How do I connect a router to the UMBC Residential Network?

DoIT does not offer direct support for routers but this guide will briefly describe recommendations for configuring a router to successfully connect to the residential network (“ResNet”).

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Before connecting the router to the Ethernet wall jack in the room, there are a few settings that must be changed. These settings can be accessed by connecting an ethernet cable from a port on the router to the Ethernet port on a computer. Using the router’s instruction manual, navigate to the router’s web interface using a web browser on the computer. The router’s web interface is often an IP address, such as 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1. When the router’s web interface page has loaded, it will typically require a username and password, which can be found in your router’s instruction manual. Once you have successfully entered a username and password, you should be able to access the router’s settings. In these settings, be sure to change the default username and password for the router’s web interface and record this change.

DoIT provides campus-maintained wireless to all of the residence halls (Chesapeake, Erickson, Harbor, Patapsco, Potomac, and Susquehanna Halls) and to the Hillside, Terrace, West Hill, and Walker Avenue Apartments. If you are living in one of these buildings and installing a router, you must turn off all wireless network capabilities on the router. If you fail to do so, this may inadvertently cause interference to the campus wireless network.
You will need to find your router's MAC address (also known as Ethernet address) of the WAN port. This may be printed on a sticker on the router, or displayed in the router's management interface pages.
Follow the instructions for How do I register my device for use with the Residential Wired Network at UMBC? and register the router's WAN MAC address.
When the router's configuration has been updated and its MAC address has been registered, connect an Ethernet cable from the Ethernet wall jack to the port labeled “WAN” on the router.
Your router should come online within 30 seconds. If not, double-check that you entered the correct MAC address for the WAN interface into the registration page.