My new PLDT Home DSL modem: Changing username, wifi SSID, and password

PLDT’s Zyxel P-600 series modem

As a homeschooling mother, I rely on the Internet for access to countless homeschooling resources and interaction with the homeschooling community at large. I also happen to write a blog primarily concerned with homeschooling. I’m not the type to chuck electronics into the trash heap, until I’m certain they’ve ultimately given up the ghost. So when my old Zyxel modem started acting up, it took a year of applying quick fixes before I finally bit the bullet and got myself a new PLDT Home DSL modem.

My modem problems started about a year ago. I had been using an antiquated Zyxel P-600 series, installed since subscribing to PLDT’s landline-plus-broadband-Internet combo in 2010. At first, the DSL indicator refused to light up, requiring a reboot or power cycle. To power cycle a modem, you unplug it and leave it unplugged for a minimum of 30 seconds, then plug it back on. This fix worked for about two months, until one day it started requiring more frequent power cycles to kickstart initialization.

At first, it took 3 power cycles, then 4….before I knew it, I’d be hunched over the modem, unplugging and plugging the darn box with grim monotony until the DSL indicator turned on.  But it was a matter of time before this remedy stopped working.  I’d be rebooting 100x and the DSL light continued to play coy. Exasperated, I left the modem turned on for two hours and rebooted. I reckoned maybe the modem needed to warm up, like an oven requiring pre-heating before being ready for use. Lo and behold! It worked! The Zyxel modem had just bought itself more time. But once more, this solution proved temporary. One day, the modem simply refused to be coaxed back to life, despite  the numerous trial-and-error fixes I’d employed to revive it. The time had come for the modem to shuffle off this mortal coil.

I’d been delaying the purchase of a new PLDT Home DSL modem, because I was pinning my hopes on the reported plan of Australian telecommunications giant Telstra to give our local telcos a run for their money.  A study of consumer internet speeds in May 2015 by Internet metrics provider Ookla showed that the Philippines has the second slowest download speed among 22 Asian countries surveyed. Average broadband download speed in the Philippines is 3.64Mbps; only war-torn Afghanistan is slower at 2.52 Mbps. In contrast, Singapore flies at 122.43 Mbps.  As it turned out, the Telstra-San Miguel Corp. deal fell through, dashing the Filipinos’ hopes of being rescued from the slow, unreliable and expensive Internet service that the telco oligarchs have cursed us with. To add insult to injury, San Miguel Corp. has sold its telecoms assets to (PLDT-owned) Smart and Globe, the two biggest mobile service providers in the country. Love live duopoly!

PLDT Home DSL wifi modem

I called PLDT Customer Care hotline at 171 to inquire about a modem replacement.  As a legacy PLDT customer, I’d foolishly hoped they’d furnish me a new broadband modem gratis (new subscribers get it free under certain broadband plans), but apparently there are no free lunches in PLDT Town. A new modem would cost P1200, I was told. As per the customer care agent’s instructions, I went to the nearest PLDT Business Center (on F.B. Harrison Street, Pasay City) to purchase my new PLDT Home DSL modem.

PLDT Home DSL wifi modem

PLDT Home DSL wifi modem setup instructions

My new PLDT Home DSL wifi modem is a Baudtec RN243R4 model. The package included a wifi modem, a microfilter, an RJ11 cable and an RJ45 cable.  Setup was a breeze, and my connection was up and running in a jiffy. I proceeded to change the default SSID and passkey for my wifi connection. If you’re curious about how to do that, you can follow my instructions.

PLDT Home DSL wifi modem

Configuring the username, password and SSID of your PLDT Home DSL modem

Baudtec PLDT DSL wifi modem, admin login

First, log on to the modem/router’s admin page by typing it’s IP address: 192.168.1.1 into the browser address bar. You will be prompted for admin username and password. The default username for PLDT Home DSL modem is admin, while the default password is 1234.

Router IP address: 192.168.1.1
username: admin (default)
password: 1234 (default

Baudtec PLDT DSL wifi modem, user access admin page

Baudtec PLDT DSL wifi modem, user access admin page

Baudtec PLDT DSL wifi modem, user access admin page

Once logged on, click on Setup, and under WLAN, chose Basic.  Next to SSID, you will see the default PLDTHOMEDSL SSID. To differentiate your wifi from others in your neighborhood that might have the same name, append any name you’d like to the default.  When you’re done, click on Apply Changes button.  On the left side of the screen is a message that goes: “Attention, Config is modified to make it effective forever.” Make sure you click on the message’s Save button. The router will reset in order to activate your new settings.

Baudtec PLDT DSL wifi modem, user access admin page

To configure your wifi password, you will have to log on again. Click Setup, then under WLAN, choose Security. On the Pre-shared key textbox, type in the password you wish to use. Afterwards, click on the Apply button. Don’t forget to click the Save button to save your settings. Again the router will reset to activate your new settings.

Baudtec PLDT DSL wifi modem, root access admin login

If you wish to change the default admin username and password, you will need to acquire root access to your PLDT Home DSL modem. To do that, type in the IP address of the modem/router in the homepage. Key in the default username and password, as indicated below:

Router IP address: 192.168.1.1
username: adminpldt (default)
password: 1234567890 (default)

Baudtec PLDT DSL wifi modem, root access admin page

Baudtec PLDT DSL wifi modem, root access admin page

Baudtec PLDT DSL wifi modem, root access admin page

You will be taken to the web admin page with more configuration options. To change your admin username and password, click on Maintenance on the menu. Then click the Password button on the left pane, which will take you to the User Account Configuration. Below it is a User Account Table. Click the radio button corresponding to the username you wish to change.  Afterwards, input your desired username, old password, and new password. Click Modify, then click Save. Your modem will restart for your new settings to take effect.

My PLDT Home DSL wifi connection is working like a charm, so far. Will it give me six years of trouble-free service like my old Zyxel modem did? I’m keeping my fingers crossed, since it looks like we’re stuck with Smart and Globe for a long, long time.