When it comes down to configuring and accessing your wireless router, chances are you’ll be asked to use an IP address, and that address is usually 192.168.0.1, the most common of the bunch. The question is, why is that the case? Were going to answer that right now.
Why is 192.168.0.1 the default IP address for most routers?
Here’s the thing, every computer, router, and website has an IP address. It is how all computers identify themselves when on a network or the internet. In most cases on a home network, your wireless router will assign an IP address to your computer. In most cases, that IP address is no other than 192.168.0.1.
1] What is an IP address?
To begin, we must explain that IP stands for Internet Protocol since not everyone knows this. Now, because the internet is a large network of computers that routes data from one place to another, one must consider that those packets must be sent around in an organized fashion. For this to happen, there needs to be a strict set of rules or protocols.
The protocol in question is called TCP/IP, which stands for Transfer Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. This protocol is capable of breaking down information such as an email or a photo into tiny uniform packets.
2] What are Public IP Addresses and Private IP Addresses?
There are two IP addresses assigned to a wireless router, and 192.168.0.1 is one of them. Every device connected to the router via Ethernet or Wi-Fi will see that address, however, the router IP address is very much different when we consider the internet-facing side of the router.
In essence, then, these are what we call public and private IP addresses. The public address is the IP seen by the entire internet, while the private address is primarily viewed as a member of your local network.
This means, that all computer devices in your home that are connected to the network share the same IP address, which is why one must be careful who is connected to their Wi-Fi because with the right knowledge, they can collect information relating to the owner’s location and identity. If you were not aware, such things are tied directly to your IP address.
3] Why is 192.168.0.1 the default IP for most?
IP addresses are not unlimited, there are only a limited number of unique ones available for use on the internet. Because of this, a few addresses were chosen for use in certain cases. Right now, there are five classes of IP addresses, and they range from Class A to E, and only Classes A, B, and C have ranges that are private and reserved for core network use.
With that said, we must point out now that the 192.168.0.1 IP address is private, and it falls under Class C. This class is primarily for small local area networks, and the range starts from 192.168.0.0 and goes up to as far as 192.168.255.255.
4] Other popularly used router IP addresses
As we have stated before, 192.168.0.1 is not the only option in town, just the most used. We suspect some readers are owners of routers that do not make use of the 192.168.0.1 IP address, but rather 192.168.1.1 or other alternatives.
5] How to find your routers IP address
Some folks have a problem locating the IP address for their router. Well, there are a few ways to find it, so let us discuss how.
First, check the body of the router, preferably the bottom. Usually, these devices tend to have a sticker with the IP address, username, and password. Go ahead and attempt to use the IP address if found.
Another option here is to manually locate the IP address via the Command Prompt. To get this done, you will want to do the following:
- Open the Start Menu, then search for CMD.
- From the search results, please select Command Prompt.
- When the window is loaded, type ipconfig then click the Enter key.
- Look for the entry Default Gateway.
- You should now be able to view your router’s IP address.
Read: What can someone do with your IP address?
What is a 192.168 0.1 IP address?
This is the most commonly used IP address for accessing and configuring many wireless routers around the world. There are other IP addresses for this purpose, but as it stands right now, 192.168 0.1 is the most used and we suspect this will stay the same for a long time to come.
Read: How can I hide my IP address when sending an email?
Is my IP address private or public?
Knowing whether or not an IP address is private or public is important to some. To do it, folks can visit myip.com or any similar service. From that website, you’ll be shown the IP address used to gain access to the site, and if it matches the one your internet service provider has assigned to you, then your IP address is public.
