Administrating Router Remotely

[neonetnewb]

I've been trying to setup remote access to the admin panel of my Linksys N900 router administrative panel. A friend of mine said he believes its possible to access it with the IP and MAC address, but he's not sure how.

My goal is to be able to log in remotely and check on logs or troubleshoot in the event that my wife can not access the internet while I am away working. Although it would be much easier for her to call our ISP, for some reason if something goes wrong I am the one she calls.

Does anyone know to access a routers admin panel using the IP and MAC address, or perhaps some other method?

 

[L&LD]

If the internet is not working, you won't be able to access the router, if that model gives you that option.

Look for something like Enable WAN administration access for the setting. But you will also need a static IP or use a service like No-IP.com to successfully connect to your router.

Keep in mind that this exposes your router to attacks from anyone in the world too though. It is not something I would enable on any router. Mine or my customers.

 

[stevech]

I've been trying to setup remote access to the admin panel of my Linksys N900 router administrative panel. A friend of mine said he believes its possible to access it with the IP and MAC address, but he's not sure how.

My goal is to be able to log in remotely and check on logs or troubleshoot in the event that my wife can not access the internet while I am away working. Although it would be much easier for her to call our ISP, for some reason if something goes wrong I am the one she calls.

Does anyone know to access a routers admin panel using the IP and MAC address, or perhaps some other method?

Most routers have an option to enable admin via WiFi and/or via the WAN/Internet. The latter is a bit risky. Good routers allow or force such remote access to use HTTPS. The MAC address isn't used. Your public IP address is needed. And that changes now and then so you may need to use a dynamic DNS service.

You might learn how to tell her to to do a couple of checks to decide if it's WiFi or ISP. If you have a desktop PC that's always wired, not WiFi, and if that is accessing the Internet OK, then you know its her client device not working properly on WiFi.

Of course, if the problem is the ISP's service, remote admin cannot work.

 

[L&LD]

A good setup that I implement for various customers is two simple $10 surge protectors.

http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product...spx?path=17ee3847b25af7bc6aee3fb21d59eeb8en02


I label one '1' and the other '2' and in the first one I plug in the modem and the second I plug in the router.


I have instructions printed below them that in the event of no internet, turn off all computers or other devices, then;

1) Turn off both surge protectors using their switches.

2) Wait 5 minutes.

3) Turn on surge protector #1.

4) Wait 5 minutes.

5) Turn on surge protector #2.

6) Wait 5 minutes.

7) Turn on or reboot any computers you want to use.


This effectively boots up the modem, router and clients in the proper order and has cut down my emergency calls by 90%.

 

[RMerlin]

A good setup that I implement for various customers is two simple $10 surge protectors.

http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product...spx?path=17ee3847b25af7bc6aee3fb21d59eeb8en02


I label one '1' and the other '2' and in the first one I plug in the modem and the second I plug in the router.


I have instructions printed below them that in the event of no internet, turn off all computers or other devices, then;

1) Turn off both surge protectors using their switches.

2) Wait 5 minutes.

3) Turn on surge protector #1.

4) Wait 5 minutes.

5) Turn on surge protector #2.

6) Wait 5 minutes.

7) Turn on or reboot any computers you want to use.


This effectively boots up the modem, router and clients in the proper order and has cut down my emergency calls by 90%.

After the legendary 30-30-30, you now have the 5-1-5-2-5

 

[L&LD]

After the legendary 30-30-30, you now have the 5-1-5-2-5

Yes, but the 5-1-5-2-5 is universally useful.


Even with this fool proof plan, I still had a couple of customers asking me if the instructions were that simple. At least I didn't have to drive down there. lol...

 

[stevech]

must be a bad ISP?

I'm on residential cable modem. Maybe once a year I have to reboot the modem or router or one of the Ethernet switches, for causes other of my own doing.

 

[sfx2000]

I've been trying to setup remote access to the admin panel of my Linksys N900 router administrative panel. A friend of mine said he believes its possible to access it with the IP and MAC address, but he's not sure how.

My goal is to be able to log in remotely and check on logs or troubleshoot in the event that my wife can not access the internet while I am away working. Although it would be much easier for her to call our ISP, for some reason if something goes wrong I am the one she calls.

Does anyone know to access a routers admin panel using the IP and MAC address, or perhaps some other method?

Depends on the ISP sometimes - they will block ports (and now a days with Deep Packet Inspection) protocols... they may perceive the remote admin as a full blown server and block access.

Better to use remote desktop (or similar), as this generally isn't blocked...

Also - give strong consideration to not enable remote admin on any consumer router - there have been a significant number of security vulnerabilities found with consumer gear, and there will be even more in the future... and many of those holes are never patched, esp. for End of Life gear.

 

[azazel1024]

Depends on the ISP sometimes - they will block ports (and now a days with Deep Packet Inspection) protocols... they may perceive the remote admin as a full blown server and block access.

Better to use remote desktop (or similar), as this generally isn't blocked...

Also - give strong consideration to not enable remote admin on any consumer router - there have been a significant number of security vulnerabilities found with consumer gear, and there will be even more in the future... and many of those holes are never patched, esp. for End of Life gear.

Agreed. Remote administration is generally the single largest vulnerability on all routers and almost all routers have at LEAST one vulnerability associated with remote administration, if not many.

RDP to a machine within your network and then use remote desktop to connect to the router.

That said, if it is having issues, you won't be able to connect back to your network or to the router in anyway.

So far I am up to around 2 reboots of my access point and 1 reboot of my router in roughly a 9 or so month time period. I've only had to reboot a switch once, and then subsequently factory reset it to get it working right. That appears to have been caused by a power blackout and surge (as my ONT was fried as a result). Otherwise both of my network switches have never had an issue in roughly 2 years of operation for one and around 12 months for the other.