Basically, all you need to do is to choose the connection type you have: cable, ADSL with dynamic IP (i.e., the IP address given by your ISP changes from time to time – which is the most common type), ADSL with static IP (i.e., the IP address given by your ISP doesn’t change – usually available only if you requested it and usually it is more expensive) or VPN (Virtual Private Network – usually used on corporate networks).
Just go back to the basic setup and navigate through its screens. On our router we had only to configure the time zone on the first screen, the modem type on the second screen and just keep clicking on Next and accepted all default configurations, if your have a cable or ADSL connection (if you use a VPN connection, then you need to enter some information). We hit on Finish on the last screen and that’s all we needed to do to make our network work.
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Figure 13: Basic setup, first screen (time zone configuration).
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Figure 14: Basic setup, second screen (connection type).
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Figure 15: Basic setup, third screen (WAN settings, just leave the default values).
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Figure 16: Basic setup, fourth screen (DNS settings, just leave the default values); click on Finish.
After clicking on Finish, try to access the Internet from your computer and from all other computers located on your network. If it doesn’t work, double-check all configuration steps. If it still doesn’t work, you will need to call you ISP support service and explain them that you have just installed a router and need them to ”release your IP address“.
In case you are wonder what that means: when you use a broadband service, usually the public IP address (ex: 69.69.69.69) is assigned to the computer connected to the broadband modem. So the ISP locks the given IP address to the MAC address connected to the modem. MAC address is a serial number written on the network card. So, when you disconnect your modem from your computer and connect it to your router, the connection may be blocked because the ISP network is expecting the MAC address of your desktop, not the MAC address of your router, which is different. ”Release the IP“ means that the ISP will re-scan for the new MAC address connected to the modem.
