How to Update Your Router’s Firmware: The Best Way

The update of your router’s firmware is helpful in the router’s connectivity and security. We always suggest you to install the new available updates and keep it safe and efficient. Mostly routers have an inbuilt update checker, which might or might not perform the full process automatically. However, if you use the Apple Airport router, you can choose the Airport utility program and check the updates.

Find your Router’s Address in Windows

1. Checking the physical router to get the address: You can find or access your router by putting in the IP address in the browser. However, if your router does not give access to the physical router follow below steps to find it:

• Open up the Start Menu and type in Network status. This will help open view network status and tasks
• Select the name of the current connection you are using in the top right corner. It will show an icon showing you the type of the connection you use, like Wi-FI, Ethernet etc.
• Click on Details in the second or new window that you see. Therefore it will display the list of the entries.
• Finding the IPv4 Default Gateway Entry. The IP address that you see here, it is the router’s IP address that you use. Note it down and skip to the Installing Router Updates option.

How to Find the router’s IP address on Mac

2. Checking your physical or in-hand router for the IP address. Enter the IP address in the web browser of your PC and this way you will access the router’s configuration page. However, if you still cannot find it or cannot access the router physically, follow steps below:

• Select System Preference by clicking the Apple menu. This will open up the new window of system preference.
• Then click on the Network tab, and it will display all the network list connections.
• From the left frame select the active connection you use. You can see a green indicator and it says Connected underneath.
• Be sure that you are connected to the network of the router.
• Now click on the Advanced tab, and it will open a new window.
• Therefore, now click on the tab that says TCP/IP and look at the Router entry. This IP address that you now see is the IP address of your router.

How to Install Router Updates

3. Connect your router through Ethernet. Connecting through ethernet will make it sure for you that you are able to properly access the tools. However, some routers do not allow access to the configuration page if you connect via Wi-Fi. Type in your router’s IP address in the web browser. Enter the IP address just when you type in a URL when you visit a new webpage.

4. Type in your login information. Once you try to access the configuration page you will be asked for the router’s login info. However, if you forgot the information you can try these steps:  

• Leave both fields blank. Quite a few routers do not have the requirement of username and password.
• However, you can try entering admin as the username and also as password.
• See at your router’s make and model at routerpassword.com. This will give you the default or common login information.
• However, if the information does not work, reset your router by the physical reset button on the back. This will delete all the router’s settings, therefore now you can use default login information.

• Now open the Firmware, Router Update page. The page name will be different depending on the router manufacturer. However, the location may vary but you can still find it in the Administration, Maintenance or Utilities section.
• To see the updates which are available, you need to click on the Check button. However, most routers have the buttons to see any new version of the router.
• Download the new version of the firmware file if it has a link. Therefore, the router might give you the link or it can download it on its own, depending on the router.
• If you do not see any link then visit the support site of the manufacturer. You will have to download the new version of firmware from the manufacturer site.
• Type in the model of the router in the support site’s search. At the top of the configuration page you can get the router model number.
• Look for the latest firmware files. It depends on the router, it can have a single file, many files, or no file at all. However, you need to download the latest version by date or by the number. Therefore this file will be downloaded in the ZIP format.
• Extract that zip file. Once the download firmware file is over.  Double click on the zip file and open it. Now click extract will perhaps give you the single file with extensions which are not familiar.
•  Upload file to your router. Click on Choose File in your router update page and see the newly extracted file. Select it and then hit the Upload button in the configuration page.
• Now wait till the update is complete and applied. The firmware update process will be starting.

Updating Airport Router

Open up the airport program of utility. This program lets you change the Airport’s router settings. You can put the folder in the Applications folder. However, if you have an IOS device you can download it from the airport from the app store. Therefore, the airport utility is only for Mac OS X and iOS devices.

• Click on the base station and enter the password. The base station icon will have a red badge number which will indicate the update. However, there are chances that this will not show up till you enter your password.
• Now, clinic on the Update button and download the update. Remember this button will only show up if the update is available. Tap on Continue when asked to confirm.

Lastly, wait for the update of the router. This will take some minutes to finish the process. Therefore, your network will not be connected for a short time till the process is over.