192.168.1.1 is an IP address used by many router manufacturers to access configuration.
There is no doubt that, as an Internet user you’ve heard of the term “IP address”, however, if you are not a lover of technology, most likely you will not know what this means. The IP address is designed so that a device is able to communicate with another via the Internet. All devices, whether they are computers, tablets or mobile phones connecting to the web, require an IP address, which will help each device to differentiate itself from the others and that is establish a location in the world.
A good analogy in understanding what an IP is, is to compare it to the physical address of your home – if someone needs to send you a package, they will need that address. The same thing happens when a remote computer needs to communicate with you, but in this case it will need the IP address. Something both directions have in common is the fact they show what part of the world you are in and this is the reason why some Internet users use VPN services to hide their original IP. This way no one will know where you are connecting from, thus increasing the safety of navigation.
IPs consist of four numbers separated by a dot and each one contains one to three digits. Each number can start with a zero and end at 255. For example: 78.125.0.255, or maybe 192.168.1.1.
192.168.1.1
Since we know what an IP address is, now we can talk about 192.168.1.1. This IP in particular is a private address used to enter the configuration of most routers available in the market. Brands such as Linksys and Netgear use this IP address so that you can configure the routers manufactured by them, making it easy for users to learn this address and to have it at hand when they need it on their own network or a network belonging to a friend or relative.
Since routers have 192.168.1.1 as an address, all devices connecting to this network will have similar IPs: 192.168.1.2, 192.168.1.3 and so forth. However, it should be taken into account that these IPs are private and serve only to identify a device within a local network, also known as LAN.
What is the 192.168.1.1 specifically used for?
As we mentioned, it is a way to configure the router. Basically, you have to type this address into your browser and a new page will appear where you can change some of the functions of your router. In the majority of cases you will be prompted to enter a user name and a password in order to enter, but if this is the first time, the information can be found in the instruction manual. In other cases you will not need anything extra to enter the configuration, but this is a security problem which we must deal with.
Going into your router’s configuration allows you to change the name of the Wi-Fi network, create a guest network, detect which devices are connected to the network, change the access password, change the DNS, add parental controls and reboot the device when the connection has flaws, just to name a few things.
It should be clear that not all routers use this address to enter into their configuration. This is not a rule, it is rather conventional, so it has been frequently used by manufacturers of these type of devices. You can find out the address for your router by checking the instruction manual or looking on the bottom of the device.
