Belkin Router Setup Page – How to Use It to Configure an Access Point?

Like the web-based user interface of the other routers, the Belkin router setup page has been integrated with many of the functions to configure and customize the router settings.

In this article, we want to show you two advanced features that you may not know when it comes to setting up the router. Let’s find out  how to configure an Access Point and Range Extender with Belkin router!

How to access Belkin router setup page

Before we learn how to set up access points and repeaters, we need to learn about how to access the router’s user interface website. This setup site is where you can configure your router as well as make personal customizations.

Here are instructions for accessing the Belkin router setup page. The steps you perform may vary slightly if you are using some specific models Before you start to make sure your router is connected to a power source, and the computer is wired to Either or LAN port.

• Step 1: Open a web browser on your computer.
• Step 2: Type “https://router” or the gateway IP address “192.168.2.1” of the Belkin router into the Address bar then press Enter. Note that, in some cases, the IP address can be changed.
• Step 3: A login screen will show up. You need to type the credentials, including username and password to log in. The default username and password are often “admin” for both. However, like the IP address, these pieces of information can be changed by users.
• Step 4: You will go to the Belkin router dashboard, where you can begin your configuration for the router.

In case you are not able to access the web-based setup page, you can try resetting your router to restore the default factory settings of the router, including wireless password, admin login credentials, etc. However, because you will lose all settings you have done before, just consider this method when you have no other choices.

Configure as an Access Point

Now we will come to the main content of today’s article. Are you ready to start?

To turn your router into an access point, we have two different ways:

Use as Access Point option

• Step 1: Open the web browser on your computer and go to the user interface website using the instructions above.
• Step 2: Navigate to the Wireless tab and select Channel and SSID. Here you can name the wireless network of the access point, which is shown at SSID entry. This name should be different from the network name of the main router. To set the password, choose Security in the Wireless tab.
• Step 3: After you’ve set the access point’s wireless network settings, go to the Wireless section, then click on Use as Access Point and choose Enable.
• Step 4: You will set the gateway IP address and Subnet mask. These pieces of information should match your existing network’s ones from the main router. The default IP address for Belkin router is set to 192.168.2.254, while the default Subnet mask is set to 255.255.255.0.
• Step 5: Select Apply Changes to save the settings.
• Step 6: Use an Ethernet cable to connect your access point and router through the LAN port on both devices and connect the power supply to the access point device.

Disable the DHCP Server

Some Belkin routers do not have an access point option in the Belkin router dashboard. However, you can still accomplish this by using the method “Disable the DHCP Server.”

• Step 1: Open a browser and navigate to the router’s installation site.
• Step 2: Select tab Wireless then go to Channel and SSID to set the name for the wireless network of the Access Point like the method 1. Go to the Security option to set up the password. Make sure to save before moving to the next step.
• Step 3: After completing the wireless settings, navigate to the LAN Setup section then choose LAN Settings.
• Step 4: Type the unique gateway IP Address for your Belkin router, and its range should be the same as the first router’s IP address. Again, the default Subnet mask is set to 255.255.255.0 and the default gateway IP Address is 192.168.2.254.
• Step 5: Now you need to disable the DHCP server by clicking Off at the entry DHCP server.
• Step 6: Click on Apply Changes to save the installations.
• Step 7: Use an Ethernet cable to connect your access point and router through the LAN port on both devices and connect the power supply to the access point device.

Configure as a Range Extender

One important thing that you must do before starting the installation is to check the routers. You need to ensure that all routers involved in the setup of Belkin wifi range extenders support wireless bridging and own the latest software version.

You can check the wireless bridging feature on the router by checking the sticker on the product box or check the website of the Belkin manufacturer.

Use an internet cable to establish a connection between the main router and your computer then turn to follow the steps below:

Belkin Router Setup – All you need to know about Access Point

“Do you know what an access point is?” Have you ever heard about that term?”. If not, here is the answer for you:

An access point or fully referred to as “wireless access point” is a networking hardware device that allows wireless devices and networks to use wireless technologies like wi-fi to access a wired network.

Acting as a centralized hub, the access point takes the responsibility of 2 main roles: The first one is receiving and transmitting the packages of information over a local area network. The second one is connecting users within the network.

The AP can utilize an Ethernet cable connection to connect to a router and can act as a standalone device. Sometimes, the access point is designed to become an integral part of the router.

From an access point, users can use many other wireless devices to connect and access to any network resources that are permitted for devices or users to access.

Access points will operate separately from the router, and the user can configure this standalone device independently to set up the connections for wireless devices.

With these advantages, this device is suitable for large areas, large businesses, big buildings to be able to expand the coverage of the network and allow more people to use it.

Belkin Router Setup – All you need to know about Range Extender?

Besides Access point, we have another tech term that can confuse you, “range extender.” What is it?

Well, just like the name itself indicates, a range extender or some people often call it as a wireless repeater, is a wireless networking device used to expand the wireless network coverage you are using.

Imagine when you are standing at the backyard where it is quite far from the router, you are unable to watch videos on Youtube anymore, or even you cannot access the network.

The reason is because of the distance, which makes the signal from the router weak. Some enclosed areas may also cause this problem to occur.

The solution for you is to strengthen the signal to get better performance from the network. Setting up a wireless extender is one of the good options.

It works by receiving existing wifi signals in your home, then repeating by creating a second network and transmitting that signal to the devices you use. With the wifi extender, you can effectively double the area of the wifi network to every corner of your home or office.

Compare Access Point and Range Extender. Which one is better?

Concept

It is common knowledge that range extender or repeater acts as a wifi tuner, extending and amplifying wifi signals.

Meanwhile, as mentioned before, Access Point is a wireless network device that acts as a portal. Other devices can use this portal to be able to connect to a network in a local area. Besides, thanks to the Access Point, WLAN and a fixed wired network can establish the connection together.

Functionality

As for Access Point wifi, in addition to providing a platform for different devices to communicate with each other, it also functions as password protection and firewalls. This feature can ensure that wireless devices are protected from all threats from outside the local network.

Also, Access Point has the additional function of connecting all devices that support a wireless network to a local area network using wires. However, they can only connect to wired networks without allocating IP addresses.

Access Point is also a unified wifi transmitter in a multi-user business environment, which makes it a suitable device for hotels, businesses, restaurants, etc.

Wifi Range Extender device has the function of receiving and broadcasting and converts the signal of wifi signal stronger and more stable.

Besides, this device also helps to maintain wifi speed at any location. And it also can increase wifi coverage over a wider area and beyond.

Efficiency and cost

Access points will help boost your network coverage by 100 percent when you have a standalone device operating separately. For Range Extender, the efficiency of wireless network expansion is only half, equivalent to 50 percent due to the network throughput reduction.

The half-duplex wireless LANs provide communication in both directions but not simultaneously. Thus, the throughput cannot remain the same but reduce to half whenever the data is transmitted on a wireless link with the same frequency.

However, installing new access points is often more difficult and expensive than adding an extender or two. Do you know why?

Because to set up new access points, you also need to use a wireline to connect a new access point device and router. Therefore, large businesses often prefer access points, while range extenders are better for using at home.

So our guide for the configuration of the Access Point and Repeater function through Belkin router setup page has been completed. The instruction may be quite lengthy, but in fact, the implementation is very quick.

These are two advanced features, and we think they are one of the best features for wifi devices today. It helps your wifi network cover wide areas quickly.

Hope this article on Belkin router setup will be helpful to you, and wish you success!