How to Change a Computer Router's MTU

The Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) is a network standard that defines the size of communication packets that travel along a network path. Data packets are bits of information that are sent from the source computer to the destination. The MTU decides the size of these packets, and the size must be consistent across all machines on the network. The MTU size of a network is determined by the protocol, and most home and office networks are ethernet based. You can change the MTU setting when some computers on a network are experiencing problems but the rest of the network isn't affected. Usually, you can change a computer router's MTU setting by accessing it through your web browser.

Instructions

Linksys Router

1. Step 1

   Open your web browser and type in the router's IP address. The default value for a Linksys router setup is 192.168.1.1. Enter your router's admin username and password. The default username for Linksys is blank and the password is "admin."

2. Step 2

   Click the "Advanced" tab at the top of the window. Within this screen, click the "Filters" link. Within this screen, scroll down to the MTU option and check the box labeled "Enable."

3. Step 3

   Enter a new MTU size in the text box. This value should be between 1400 and 1492. A good value to start with is 1454. Change the value as necessary until the network issues are resolved. Click the "Save Settings" button when you are finished.

D-Link

4. Step 1

   Open a browser window and navigate to the IP address of the router. The default IP address for a D-link router installation is 192.168.0.1.

5. Step 2

   Enter "admin" into the username text box. Enter a password if you previously set a password for the router's admin account. Otherwise, the default password is blank. Press the "Enter" key.

6. Step 3

   Click the "WAN" button on the router's default console screen. On this screen, scroll down to the MTU section. Enter a new value in the MTU text box and click the "Save" button.