Reconfiguring my router after a weird spontaneous malfunction...?
 

My roommate and I have been behind a D-Link 604 router for several weeks, and everything worked fine. Recently, we weren't able to connect to the internet and we discovered that after plugging each of our ethernet cables into the walljack individually, and connecting successfully, something is wrong with the router.

So my question is, how do I configure the router to allow access? I contacted our landlord, and they claim every should work fine, and they recommended reconfiguring the router. How do I do this?

I can't access the router configuration page because when I enter in the URL box the numbers that are found through Run > cmd > ipconfig, I'm prompted for a password that I can't get past (I never changed it, so the details are still user: admin, password: blank).

Any advice on how to fix this problem? Could it just be that the router is simply dead (it's 2-3 years old)?

So you're suggesting that perhaps someone else got into the router and made some changes?

You could do a factory reset on it. That is probably done by pressing the reset button on the router for like 10 seconds. Maybe holding the reset button for 10 seconds then unplugging the power. Some routers work differently.

Double Post:
This huge url says to hold down the reset button for 10 seconds.

How come you don't know the password for your own router?

Did you even try to log in with this?

Looks that way.

Well, resetting the router seemed to do the trick. Thanks for the (obvious) advice. What was the reason for this, offhand? I've never messed with my router. Are you just expected to reset it every once in a while?

You should try going to the D-Link website.

I have a 604 too, and you don't need a password. It asks for one, but just type "admin" in the user and leave the password blank.

Sometimes problems like these just happen with routers and DSL/cable modems. Heck, on my cable modem and Linksys router, just unplugging them both from the mains fixes the problem.

Well, if you can't log in to your router with your normal password anymore, chances are that the password has been changed by somebody other than you. I can't think of any router that would just decide to refuse passwords out of the blue.

Maybe you should change the login to something non-default this time around, Cellius.

I had been having some trouble with a Microsoft router and resetting it would do the trick (I noticed all Ethernet connections to it were not recognized). The settings weren't changed, but I called Microsoft and mentioned it to them. They believe that the router may be on its way to hardware malfunctions to permanently corrupt the device. You may want to hit up D-Link and bring it up if it happens again.