FAQs

Turn ON the modem and wait for it to connect to your ISP. This will normally take one (1) minute or less.

Turn ON the Vigor router and wait for the power light on the device to become solid.

Turn ON the wired devices and check for Internet connectivity.

Turn ON the wireless devices and check for Internet connectivity.

Power both the cable modem and the router off.

If it is not already connected, plug the Ethernet cable into the router’s WAN port on one end, and the cable modem's LAN port on the other end. Make sure that the plugs are firmly seated at each end (you should hear a click when this happens, and you shouldn't be able to pull the plug out again without depressing the plastic tab).

Power-up the cable modem. Wait for the ONLINE light to be solidly lit.

Power-up the router. Wait for the router to complete its power-up sequence.

The LAN light on your modem should be lit to show the Ethernet connection to your router. Follow your router’s instructions for setting up the router and connected devices.

There may be occasions when you need to reset your cable modem/router to factory defaults, for example if you have changed the Username and Password and lost the new values. Note that if you reset your device to its factory defaults, you will lose any changes you have made to settings in the device.

To reset to factory defaults: Make sure the cable modem/router is powered on.

Find the reset button on the rear of the unit. Depending on your model, this may be a button that you can press with a finger, or it may be recessed behind a small hole. If it is recessed, insert a stiff object such as an unbent paperclip through the hole to reach the button.

Press and hold the Reset button for at least 10. The device will flash its LEDs and commence a reboot sequence. Note that you will have to manually re-enter any required changes.

There is no way for an end-user to update cable modem firmware. Firmware updates for cable modems are approved and provisioned by the cable provider. In most cases your provider will automatically download the latest approved code to your device. If you are unsure whether you have the latest code, you can turn your cable modem off for 10 seconds, and then turn it on again. As it reboots, it will check that it is running the latest code approved by your service provider, and if not, will download the latest version.

What is 192.168.2.1? The 192.168.2.1 is the default IP address of a Vigor router. This address is used to access the router’s built-in web-based setup page allowing you to customize settings and set up advanced properties. When do I use it? While you have the option to use the software that came with your router, accessing the web-based setup page is necessary if you encounter the following issues while installing or configuring the device:​
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Setup software is not working​
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Advance configuration is required for certain applications Verification of local and wireless settings ​
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How do I access it? ​
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Open a web-browser (such as Internet Explorer®, Firefox®, Chrome™ or Safari®) and enter “192.168.2.1” in the address bar.

When attempting to access the SURFboard configuration menu, the gateway prompts for a username and password. By default, the username is admin, and the password is motorola. However, the gateway's admin account username and password can be changed.

NOTE: If the gateway cannot be accessed using the default credentials (mentioned above), and the username and password is unknown, then the gateway will only accessible by doing a factory reset. Keep in mind that a factory reset will erase any custom settings, and may cause the Internet to be inaccessible.

Password Considerations:

Passwords are case sensitive, and must be 1 to 8 characters long. Passwords can not contain the following characters (#,$,!,@,*). Passwords go into effect immediately. Restarting the gateway is not required for the password to take effect.

There is, in fact, a difference between all those network cables. They look very similar from the outside, and any of them will plug into an ethernet port, but they do have some differences on the inside. If you aren't sure what type of cables you have, look at the text printed on the cable—usually it will tell you what type it is. The differences between each type of cable can get very complicated and have a lot to do with network standards, but we'll tell you just what you need to know: how they'll practically affect the speed of your home network.

Category 5 cabling, also known as Cat5, is an older type of network cabling. Cat5 cables were made to support theoretical speeds of 10Mbps and 100Mbps. You may be able to get gigabit speeds on a Cat5 cable, particularly if the cable is shorter, but it isn't always guaranteed. Since Cat5 is an older type of cabling, you probably won't see them very much in the store, but you may have gotten some with an older router, switch, or other networking device.

Category 5 enhanced cabling, also known as Cat5e, is an improvement on Cat5 cabling. It was made to support 1000 Mbps "gigabit" speeds, so in theory, it's faster than Cat5. It it also cuts down on crosstalk, the interference you can sometimes get between wires inside the cable. Both of these improvements mean you're more likely to get fast, reliable speed out of Cat5e cabling compared to Cat5.

Category 6 cabling is the next step up from Cat5e, and includes a few more improvements. It has even stricter specifications when it comes to interference, and in some cases is capable of 10-Gigabit speeds. You probably won't use these speeds in your home, and the extra interference improvements won't make a huge difference in regular ueage, so you don't exactly need to rush out and upgrade to Cat6. But, if you're buying a new cable, you might as well, since it is an improvement over its predecessor.

All three cables can work with Gigabit Ethernet. The old-fashioned Cat 5 cable is no longer a recognized standard, but it technically supports gigabit speeds--just not well. Cat 5e cable is enhanced to reduce interference so that it can reliably deliver gigabit speeds.

If you have multiple computers, laptops, and people looking to access the Internet on a regular basis, WiFi is probably a good option for you. You won't have to worry about plugging into one port, sharing one computer or having to wait for someone else to stop perusing Facebook. WiFi basically allows you to access your Internet connection from multiple computers or entertainment systems (PS3, Nintendo, Xbox, etc.) at any given time.

Step 1: Carefully position your router or access point.

Step 2: Change passwords, usernames, and IDs frequently.

Step 3: Disable remote administration

Step 4: Use MAC address filtering

Step 5: Install a PC firewall and anti-virus software

Step 6: Turn off your network when it's not in use

Remove unnecessary programs, spyware, and viruses.

Go into the "Control Panel" of your computer to remove unnecessary programs taking up valuable hard drive space.

Also, beware of viruses and spyware. Spyware collects information from you and builds marketing profiles while you're browsing online. Some of them can change your computer's configuration, resulting in slower performance. That's why it's important to install an anti-virus software and a spyware elimination program to keep your PC safe.