192.168.0.1
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What is 192.168.0.1?
192.168.0.1 is a common Internet Protocol (IP) address for many wireless home routers, used to access administrative functions.
Just as someone needs your mailing address if they want to send you a letter, your computer needs what's called an Internet Protocol (IP) address to send and receive messages across the internet. This IP address is a unique string of numbers, in a specific pattern, separated by periods. One common one is 192.168.0.1, baffling many everyday internet users.
Back in 1996, two groups, the Internet Engineering Task Force and the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, had to pick a handful of addresses for use in closed networks, not public ones. One was 192.168.0.1. The form is called "dot-decimal," meaning 192.168.0.1 is a decimal conversion of 11000000.10101000 in binary code, with all those 1s and 0s corresponding to the size of the address (i.e., how many individual addresses it can support). The first digits, 192.168, identify the computer network address while the last two digits signify the actual computer ("host") address. For in-the-weeds reasons, the last two digits vary (eg., 0.0 or 1.0), so sometimes 192.168.0.1 is referred to as 192.168.x.y.
So … what does all this mean? This part is pretty simple. Typing in 192.168.0.1 is an easy way to access the administrative functions of your router, the device that connects your computer to the internet. This is useful if you need to troubleshoot a network problem, or, say, change the password of your router.
the Battle of 192.168.0.1 was just horrific. lost so many friends there.
@maxjrosenthal, May 23, 2018
If you're using a Netgear router, simply enter http://www.routerlogin.net in the address bar of your browser or navigate to 192.168.0.1. The username is almost always "admin," and the password will either be "password" or "1234" if you're using an older device.
Brad Bourque, Digital Trends, January 25, 2018
If you're having issues with your wireless connection or password, knowing the numbers 192.168.0.1 will come in handy—only if your router uses that address. If technology really isn't your thing, your computer-savvy friend will probably recommend that you type in 192.168.0.1 or some variation of it.
IT folks sometimes use 192.168.0.1 in memes to poke fun of the computer-illiterate or make other inside jokes that are sometimes over our language-loving heads here at Dictionary.com.
Note
This is not meant to be a formal definition of 192.168.0.1 like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of 192.168.0.1 that will help our users expand their word mastery.
