How do you set up internet access after switching to a new router? Don't rush to unplug old machines; copy these three things first before you get started

Last year, I replaced my old AC2100 at home that had been running for five years. I had settled the bill between WiFi6 and WiFi 7 before ordering but the day I got the new router, I still had to wait until 11 p.m. — not because new machines are hard to get from, but because I pulled out my old ones too quickly. When the old one lost power, the broadband account and WiFi name disappeared, leaving the whole room filled with reassembly work order. This article will explain the correct order for the day of the machine replacement: when to remove the old one, how to connect the new machine, how to run the wizard in 192.168.1.1, and follow along for half an hour to finish.

be clear: the failures aren't new routers, but old machines that were unplugged too soon

about replacing the router, there's nothing wrong with the new router itself; the wizard is just foolish. There are two situations that truly drive people crazy: first, the broadband account password was forgotten, and once the old device loses power, the account is stored on the old device and can never be retrieved. You have to follow the five ways to recover your broadband account and slowly make a profit; Second, I casually created a new WiFi name and password, re-entering passwords one by one across more than a dozen devices in the house, and the vacuum cleaner and camera had to be re-connected to the network, spending the whole night inside.

I've suffered both losses. So the first principle for upgrading your phone can be summed up in one sentence: your last chance to access the background while the old router is still plugged in. Copy the material first, then start dismantling.

while the old machine was still online, I copied down three things

connect your phone or computer to the old router's WiFi, go to the backend browser (see the sticker on the back of the device), scroll through three places, and take a screenshot to save it in your phone's photo album:

First, broadband account and password . In "Internet Settings" or "WAN Port Settings," the account is usually in plaintext, and the password box has a small eye icon that lights up with a click. If your home uses a router for dialing (any optical modem or bridge adapter counts), this string of accounts is the lifeline of a new machine. Even if you copy a single wrong letter, you can't dial it. Split l and 1, or 0 with wide eyes. By the way, take a look at the old machine's WAN port IP: if it starts with 192.168 or 100.64, it means the optical modem is dialing up. In that case, the broadband account won't be needed this time, so copying it is just for backup.

second, WiFi name and password . 2. If 4G and 5G have two different names, copy both, and combine the case with lowercase and lowercase letters. This will be very useful later.

the third item, special configuration list . Review the old backend: Have you ever set up static IP binding for printers or NAS? Have you set port forwarding rules? Is the router running IPTV as the main dialer? If you have any, take screenshots of each one. If you swap the same model for the same model, you can be lazy and just back up the configuration files the new machine and import it into the new machine; If you're switching across brands, don't expect configuration files—different formats don't work, so you have to copy manually.

Wiring of a new router: Don't plug the same network cable into the wrong port

connect the new machine before dismantling the old one. The order is: the network port of the optical modem (ONT) 1, then connect to the new router's WAN port —just this cable. Two pitfalls: First, the optical modem should focus on port 1. Many optical modems only have port 1 as a gigabit port, while the IPTV port is 100Mbps. If you plug it incorrectly, the speed drops to about 90 Mbps. I wrote about how to identify this in my article about the optical modem's gigabit port. Second, on the new device, you should recognize the WAN port (some labeled 'Internet' and the color is different from other ports). Dialing up the LAN port won't work.

then the phone connects to the new machine's default WiFi, with the name and initial password printed on the sticker on its back. Enter the management address on the sticker in your browser; I'll list the common ones for you:

Three-step guide: dial-up, WiFi copy old names, and manage passwords separately

go to the backend and run the settings wizard first; the core is just three steps.

Step one: Choose your internet access method. wizard will ask for your broadband type. Here, select by 'Who is dialing your home': Previously, I saw that the old machine's WAN port started with 192.168 or 100.64, indicating the optical modem is dialing. For new devices, select 'Automatic IP Acquisition' or 'Dynamic IP', plug it in and it's done, done in two minutes. The old machine's WAN port is a public network address or a fiber modem bridged over. Select "Broadband Dial-up PPPoE" and enter the copied account password, making sure to use uppercase and lowercase characters. I couldn't tell what was going on, but I turned back the method for automatic dialing.

Step two: copy the WiFi name and password exactly as on the old machine. this is the most valuable trick in the whole article: the new machine's WiFi name and password are set to match exactly the old machine, not a single letter misses. After saving and restarting, all the phones and computers in the house automatically connect, so no one needs to enter the password—the device recognizes the combination of the name and password, not the machine itself. If you originally had separate names for 2.4G and 5G, just copy them separately as usual; if you used to have one, then you still have one. If you're unsure about naming rules, just refer to the article about changing WiFi names . I once suffered losses from the vacuum cleaner and camera at home. Before replacing the device, I spent the whole night installing the network, but since then, I always copy the model without touching a single smart device, skipping the of network failure directly. If some devices can't connect due to exhaust ventilation, just set the WiFi on the device and select 'Forget the network' again—chances are, it's cache.

Step 3: Separate management and WiFi passwords. management password is for backend access, WiFi password is for wireless connection—two different things, don't try to save effort and set them as one. It's recommended to set the management password for the new machine the same as the old one—not for security, but for you not to have to remember it again. After the guide finishes, the machine restarts once. It takes a minute or two, and the whole house's WiFi disconnects once but automatically reconnects. Most family members won't even notice you've switched devices.

replacing it isn't the end: four things to overlook afterwards

WiFi the whole house is connected and the internet speed is normal, don't wrap up yet—let's go through four things according to the checklist:

First, speed is correct. Test it with a computer with a network cable. Gigabit broadband is only about 90 Mbps. I'll check later to see if the optical modem is plugged in the wrong port and whether the network cable is an old four-core cable. If you test with your phone, standing in front of a new device, it's normal for it to run 300 to 400 Mbps across two walls. Don't scare yourself. Second, static binding and redoing . Devices like printers and NAS that bound to static IPs new machines have empty binding tables and need to be rebind, otherwise the printer will lose contact again. Third, port forwarding and reconfiguration . If you have remote access via NAS at home or remote monitoring monitoring, the forwarding rules are already in the old machine's belly, and on the new machine, you copy the screenshots one by one and add them back, and the thought process is forwarded the of that post. Fourth, IPTV glance at . Wires connected to the optical modem for set-top boxes are ignored; Connect it to the router's LAN port. Check if the old machine has been paired with an IPTV VLAN, and copy it directly; otherwise, the TV will go black.

three places to use an old router, don't throw it in the trash

don't treat the old machine you replace as electronic waste—it's a usable router. Sorted by value by destination: First, switch to AP mode provide extra network and signal support for the bedroom or study. One plug adds four more LAN ports, zero cost; Second, when selling second-hand, before releasing the account, unbind the account in the app and restore it to the factory first. Don't reverse the order. Xiaomi follows the order the restore; unbinding will leave a dead device in the account; Third, store it in a drawer as a backup. My old AC2100 was retired like this, and I took it out every six months to power it up. If a router really fails, it can take over.

in the end, replacing a phone is a sequential process: copy first, then disassemble, the guide copies the old WiFi, and the four cleanup tasks go through once. Keep the sequence table safe, and check it for the next phone upgrade: