How do I Change the MTU Size on My NETGEAR Wireless Router?

Change the MTU Size on NETGEAR Wireless Router:

Most of you might not have heard about MTU, right? Well, MTU (maximum transmission unit) is the largest data packet that a network device can transmit. As one network device communicates across the Internet with another network device, these data packets go through multiple devices along the way. 

In case, the device lying in the data path has a lower MTU setting than the other devices, the data packets get naturally split or "fragmented” to accommodate the device having the smallest MTU. Now, you must be thinking, how to change the MTU size on my NETGEAR Wireless Router?

The best MTU setting for NETGEAR equipment is usually its default value. While in some situations, changing this particular fixed value fixes one problem but causes the other. However, in such a case, you can leave the MTU unchanged unless one of these situations occurs: 

• You get problems while connecting to your ISP or other Internet services. While the technical support of ISP or NETGEAR recommends modifying the MTU value. Such web-based applications may need an MTU change. Examples of secure websites that do not open, or displays the part of a web page like Yahoo email,  MSN portal, 
• America Online's DSL service
• If you are using a VPN, you might get severe performance problems.
• You used a program to optimize MTU for performance reasons and now you are facing connectivity or performance problems.
• An incorrect MTU value can even cause Internet communication problems. Certainly, you won't be able to access certain websites, frames within websites, secure login pages, or FTP or POP servers.

How do I Change the MTU Size on NETGEAR Wireless Router?

If you are wondering "how to change the MTU size on my NETGEAR Wireless Router?", here is the answer to follow:

Step 1: Firstly, open any installed browser on my computer or mobile device that is connected to your router’s network.

Step 2: Next, go to this specific URL http://www.routerlogin.net. Now, a router login window displays on your screen.

Step 3: Then, you need to enter the username and password of your router. 

Note: Usually, the user name is admin and the default password is password. Remember, user name and password are case-sensitive information. With this, the Basic homepage is displayed. 

Step 4: Choose the option as: ADVANCED > Setup > WAN Setup.

Step 5: Enter a value from 64 to 1500 in the MTU Size field and click on the Apply button.

Step 6: Finally, your settings are saved.

If you find an MTU problem, then you change the MTU to 1400. But as an experiment, you can simply reduce the MTU from the maximum value of 1500. Do this until the problem goes away. The following list gives you common MTU sizes and their applications.

• 1500: This is the largest Ethernet packet size for connections that do not use PPPoE or VPN. Also, this is the default value for NETGEAR routers, adapters, and switches.
• 1492: This is used for PPPoE environments.
• 1472: This is the maximum size used for pinging where the large packets are fragmented.
• 1468: This is used in some DHCP environments.
• 1460: This is used by AOL for small email attachments.
• 1436: This is used in PPTP environments and with a VPN.
• 1400: This is the maximum size for AOL DSL.
• 576: This is the typical value of connecting to dial-up ISPs.

Hope this article gives a solution to your query "How do I change the MTU size on my NETGEAR Wireless Router?"