In the spring of 2014, Zyxel, the largest manufacturer of network equipment, introduced three new models of Keenetic routers at once. All three new items are equipped with a new high-performance Mediatek-RT6856 processor, have two high-speed USB 2.0 ports, significantly expanding the functionality of routers. The models differ from each other in the speed of data processing through wired ports and a built-in WI-FI access point.
Preparing to configure the router
To correctly configure the router, you need to find out the parameters of the network connection and, first of all, the Internet access protocol. To do this, open the "Network Connections" window. If, in addition to the standard shortcuts, you see an additional connection icon, then your provider uses the L2TP, PPTP or PPPoE protocol. Which one will be indicated under the connection label.
If the connection to the Internet is carried out via L2TP, PPTP or PPPoE, then you will need a login and password, which are assigned by the provider. When connecting via PPTP and L2TP, you must also specify the operator's server or the destination IP address. To determine them, open the "Properties" of your connection. The data should be overwritten and the label removed.
Now open the context menu of the "Local Area Connection" shortcut and select "Properties". Click on the "Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP / IPv4)" line and click on the "Properties" button. In the case of a dynamic IP address, the fields will be empty. If the IP is static, then save all the registered parameters. Check the boxes “Obtain an IP address automatically” and “Obtain DNS server address automatically” and confirm your choice by clicking “OK”.
It remains to find out if your ISP is filtering by MAC addresses. Open the Local Area Connection shortcut menu again. Select "Status". In the window that opens, go to the "Support" tab and open "Details". Find the line "Physical address" and write down the data specified in it.
Turning on and configuring the router
Plug the AC adapter into a power outlet. Wait for the power light to stop blinking and connect the router to your computer. To do this, connect one of the connectors of the router to the network adapter using an Ethernet cable or set up a Wi-Fi connection. The Wi-Fi network name and security key are on the router label.
Start your web browser and navigate to 192.168.1.1. The home page of the Keenetic's web configurator will open. In newer models of Zyxel routers, the functions of the NetFriend utility have been transferred to the firmware. Click the "Quick Setup" button. A wizard will be launched, with which you can configure the connection.
A warning "Network cable not connected" will appear on the screen. Plug the ISP's Ethernet cable into the WAN connector and click Next. In the window that opens, you need to answer the program's question whether your provider registers MAC addresses, and, if necessary, indicate the registered address.
If using a static IP address, select "Manual" and enter the IP address, gateway IP address, subnet mask, and DNS server in the appropriate fields. These parameters are assigned by the provider. If your service provider has not assigned you an IP address, select Automatic and click Next. If necessary, specify the DNS parameters, check the "Set DNS server addresses manually" checkbox and enter the IP address in the "DNS Server" field.
Next, you will be asked to enter your username and password to connect to the Internet. If they are in the contract, fill in the appropriate fields. For a VPN connection (L2TP or PPTP), you will need to specify the IP address or name of the VPN server. When connecting PPPoE, you may need the PPPoe service name and PPPoE hub name (provided by your ISP).
If all the data is entered correctly, the Internet connection will be established. The wizard will check for updates. If available, click the Update button. After downloading and installing updates, the device will reboot. The message "The Internet Center is configured and has established an Internet connection" will appear on the screen. This completes the work of the wizard. More advanced users can go to the web interface and configure additional features.
