Not sure what a default gateway is or how to find it? Here’s why it matters for your home network — and how to locate it!
If you’ve ever tinkered with your network settings before, then chances are you’ve come across the term «default gateway» multiple times in the past. This value is usually required when you want to change your IP address or access the admin portal to block someone from using your home Wi-Fi. But what exactly is a default gateway, and how do you find it?
Your home network’s default gateway is simply the IP address of your router. So, if you’re using a relatively popular router brand, you can just do a quick Google search and find its default gateway right away. But there will be instances that the manufacturer’s website doesn’t say what its default gateway is, or you have a router from an obscure manufacturer. In such cases, what you can do is connect to the router and find its IP address from your device instead. We’ll walk you through exactly how to do so on both your computer and mobile.What is a default gateway?
The default gateway is a networking hardware, usually the Wi-Fi router, that essentially manages the flow of data between your network and an external one. In a home setting, the default gateway’s primary purpose is to connect your external devices like computers and phones to the internet (which is an external network). Every time you visit a website, the request doesn’t automatically proceed to the World Wide Web — it goes through your router first.
