Router Troubleshooting - VTAstrobotics/Documentation GitHub Wiki

Contents

Prerequisites

You will need

  • to have completed Software Setup
    • Technically, this is not a strict requirement, but I'll assume you have it set up. If you don't, you should at least know how to use your OS's terminal
  • proximity to our router

Note: our router in 2023 was a NETGEAR R6020 router. This is labeled on the router itself. in 2024, we used a TP-Link Archer C54 prior to the competition, but then a TP-Link AX3000 at the competition.

Note: the login credentials to the routers are labeled on the routers themselves. I will not include them in this public document.

NETGEAR

Router Settings

The router settings page gives you access to a variety of tools. Some of the most useful include easily viewing all other connected devices (and their IP addresses) and assigning a static IP address.

If it is not working to transmit data, you likely need to update the date and time. Check that this is the case. To update the date and time, you need to connect the router to the Internet via an Ethernet cable to its input port, for about 30 seconds. It will automatically update its date and time. This is lost on a power loss. Very annoying!

Getting There

To actually get to the settings page,

  • Connect to the router
    • The router should be powered via its barrel jack connector. It needs nothing more, though it may have other things connected to it
    • After several seconds (30 or so), it should show up in your list of connections just like a normal WiFi network
  • Go to the settings page
    • First try 192.168.1.1 in the address bar of your web browser.
    • Next, try routerlogin.net
    • Then, try routerlogin.com
    • Failing those, assuming a Windows device, open Windows Powershell. Otherwise, open your terminal if you are running Mac or Linux.
      • On Windows, run ipconfig. Find the router's address like this. Now try the address listed as Default Gateway.
      • Otherwise, run ifconfig. Find the router's address like this.
  • Type in the credentials. I choose not to reproduce the credentials here, publicly, since they are on the router itself.

TP-Link

To get the settings page, just go to tplinkwifi.net. That's always worked for me, unlike the NETGEAR...

Note: You cannot add letters to the password to join the network, at least on the Archer C54. When I tried to change the password, it seemed to work but then the router was basically just dead until I factory reset it. So, the password is all numbers.

If it is not working to transmit data, you likely need to update the date and time. Check that this is the case. To update the date and time to the present, I like to go to the setting that lets it take the date and time from the host device (my computer). This is lost on a power loss. Very annoying!

To change the channel, go Advanced -> Wireless -> Wireless Settings (image).