What is a gateway?
Whenever you access the Internet, you have to go through your service provider. In many cases, you need to latch on to a WiFi signal for this, or perhaps your SIM card if you’re using mobile date on a device like a smartphone.
The device or framework that bridges your device to your telco’s network is referred to as a gateway. This could be a firewall, server, router, etc.
A gateway could also bridge two devices. For instance, in an Internet of Things (IoT) system, data (or information) is transferred from a sensor to a device or the cloud (or both). Decisions are then made based on the transferred data. Between the sensor, device, and/or cloud, gateways serve as bridges facilitating the communication between networks.
Telstra Internet customers utilise gateways whenever they access the Internet. Telstra also give customers the ability to access their gateway and even make changes to further secure their home networks. This is different from Telstra’s self-service portal that allows users to monitor their usage, similar to Optus self-service app.
In this post, we’ll walk you through how to access your Telstra gateway and improve security by changing log in information for your home network.
How to access Telstra Gateway
If you’re a Telstra Internet customer, you make use of a router to gain access to the Telstra network. That physical router (or perhaps a modem in some cases) is your gateway to the Telstra network, and it has a framework that you can access to modify the router information needed to gain access to the Telstra network.
Accessing that framework is essentially the same as accessing the Telstra gateway. This applies whether you have a Telstra fixed line service or mobile broadband service.
There are a number of modems and routers available to Telstra customers, and accessing their gateway framework is mostly similar. The process typically involves entering an IP address or web address that belongs to the router. After that, log in details are entered and the gateway will be accessed.
Here’s a more detailed look at how to access your Telstra gateway:
- Find out your modem/router’s default address.
- Ensure your router is turned on and the green WiFi light is on.
- Connect to the WiFi network with your computer or tablet.
- Open a browser and enter your router’s default gateway address to access the framework.
- Telstra customers with nbn™/ADSL/Velocity/Cable (with Adapter) modems enter http://10.0.0.138 or http://telstra.gateway/ as their default address or Url.
- Customers with cable (without Adapter) modems enter http://192.166.0.1 or http://telstra.gateway/
- Customers with Telstra Gateway Frontier or Telstra Smart Modem enter http://192.168.0.1 or http://mygateway/ as their default address.
- Enter the default log in details – Username is admin and the password is admin.
If you’re unsure of your router’s gateway address, or perhaps you are using a non-Telstra router, you can find out using your computer. Here’s how:
- Windows 10 users – Hold Win and R together to open your Command Prompt > type cmd.exe and hit Enter > type ipconfig and hit Enter > you’ll find your router’s gateway address listed next to Default Gateway.
- Mac users – Go to your Mac’s System Preferences > select Network > select your Internet connection > for Ethernet users, your gateway address will be listed next to Router > for WiFi users, click Advanced and click the TCP/IP tab to find your default gateway address next to Router.
Change Wi-Fi name and password to improve security
One of the key benefits of having access to your Telstra gateway is to improve your home network’s security. If your default settings are left alone, it is easier for someone outside of your home to gain access to your router and Telstra service without permission.
To prevent this, change your WiFi name and password when you gain access to your Telstra gateway. You’ll find this option when you enter the default gateway address for your router to modify the framework.
Your router’s default name and password can be found on its label. Telstra also typically includes a security card with the modem that has this information on it. This log in information is different from the username and password used to log into your router’s default gateway address. Instead, your WiFi name and password are used to connect to your WiFi network and access the Internet.
To change your WiFi name and password:
- Log into your router’s gateway by following the steps we outlined above.
- Click WiFi in the top menu.
- Enter your desired name into the WiFi Name (SSID) field, and password into the WiFi Security Key field.
- Click Apply to save your new WiFi name and password.
Conclusion
A Telstra Gateway is simply a generic name that’s given to any facility which will grant you access to their network. From a technology perspective, a gateway is a router which connects you to something outside your LAN (Local Area Network). The most common Telstra Gateways these days are router connections to the NBN.