The home router allows you to access important configuration parameters for the Internet and to change the settings relating to the wireless connection or to the connection of a single device or a single service (for example , port forwarding ). These changes could only be applied when we were connected to the network managed by the router (by typing 192.168.1.1 or similar addresses ), but on the new models we can manage changes to the router even remotely, using the integrated VPN services or the special connection methods to remote offered by proprietary routers. In this guide we will show you how to control the router remotely, using both the tools made available by the telephony operator and the VPN services designed for the purpose (other than Proxy VPN services ).
READ ALSO: Enter the router to access settings easily
How to control the router remotely
Below we will show you how to control the main proprietary routers provided by Fastweb, TIM and Vodafone and we will show you, in a dedicated chapter, how to control the router remotely with any network and with any type of router or modem.How to remote control the Fastweb router
If we have a Fastweb fixed line and the new Fastgate modem, we can control it remotely without configuring anything: all we have to do is download the free MyFastweb app (available for Android and iOS) on our smartphone, log in to it with our Fastweb credentials (it may be sufficient to connect to the Fastgate Wi-Fi network for the first time or use a Fastweb SIM combined with the subscription) and, once you have entered the app, tap on the top left of the icon with three horizontal bars and select the FASTGate menu.
A drop-down menu will open where we can choose which menu to use for configuring the router: Wi-Fi, Speedtest, Devices, Phone and Advanced settings .
Most of the items are also available when we are away from home and use the smartphone's data connection, so that we can always access the settings of our Fastgate anywhere on the planet. Unfortunately some advanced settings are not available for remote control and we will have to connect to the Fastgate Wi-Fi network to unlock them.
To learn more, please read our guide Guide to access the Fastweb modem (Fastgate) .
How to remote control the TIM router
If we have a subscription for TIM's fixed internet, we download the free MyTIM Fixed app (available for Android and iOS) to our smartphone, log in with the TIM account credentials and go to the Modem section of the app.
From this section we will be able to check some router settings and know the devices connected even from a distance, using the mobile connection of the phone when we are away from home.
How to remote control your Vodafone router
If, on the other hand, we wish to remotely control a Vodafone router, download the free Vodafone Station DSL / Fibra app (available for Android and iOS) to our smartphone, enter the access credentials of the Vodafone account in our possession and use the various menus offered to control practically every aspect of the router.
The menus offered are numerous and allow you to set a large number of options without being physically connected to the Vodafone Station Wi-Fi network, just be connected to the Internet when we are away from home (under LTE coverage or connected to a Wi-Fi Hotspot).
How to set up a VPN to control any remote router
If our home router does not offer remote connection via app, we can create a VPN connection between our smartphone and the home network, so as to be "always connected" to it even when we are away from home.
First, let's get a new VPN router to cascade to the modem / router we already have; a good VPN router to use for the purpose is the TP-Link Archer C7 AC1750 (68 €).
We connect this router in cascade with the main router (which also acts as a modem), access the configuration panel of the new router and identify the VPN menu or VPN Server .
Select the OpenVPN menu, put the check mark on the Enable VPN server item, check the UDP and Home network only items and configure the Service port (for example 8089 ) and Subnet / Netmask VPN fields (we use 192.168.1.0 in these fields and 255.255.255.0 ). At the end, click on Save and press on the bottom on Export, so as to generate the file necessary for the configuration on the smartphone.
Now that the VPN on the router is active, we download the free OpenVPN Connect app (for Android and iOS) to our smartphone, load the exported file from the router into the internal memory of the phone (perhaps using one of the services available in the guide Transfer even large files from PC to smartphone in Wifi ) and, within the OpenVPN app, we tap on Private tunnel, load the file exported from the router and confirm the VPN connection.
If everything is configured correctly, we will have access to the main network of our router even outside the home and we will be able to access its settings by opening any browser and typing 192.168.1.1 or similar address (even outside the home).
More information on VPNs can be found in our guide on How to Configure VPN on Router .
Conclusions
As we have seen, we can access the settings of our router with great ease, even when we are away from home; just use the specific apps for the proprietary routers of the main telephony operators or configure a VPN to access, from anywhere in the world, the devices in the home network (including the router itself).Once we have obtained remote access to the router, we can configure a whole series of parameters, such as those recommended in our Router Configuration guide : all the things to do . If, on the other hand, we want to optimize the speed of wireless connections remotely, we recommend you read our guide on how to speed up the router and optimize the WiFi network .
To control a single PC remotely, we advise you to continue reading our guide How to control a computer via the Internet remotely .
