Netgear router: sign in and lock it down
Plain steps for Netgear routers: sign in at routerlogin.net, turn off UPnP, and the settings to check.
This page is for people with a Netgear router. Menu names change from one model and software version to the next. If yours does not match, look for the words in bold, or search the maker's support site for your model number. You can always call your internet company instead.
Sign in
Open a web browser on a device connected to your Netgear Wi-Fi and type routerlogin.net. If that does not work, try 192.168.1.1. The user name is usually admin. The router's label may show the password it came with.
Change the admin password
Look under Administration for the password setting, which Netgear calls the router (admin) password. This is not your Wi-Fi password.
Turn off remote access
Go to Advanced, then Advanced Setup, and look for Remote Management. The box should be clear. It is off unless someone turned it on.
Turn off UPnP
Go to Advanced, then Advanced Setup, then UPnP. Clear the Turn UPnP On box and press Apply. Netgear's own help page for this says it recommends setting up port forwarding by hand instead of leaving UPnP on. More about UPnP.
Check the port forwarding list
Go to Advanced, then Advanced Setup, and look for Port Forwarding / Port Triggering. Delete anything you did not set up on purpose. If you are not sure what an address in that list is, see Which device is this?
Keep it updated
Go to Advanced, then Administration, then Router Update. Many models can also update themselves overnight. Is my router too old?
What we checked
Netgear's UPnP help page was read directly. Netgear's help pages for remote management and the admin password could not be loaded, so those steps use the wording already on our other router guides.
More
See the full router checklist, how to sign in to any router, or signs a router has been hacked.
Not comfortable doing this? That is okay.
You do not have to do this alone. You can ask a family member, call your internet company, or take your router to a local computer repair shop. Take your time and ask for help instead of guessing.
Want a professional to look at it? Frequency 42 is the company that makes Network Check, and it offers IT help. You can email support@frequency42.com and ask whether they can help with this.
Then check again
Run the free check again after you make a change.
Run the free check