How to Set Up a New Router

The new router is out of the box and the old one is still plugged in behind the TV. The part that trips people up is not the router, it is the modem: most modems lock onto the first device they see and keep feeding it until they are power cycled. Doing the steps in order avoids that.

Unplug the old router and cable up the new one

Pull the power cord from the old router and unplug the Ethernet cable running between the modem and it. Plug that cable into the port on the new router marked WAN or Internet, which is usually a different color or set apart from the numbered LAN ports. Leave the new router unpowered for now.

Power the modem first, then the router

Unplug the modem from power for 30 seconds, plug it back in, and wait for its lights to settle, which takes two to five minutes. Only when the online or internet light is solid should you power on the router. Skipping this is the most common reason a new router shows no internet.

Run setup from the app or the gateway address

Most current routers set up through the maker's phone app: TP-Link Tether, Netgear Nighthawk, ASUS Router, eero, or Google Home for Nest Wifi. Install the app and follow its prompts. If there is no app, join the default Wi-Fi name printed on the router's label, then open a browser and go to the setup address on that label, commonly 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1.

Set the network name and two passwords

Choose a Wi-Fi name and a password of 12 characters or more, with security set to WPA3, or WPA2 if older devices need it. Then set a separate admin password for the router itself, because the label password is only for the first login. Reusing the old network name and password means phones, printers, and smart plugs rejoin on their own.

Update the firmware and reconnect devices

Let the router download its firmware update and restart before you go further, since shipped firmware is often a year old. Then walk through the house and confirm each device is back on.

If the internet still does not come up. Power cycle the modem once more with the new router already connected and powered.

If the ISP supplied a combined modem and router. Put that box in bridge mode, or two devices will both hand out addresses and break traffic.