Many people are interested in the question of whether the router will work and distribute Wi-Fi if the computer is turned off. And can a router work without a computer at all. Now we will understand these issues. A lot of people are interested in this even before buying a router, for the reason that many simply do not have a computer, in conjunction with which, in their opinion, the router should work.
We have several tablets, smartphones, Smart TVs, etc., and we need to connect all this stuff to the Internet. You just need to install a router that will distribute Wi-Fi. But here the question arises, what to do if there is no computer or laptop. Will the router work by itself, and how to set it up without a computer.
Running a little ahead of myself, I will say that everything will work. The presence of a computer (especially turned on) for the operation of the Wi-Fi router is not necessary, as well as for its configuration.
Wi-Fi router operation without a computer
Friends, everything is very simple. A router is an independent device that does not require a computer at all. All that is needed for the router to distribute the Internet via Wi-Fi is the router itself, and the power and Internet connected to it. All.
If you do not have a computer and want to install Wi-Fi at home, then first connect the Internet (if it is not already connected). What internet to connect so that everything would work? Yes, almost any. In the city, you can simply lay the cable into the house, the most popular way. If this is not possible, then you can connect ADSL, or in extreme cases, 3G Internet. I wrote about the choice of a router for 3G modems in the article Routers with support for USB modems. They just need a special router. In all other cases, the most common will do.
Then we buy a router, connect power to it, and the Internet. Further, you just need to set up the whole thing. You can find instructions on how to configure routers from different manufacturers on this page: https://help-wifi.com/instrukcii-po-nastrojke-routerov/.
How to set up a router without a computer?
This question is often asked. Yes, it's easier to configure the router from a computer or laptop. I always write setup instructions from a computer. But, if it is not there, then it's okay. In any case, you have some kind of mobile device. The router can be configured from a tablet, smartphone, and even from a TV (although I have not tried it yet). I already wrote an article on this topic: how to set up a Wi-Fi router from a tablet or phone?
Everything can be configured without any problems and everything works. Moreover, the router needs to be configured only once, and forget about it. In extreme cases, you can even borrow a laptop from a neighbor. And if you bought, or are going to buy a TP-LINK device, then it can generally be configured through a special TP-LINK Tether program for a phone or tablet. However, not all models are supported.
The router stops distributing the Internet after turning off the computer
We have already found out that everything can function without a computer. But, there is such a problem, when everything seems to be configured, the router distributes the Internet via Wi-Fi, and when we turn off the computer, or simply disconnect the router from the computer, it stops distributing the Internet. There is a Wi-Fi network, but no Internet access. Many people really face such a problem, and do not understand why this is so. After all, I wrote above that everything should work.
The problem is in the wrong configuration of the router. You most likely previously had the Internet configured on your computer, a high-speed connection that you launched to connect to the Internet. We installed a router, connected a cable from the provider to it, and connected this computer to the router via cable. We started the connection, everything works. There is a Wi-Fi network, Internet access too. Just turn off the computer, or disconnect the network cable, the router stops distributing the Internet.
Why is that? Everything is very simple. While the connection was running on the computer, the Internet on the router worked. It is not right. After installing the router, the computer should not have any connections to the provider, and nothing needs to be started. This connection will be established by the router. You just need to configure it, create this connection on it (specify your username, password). How to do this, I write in each instruction for configuring a specific router model. Look at our website in the section "Configuring the router".
After you correctly configure the router to work with the provider, everything will work without a computer.
If some points from the article remain unclear, then ask questions in the comments, I will be happy to answer.
