A user purchases a new router and wants to configure it. Which of the following should the user change first?

IP settings, while important for network connectivity, are usually configured after securing the router itself or are automatically assigned via DHCP by default for client devices.

Changing the Wi-Fi channel is a common step for optimizing wireless performance, but it is less critical than securing the administrative access to the router itself.

The gateway (often the router's own IP address) is fundamental to network operation, but it typically works out-of-the-box for basic connectivity and doesn't pose the immediate security risk of a default password.

New routers typically come with easily guessable or publicly known default administrative passwords, posing a significant security risk. Changing this default password immediately prevents unauthorized users from logging into the router's configuration interface and making malicious changes. This is a fundamental first step in securing any new network device.