Checking your connection speed with the ZTE 831 DSL modem

For the past several months we have been using ZTE 831 DSL modems when installing PHLO lines for customers. If you have one of these, you can query the modem’s web GUI to see the actual connection speed of the DSL line. This is more accurate than the various speed test websites.

Here’s how to access the web GUI:

1. Attach your computer directly to the DSL modem using an Ethernet cable (i.e. bypass a router if you have one)
2. Open your network settings, and set your IP address manually to 192.168.1.10. Set subnet mask to 255.255.255.0 and the default gateway (router) address to 192.168.1.1
3. Open your web browser, and enter this in the address bar:  http://192.168.1.1
4. You should get a login prompt. The user name is “admin” and the password is “admin”
5. The resulting screen will show you the current speed that the modem is in sync at.
6. After checking, you will want to restore your computer’s network settings to obtain an IP address automatically using DHCP.