How To Update D-link Router Firmware

How to Update Your Router's Firmware

Tom'southward Guide has said it over again and over again: Your router is the nearly important part of your dwelling house internet setup. It'southward also probably the most vulnerable. Security researchers have go quite expert at finding flaws in some of the most pop routers on the market, simply home users generally aren't as quick to update their devices in response to those findings.

Credit: Netgear — (Image credit: Netgear)

This is partially due to poor security practices on the users' parts, simply to exist off-white, router manufacturers don't e'er get in piece of cake to update. Few routers update their firmware automatically, and fifty-fifty just accessing your router's web interface requires toying around with arcane IP addresses, usernames and passwords. Y'all may have to manually download software; yous may have to flip your router over and read teeny, tiny serial numbers.

In curt, updating your router'south firmware is a pain, but you've got to do it. While we can't requite specific instructions on how to update every single model from every single manufacturer, we've scoured manufacturer websites to at least give you lot an like shooting fish in a barrel starting indicate.

These instructions should help you update your router — and if not, they'll at to the lowest degree tell you where you lot can go adjacent for more-detailed steps. Grab a magnifying glass, and let'southward go.

Amped Wireless

Amped Wireless makes some of our favorite routers for gamers. That's convenient, because updating Amped Wireless firmware takes a picayune tech know-how that should audio familiar to anyone who's built a PC. While some of the company'southward routers tin update their firmware automatically, the visitor website provides comprehensive details on how to do it if all else fails.

Briefly, go to the Amped Wireless website and visit its support department. Click on the driblet-downwardly menu and select your router'due south model number. (If you lot're not certain what that is, it'due south physically written on your router somewhere — probably the underside.) Click the Downloads section and select Firmware.

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After you've downloaded and unzipped the file (I similar to employ 7-Cypher, but your preferences may vary), connect your calculator to your router with an Ethernet cable and enter "setup.ampedwireless.com" into a browser. Click More Settings on the site's left console, and then Management, then Upgrade Firmware. Upload your unzipped file, and y'all're good to go. The router will take care of the residuum.

Asus

Newer Asus routers may take an option in the web interface to update firmware. Otherwise, you'll have to do information technology the sometime-fashioned way. Commencement, visit the Asus website, so click Back up, then Consumer and then search for your router. (Be warned that the Asus search is very, very detail; don't allow whatsoever errant spaces or missing hyphens.)

When you've reached the product page, click Support and Driver & Tools, and so select your Os. Scroll downwardly to firmware and download the latest version. One time information technology's on your difficult drive, unzip information technology.

In a web browser connected to the router's local network, enter "192.168.ane.1" into the URL field and access the router'south interface. (If yous never specified a username and password, they're both "admin.") Get to the Configuration Page and select Firmware Version. Then, upload your unzipped file and let the router install the update. Asus also recommends yous reset the router after the installation is complete past pressing the reset button on the router'southward underside for 5 seconds.

D-Link

D-Link routers have been somewhat notorious for security holes as of late. So, it's in your best interest to keep your firmware patched — even more so than with other routers. The good news is that updating D-Link routers is uncomplicated, even though it does require a lilliputian manual input.

First, ensure that yous're on the same network as your router. And then, visit either "dlinkrouter.local" or "192.168.0.one" in a web browser. Enter your password (if y'all never set one upward, only leave the field bare) and log in.

One time you're in the interface, click on Management, then Upgrade. Click the "Cheque for new firmware" push, and the router will handle the rest.

Google

Updating a Google router could not exist easier — for ameliorate or worse. The system updates automatically, whether you lot want it to or non. You tin can go notifications about firmware updates, but yous can't make up one's mind whether to install 1.

By and large speaking, this is a good thing, since y'all'll never accept to worry about your router being out-of-date. On the other hand, if Google were ever to innovate an exploitable update (this really does happen), you wouldn't accept any choice near applying it.

Credit: Google — (Paradigm credit: Google)

If you accept a Google router, just endeavor to stay beside of security news and reassure yourself that automatic firmware updates are the safer option 99 percent of the time.

Linksys

Newer Linksys routers update their firmware automatically, but it never hurts to double-check. To access the Linksys interface, enter "www.linksyssmartwifi.com" or "192.168.one.1" into your web browser. Under Router Settings, click on Connectivity.

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From here, ensure y'all're on the Bones tab. (It'southward the leftmost tab; you should be at that place by default.) Firmware Update will be the first selection you see on the correct side of the screen. Just click Check for Updates, and yous're good to go.

Y'all tin likewise check a box that says Automatic in order to enable automated firmware updates. Nosotros recommend that y'all do then.

Netgear

Some Netgear routers offering automatic firmware updates, just nearly don't. Luckily, updating the router yourself should take simply a few minutes. Only remember to do it regularly.

Go to a Web browser and enter either "www.routerlogin.net" or "192.168.1.ane." Enter your username and password ("admin" and "password" for most models, if you haven't changed them — although some older models don't have usernames), then click on the Avant-garde tab on the top of the screen. And then select Assistants from the left-hand menu, and Router Update.

From in that location, just click on the Cheque push, and your router will scour Netgear'southward servers for an upgrade. And if your authoritative credentials are still the manufacturing plant defaults, modify them as soon as you're done.

TP-Link

Since TP-Link routers don't update their firmware automatically, yous'll take to swoop into your router's browser interface and do some legwork yourself. Thanks to an unoptimized interface, you lot'll have to take quite a few steps that almost other routers don't brand you go through.

When connected to the same network as the router (either wired or wirelessly), visit "tplinkwifi.internet," "192.168.1.one" or "192.168.0.1."

Credit: TP Link — (Prototype credit: TP Link)

TP-Link routers have a design flaw not nowadays in other manufacturers' devices: firmware updates wipe your settings. As such, you'll want to make a backup outset. Do so by clicking the Advanced tab at the top of the screen, then System Tools, and Backup & Restore.

When that's done, return to Organisation Tools and click on Firmware Upgrade. Nether the Online Upgrade heading, you'll find a button that says, "Bank check for upgrade." Click information technology, and follow the router'south instructions.

Later on the installation, TP-Link recommends that y'all perform a factory reset to ensure that the device registers the update properly. Nether Organization Tools and Fill-in & Restore, click Manufacturing plant Restore.

After that, there's still the matter of restoring your settings. In the Backup & Restore menu, find the Restore heading. Then click Browse, detect your saved file and select Restore. Yep, it'southward a pain, and yeah, y'all really have to do that every time.

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Marshall Honorof is a senior editor for Tom'due south Guide, overseeing the site'south coverage of gaming hardware and software. He comes from a science writing background, having studied paleomammalogy, biological anthropology, and the history of science and technology. After hours, you lot can find him practicing taekwondo or doing deep dives on classic sci-fi.