192.168.1.1 is the default IP (internet protocol) address for many home broadband routers. It was originally used by Linksys but has since been found in use in a variety of other home networking devices such as those produced by Netgear and Westell to name a few.
Although 192.168.1.1 is the default IP address for many broadband routers and modems, it does not necessarily have to be. Many factories set the default address to 192.168.1.1 in order to promote a more standardized computing environment and to make it easier for first time users to set up their networks quickly and easily.
Can only Linksys (and other) routers use the 192.168.1.1 address?
No, because 192.168.1.1 is a private IPv4 address, any computer, router, modem, or other internet device can be configured to use this IP address. However, it is not usually recommended as there are so many devices that default to 192.168.1.1 that connectivity problems may arise later from multiple devices using the same network address. It is also important to remember that only one network device can have any one IP address, so if you have multiple devices using 192.168.1.1, all but one of them must be changed...