you had to do to connect your Android device to your Belkin router. like your Android device, you can connect your gaming console, TV, or another computer to your Belkin router.

How to Set up WPA/WPA2 Security in a Belkin Router

Chances are that in fear of wireless network hijack, bandwidth theft, online intrusion, or virus infections, you might want to secure your wireless network. Setting up an encryption key is the best method for protecting your home or wireless network. Your Belkin router has both WEP and WPA encryption types. In this post, I am going to discuss about the WPA2 security key, which is better in terms of security than WEP. Check the steps given below and secure your wireless network:

Step1: If you have a wireless network configured, you will need to make a wired connection first. Connect your computer directly to your Belkin router using the Ethernet cord.

Step2: Open up the Belkin router’s web interface. To do so, first open your web browser and type ‘192.168.2.1’ in the address bar. Hit Enter to proceed.

Step3: Click Login in the upper right hand side. Enter your Belkin router’s password and then click Submit. Belkin routers, by default, are shipped without passwords. So you can just click Submit. However, do check your Belkin router support docs for exact details.

Step4: On the Belkin Router Setup Wizard window, click Security under Wireless in the left hand side. Beside Security Mode, click the drop-down menu and select WPA/WPA2-Personal (PSK). (See Also how to reset Belkin router to factory settings)

Step5: Beside Authentication, select an authentication type. Once you select the authentication type, the Encryption Technique field will automatically populate.

Step6: Type your password in the Pre-Shared Key (PSK) box. The password should be 8-63 characters (alpha-numeric) long. Also you can use a combination of upper and lower case to make your case sensitive and difficult to crack.

Step7: Make sure that you note down or memorize your password to avoid losing a track of it. Since memorizing the password doesn’t always work, it’s better to make a note of it.

Step8: Click Save Settings to save the changes. From now onwards, any wireless computer that connects to your wireless network will have to provide this encryption key. And that’s it!

DIR600 D-Link Wireless N 150 Home Cloud Router: A Review

Not necessarily that you will be expecting a router to be stylish and compact by design and yet as powerful as delivering greater throughput and covering corner to corner throughout your house or apartment. To help you accommodate your wireless home networking needs, there are so many routers available in markets. However, D-Link Wireless n 150 Home Cloud router is one such stylish router that not only meets your home networking needs but also offers enhanced web protection and miscellaneous features that won’t let you think of buying any other router.

Let’s check the specifications below and then pros and cons of this D-Link router.

Specifications:-

Wireless Standards: IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3u.

Single Band: 2.4 GHz to 2.4835 GHz

Antennas: 1 Fixed 5dbi built-in external

Speed: up to 150 Mbps

Ports: 4 x Ethernet 10/100 ports

Encryption Type: WPA and WPA2

Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS): Enabled (PBC/PIN)

App Enabled: Yes for Android and iOS devices

UPnP® Support: Yes

Advanced Security: Advanced Dual-Active Firewall with NAT (Network Address Translation) and SPI (Stateful Packet Inspection). Mac Address Filtering (MAF) and URL Filtering for enhanced web protection

Remote Cloud Services: Enabled

OS Compatibility: Windows 7 (64-bit & 32-bit), Vista (64-bit & 32-bit), XP

Miscellaneous Features: Traffic Control, Wireless Distribution Support (WDS), Remote Cloud Access, easy setup and configuration

Pros: excellent for small apartment or house. Easy to install and set up with D-Link setup wizard. Offers enhanced web protection with Dual-Active firewalls viz. NAT and SPI. MAC Address Filtering and URL Filtering ensure that you browse and see what’s safe and not contaminated. Integrated with D-Link Cloud Services, WPA & WPA2 encryption techniques, and UPnP® support. Amazingly affordable at a price of just $29.99 with so many built-in features.

Cons: Not designed for multi-room homes or big apartment. Lacks advanced Wireless standard and dual band. Limited wireless coverage with 1 built-in external antenna. Limited bandwidth and slow data transfer speed with 10/100 4 Ethernet ports. (D-Link router support)

Overview: Dir600 D-Link Wireless n 150 Home Cloud router is an affordable, easy to set up router that meets small home networking requirements. Don’t take it if you have a large, multi-storey or multi-room house. When it comes to web protection, it offers the best with Dual-Active NAT and SPI firewalls. (See Also how to configure firewall settings in D-Link® router)

With Mac Address filtering and URL filtering, it blocks intruders from stealing your bandwidth and data. Enhanced WPA™ and WPA2 encryption ensures that you remain safe and protected from the unprotected wireless network traffic. You can choose any encryption type as per your requirements.

Cloud is the buzz today and D-Link has really heard it. The router integrates Remote Cloud Services that will help you virtually access your wireless home network from anywhere via a Android or iOS device on a Wi-Fi, 3G or 4G network. For this to work, you will have to download the free mydlink app on your Android or iOS device from the D-Link App Store.

This remote cloud service can help you manage your home network from your Android or iOS device. You can see who and when connects to your network, view the web browsing history in real time, set up automatic email alerts, block intruding device connections, and even upgrade your router with the latest updates when available.

If you have multiple devices at your home, there is UPnP® support in the router. With UPnP® (Universal Plug and Play) support, you can multiple devices to the router for file sharing, gaming, and streaming media etc. Thus you can easily connect your printer, XBOX or Nintendo, or TV etc. to start enjoying media or games.

Remember, if you connect and simultaneously share on multiple devices, you may experience slow speed and data transfer issues. To avoid this, you may prefer to connect one device at a time. With Traffic Control, you get ultimate web traffic control and peace of mind as well.

Limited wireless coverage is not meant for you. With Wireless Distribution Support, the D-Link router allows your network to expand using multiple access points without requiring additional equipment. Despite that, with limited hardware capabilities you may not experience significant wireless coverage access. (See Also how to use D-Link wireless bridge to extend your network)

How to Reset Netgear Router’s Password on a Mac Computer

Need help resetting password of your Netgear device on your Mac computer? You may want to reset your password for security reasons or because it has been misplaced or forgotten. Well, whatever the reason is, the problem is there. Don’t worry! Check the below mentioned tips and reset your Netgear device’s password. (See Also Reset Wireless Network's Password)

Resetting password when you have access to your existing password:

1: Connect you Mac computer to your Netgear wireless router using the Ethernet cable. Plug its one end into the computer and run the other end into the back of the router into any of the 4 ports. Disconnect the modem if it is connected in between.

2: When done, open Safari or whichever web browser you use. Type ‘http://192.168.1.1’ in the address bar and hit Enter. When prompted, enter your username and password and click OK. The default username and password for a Netgear router is ‘admin’ and ‘1234’ respectively (may vary as per router’s model) unless you have changed. If you set up a custom password, enter that. (See Also Default Password for Netgear Devices)

3: When logged in, click Set Password under Maintenance in the left hand side. Type the existing password, new one in the respective boxes. Retype to confirm the password. If needed, review your passwords to ensure that there is no typing mistake.

4: Click the Apply button to save changes. Your password is now changed successfully. You must make a note of the password for future use. You will enter this password next time you will log in to the router. Exit the setup screen. Disconnect the Ethernet cable, reconnect your modem, and connect to your wireless network again.

Resetting password when you have lost or forgotten the existing password:

1: Unfortunately, it is impossible to recover a forgotten or lost password from the router. In this case, you must hard reset your Netgear router to restore it to the factory defaults. Disconnect the devices connected to the router.

2: Take a sharp, thin paperclip or pen and push it in the Reset button hole located at the back of the device. Press the button, hold it for around 10 seconds, and then release it. Wait until the router completes rebooting. (See Also how to reset Netgear router to facotry settings)

3: When done, reconnect the devices like computer and modem and power cycle them. Wait until the devices have fully rebooted. Now open Safari and type ‘http://192.168.1.1’. Hit Enter. When prompted, enter default username and password that came with the router docs. When logged in, reset the password as desired (see above for password reset procedure)

***You must check your router manual before entering anything as username and/or password. (See Also Default Password for Netgear Devices) If you still can’t get past the login problem, contact Netgear router support.

How to Manually Upgrade Firmware of Linksys EA2700 Router

Firmware is a hardware version of your router designed to maintain its functionality, performance, security and reliability. When you say you have to upgrade firmware of your router, it means you will upgrade its hardware version.

Like others, your Linksys EA2700 router also has a firmware version that needs to be upgraded from time to time. Cisco releases firmware upgrades for all its products from time to time. Check out the steps given below and upgrade your router’s firmware:

Step1: Open your web browser and visit the Cisco website. Locate your Linksys model number’s details on the website and look for the firmware file (Cisco Connect Cloud). Make sure that you download the correct firmware file designed for Linksys EA2700 router. (See Also how to set up guest access in Linksys EA4500 router)

Step2: Save the file when prompted. Choose a location to save the file. Now extract the file’s contents by right-clicking on it and selecting Extract All. A new folder will appear in the same location. Remember, you will have to upload this file to upgrade the firmware. (See Also how to reset Linksys E1200 router)

Step3: When done, exit the browser window. Before you begin to upgrade, save your existing wireless configurations, otherwise these will be lost. You must log in to your Linksys router’s web interface to do so. Once you have backed up the settings, you can begin to upgrade its firmware.

Step4: Reopen your web browser and type ‘192.168.1.1’ in the address bar. Hit Enter to proceed. In the next screen, if prompted, enter your admin password to log in to the router. if you never set up a custom password, enter the default one. Once logged in, click the Administration tab and then click Manual Upgrade.

Step5: Click the Browse button to browse the file. Select and open the unzipped firmware file (and not the original zip file) and then click the Start Upgrade button. Ignore if any warning appears on the screen. Wait for the upgrade to complete. When prompted, restart your computer.

Step6: That’s it and your router’s firmware will be upgraded. This method can be applied to the entire Linksys EA series to upgrade the firmware. (See Also how to install a Linksys WAG200G gateway device)