How to find your router's IP and log in (192.168.1.1)
To change your Wi-Fi password, set up port forwarding, or tweak any router setting, you open your router’s admin page in a browser. To get there you need your default gateway — your router’s local IP address. Here’s how to find it, open the admin page, and sign in safely.
What is the default gateway?
Your default gateway is the local IP address of your router on your home network — the device everything else routes through to reach the internet. It’s almost always something like 192.168.1.1, 192.168.0.1, or 10.0.0.1. This is different from the public IP shown on our homepage — the gateway is private to your network, and it’s the address you type into a browser to reach the router’s settings.
How do I find my router's gateway IP?
Your device already knows its gateway — you just need to read it. We can’t detect it for you (a browser can’t see your local network, by design), but it takes a few seconds to find:
Windows: open Command Prompt, run ipconfig → read “Default Gateway”
Mac: System Settings → Network → Details → TCP/IP → “Router”
Linux: run ip route → the address after “default via”
Android: Settings → Wi-Fi → your network → “Gateway”
iPhone: Settings → Wi-Fi → (i) → “Router”
The number listed as Default Gateway / Router is the address you want. See our find-my-IP wizard for the same steps with screenshots-style detail.
How do I open the router admin page?
Type the gateway address into your browser’s address bar with http:// in front — for example http://192.168.1.1 — and press Enter. You’ll land on your router’s login screen. If that address doesn’t load, double-check the gateway you found above; not every router uses 192.168.1.1.
How do I find my router's login password?
The safe, accurate place to find your router’s credentials is the router itself — not a list of factory defaults. Modern routers ship with a unique password printed on a sticker, usually on the bottom or back, so generic “admin / admin” lists are both outdated and insecure. Check the sticker for the admin username and password (sometimes labelled “admin password” separately from the Wi-Fi key).
If the sticker is missing or the password was changed and forgotten, go to your router manufacturer’s official support site for your exact model — they list the correct access steps and reset procedure. We deliberately don’t publish default-credential lists: they’re a known security risk (default passwords are how many routers get compromised), and they’re wrong for most current hardware anyway.
What if I'm locked out?
If you can’t sign in, a factory reset restores the router’s original sticker credentials — usually by holding the recessed reset button for 10–30 seconds. Be aware this wipes your custom settings (Wi-Fi name, password, port forwarding), so you’ll set those up again. Follow your manufacturer’s official instructions for the exact reset process, since timing and behaviour vary by model.
A note on security
Only log into routers you own or administer. Once you’re in, the best things you can do are change the default admin password to something unique and keep the firmware updated — both close off the most common ways home routers get taken over. If you’re worried about whether your network is exposed, see whether someone can hack your router with your IP and whether your ports are open.
Related: Find your IP on any device · Can someone hack your router? · What private IP ranges mean