what is the use of nslookup and how to use it to know the inner dns details

[jraju]

Hi, Ipconfig lists the default gateway and subnet mask. But what should be done to know the inner address of the gateway, sub gateway etc of the ISP.
              to put it simply, how to know the inner dns address of the router. I forgot the admin user and password. what this nslookup do. If i use the command at cmd, it lists unknown and give my router page ip correctly. Is there any problem . How to rectify this error server unknown, and gives the correct ip of my ISP gaeway

[Boggin]

nslookup won't help you with that.

If it's an ISP supplied router then the default username and password will be on the router somewhere.

You will need to factory reset the router usually by holding a needle or a straightened paperclip in a pinhole on the rear of the router and log in with the default names after it reboots.

[jraju]

Hi, Boggins , i know but i had to reconfigure it. I have lost the user name and pw, but now it is working. I asked for a way to know the things. When hotstar asked to click a link , it gets those data from my router .Why nslook gives server unknown message. What is the real purpose of having that command.
                                   When i click that link, all those information from the router , with strong pw and user name, which even i fail to note it, (Hard disk failure and replaced) are given.
                                    There should be some software to know these things.

                                     

[jraju]

Hi, no reply so far

[Samson]

J, I'm not really sure what your question is here?

If it is how to get your router's admin/ password details if you have forgotten them? Try this, it works for most Netgears anyway.

I assume/ hope that you have made a backup of your  router's settings? If not then do it. This should be saved as a .cfg file, at least it is with Netgears. Then you can open the .cfg file with notepad and search for the admin username and password for your router there. It most likely will not be true for all brands of router but worth a shot.

Easiest way is a post it/ sharpie on the router itself 

[Boggin]

A router uses an internal DHCP assigned IP address as its Default Gateway and not an external IP address which nslookup uses.

That's why nslookup came up with that response.

With an ISP supplied router the username and password will be on the router - the problem arises when you have changed the password and you have forgotten that.

The only fix I know for that is to factory reset the router.

When it isn't an ISP supplied router, admin is the standard username, but the password can be different from make to make and in some instances, the password is blank.

A Google for the default username and password for your make & model of router will usually pull up the answer, but when setting up a non-ISP supplied router, you would have to set it up again as out of the box and enter the broadband password as came in the documentation from your ISP.

You can get the wireless password from the computer before you factory reset should you need it to reconnect to the SSID.

I don't know what hotstar is.

[jraju]

Hi, Sorry for late coming here.
                        From 6th to 11 i had been out of station and from 12th the vardah cyclone rage simply demaged all modes of communication, including power, tele and i could only get the power and tele connection today and saw your responses.
                          To samson,
                                        I have not saved the cfg file. Would you please say how to save the cfg files so that i could view the password. Ofcourse, i changed the admin username and password for security reason and on the same day, when i try to save it to the pendrive , the hard drive failed and with it the whole data . so , i did not have that.
                                 Please give me how to do it, as it will help me to go to the router settings.
                                 Boggins  idea on nslookup is new to me and thanks for that. But would it not be a way to see the actual dns gateway ip of the service provider and sub dns of the same?
                                  If samson trick works, then i could open my router page to get the details .

[Boggin]

Sorry to hear that you've had a rough time of it lately.

Open a command prompt and enter ipconfig /all

From this you will be able to see the Default Gateway and the DNS servers which are being used, but it won't give you the username and password.

The only way you will be able to log into the router is after a factory reset and once you've set it back up again, you can change the password to one of your choice.

You would only get a config file when you've backed up the settings from within the router.

Normally you would back up the router settings after setting it up so that if you had to factory reset it at a later date, you can restore the router with the cfg file to save you from having to input any changes you have made such as static IP addresses that have been assigned to printers.

Look upon it as a system image of the router at the time you set it up.

However, that config file won't be any good if it contains changes of username and password because that restore effects a reboot of the router, so you would need that username and password to log back in with.

[jraju]

Hi, Boggins, Thanks.
Pl see the reply from samson, containing If not then do it.
This is where i need his advice . From your answer it would seem impossible to save the cfg file, if you do not know the username and password.
                        For your query about hotstar, it is a website, hosting tv shows from vijaytv

[Samson]

J, most routers should have the option to backup your settings, ISP details, channel, DNS, passwords etc. This is usually saved as a .cfg file (to a location of your choice). This file can be be used to restore after factory resetting the router (to save manually inputting everything again).

This file can be opened with notepad and with a bit of trawling around you can read the details, like the admin password etc and so avoid having to do a reset if you forget the password.

A simpler solution would be to write the password on the router itself, so you have a go to solution in future 

[jraju]

Hi, I saved but since my hdd failed i could not save it. So the reset router is the only option , i think.I saved the settings as cfg but could not save it . Just as i downloaded and gave a name to it, power was cut, closing the session.never to boot again. I used a very strong coded alphanumeric and characters for user name and a difficult to crack password.
 

[Boggin]

When you create strong passwords you should always write them down unless you have an exceptional memory to remember them together with all of your other passwords.

As I don't use the same password twice, I have all of mine written down on slips of paper in a folder and to what they refer to and as they can be for sites I rarely need to visit, I find this essential.

Being the sole occupant of my home therefore doesn't pose a security risk.

[jraju]

Hi, Is there any alternative. I remember reading adding some words to the router page , does save the cfg files freshly. But i could not remember the additional words .

[Boggin]

None that I know of, but there could be depending upon the make & model of the router.

I had a Billion BiPac 7800N where you could add to the URL which would get you into the page to change a value to tweak the SNRM, but that was as far as it would take you.

I think your best bet is to contact your ISP to find out how to safely factory reset your router and set it back up again.