Welcome to Just Ask Matt! Today, Still Learning writes:

Matt, I hope you get this OK. I have a cable connection to the Internet and want to know something. When I am connected straight through to the modem, I can do a release really easily with the IPCONFIG command on my computer.

How do I make this happen when a router is in place, though? Every time I try all I get is released and renewed to the router! Nothing I do seems to make this happen on the part of my connection outside of the router, on the Internet itself. Please help if you can.

Well, ‘Still Learning,’ you are 50% there with the ability to do it from PC to router. So this really helps me to save some time as I don’t have to go into the specifics of doing it on this side of your network.

When trying to accomplish a successful release/renew on the WAN side of things (outside of your home network), you are going to find that this familiarity with your router’s UI is going to be pretty helpful.

To log in into your router, you will want to log in to either http://192.168.1.1 or http://192.168.0.1 depending on the router’s make and/or model. At this point, you need to log in to the box. Chances are, you have not set up a secure password as of yet. So, you will need to visit this page to see what your default login is based on the router you are using. Don’t fret if your exact model is not shown. More often than not, just having the right brand will provide you with the generic login you need.

In needing to set up a decent password, it might be easier to consult your router’s documentation for this since no two brands share everything the same way. (Oftentimes the link or tab you are looking for is just marked password.)

OK, once the password bit has been addressed, you are ready to move on to the task at hand. On a Netgear router, one would be able to find what they need for a release/renew in Maintenance, Router Status, connection status button. On other routers, it might be under advanced or connection. Once again, the documentation or even the support site for your router is going to be key here.

Once you find the area you need, do a release. After it completes, you can do a renew at that point. It is a good thing to remember that renew can take a moment. So if it is not an immediate thing, don’t be discouraged. Hope this helps!

Do you have an IT-related question? Perhaps you are just burnt out on writing on the walls with crayons? Whatever the
comments may be, drop me a line, and you too can “Just Ask Matt!”