Have you forgotten your router’s password? Or wait, are you simply trying to troubleshoot the connectivity issues? Well, either way, when you’re facing any challenges with your router, your safest bet is to reset it. Yes, you heard us right!
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Resetting your router is the safest and easiest way to get your router back to its right state. It helps in restoring the original value by wiping out your equipment’s custom settings. In this section, we will help you understand what resetting your router means and how to reset router in detail below:
What is a factory reset and when do you need to do it?
A factory reset isn’t the same as a reboot that shuts down your router and starts its back up. It is in fact, a good troubleshooting step if your router is acting strange. Yes, that’s right!
A reset wipes all the data from your router. This includes any passwords, wifi network details, such as the name of your network and passphrase, or any other settings that you’ve recently changed. And that’s the whole point!
If your router is acting strangely and a reboot hasn’t really helped, or you think it may have router malware- a factory reset can easily fix the problem. However, this shouldn’t be your first troubleshooting step. At the very least- try a reboot first.
If a reboot doesn’t work, try to upgrade your router’s firmware and see if that fixes the problem.
Note: A factory reset is a good idea if you’re selling or disposing of your router. This way, whoever gets your router next can start afresh without seeing any of your private information, for instance, your wifi passphrase.
Several routers reset methods, such as hard resets, soft resets, and power cycling can be used depending on the situation. Let us understand how to configure wifi router with the three methods:
Hard Reset for router configuration
It is a drastic type of router reset, which is commonly used when administrators have forgotten the password or keys. Hence, they are willing to start over with fresh settings to fix your broadband connection.
In that case, a hard reset is the best possible solution as it removes all customizations including passwords, usernames, security keys, port forward settings, and custom DNS servers. However, it does not remove or revert the currently installed version of router firmware.
Thus, perform a hard reset at home with the following steps:
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Turn on the router to the side that has a reset button, which is either on the back or bottom
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Hold down the reset button for 30 seconds
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Release the button and wait for another 30 seconds for the router to fully reset and power back on
Note: Disconnect the broadband modem from the router first before performing a hard reset to avoid any internet complications.
Power Cycling can help configure router
Turning off and reapplying power is called the ‘Power Cycling’ method. It is mainly used to recover from any glitches that cause a router to drop connections, for instance, overheating or corruption of the unit’s internal memory.
Power cycles do not remove erased passwords, security keys, or other settings, which are saved using the router consoles.
So, if you’re facing any issues with the router, check out this guide on how to reset a router via a power cycling method with the steps mentioned below:
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Switch off the router. You can either turn off the switch or simply unplug the power chord
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Remove the battery (if you have a battery-powered router).
Note: It is not mandatory to wait for more than 30 seconds between unplugging and reattaching the router power chord.
Soft Resets to configure router
When troubleshooting internet connectivity issues at home, it helps to reset the connection between the modem and router. This may only involve removing the physical connection between the two, not manipulating the software, or disabling the power.
Compared to the two other resets, a soft reset takes effect almost immediately as it does not require the router to reboot. Yes, you read that correctly. All you have to do is unplug the cable that connects the router to the modem and then, reconnect it after a couple of seconds. It’s that quick and easy!
However, performing a soft reset on certain routers may not always be the same. Other routers may need you to follow the steps given below:
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Locate the ‘Disconnect/Connect button’ on the console
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Open the router console and select ‘Restore Factory Defaults’ or something similar (this will help to replace the router’s customized settings with original ones without requiring a hard reset)
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Find and select the ‘Reset Security’ button on the wifi console screen. It will replace the subset of your router’s wireless network settings with the defaults while leaving the other settings unchanged.
To sum up, if trying the above-mentioned wifi router configuration methods does not fix the issue, it indicates a problem with your router. Therefore, you cannot configure router anymore. In that case, the only thing left to do here is to replace the router with a better one from a leading Internet Service Provider (ISP) like Airtel. Hurry!
FAQ’s
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How to Reset Your WiFi Router?
Resetting your WiFi router is very easy. Locate the reset button on your router’s back or bottom and use a paper clip or something similar to press it until the lights start blinking after 10-30 seconds. This must restore your router to its factory settings. Then, you have to reconfigure all your networks again. And that’s the basic procedure if you’re asking how to reset WiFi router settings.
You should know that a router has a reset button, and if you have connectivity issues that persist, you will find that resetting the router often solves the problem. If you cannot perform this action, search for services by searching “reset near me” to have professionals assist you.
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How to reset the WiFi password?
Access your router’s settings page using a web browser to reset the WiFi password. The router’s IP address is most likely 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1. When you enter the settings, it takes you to the wireless section, where you can change the WiFi password. Once you have saved the changes, you are ready to go with the new password.
Knowing how to reset your WiFi password is as important as securing your network if you suspect some unauthorized users are connected to your network.
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How do I restart my router?
To reset your router, you pull the power cable out, wait about 10-30 seconds, and plug it back in. This will refresh your network without resetting your saved settings, like passwords or network names. Restarting is great if one experiences temporary connectivity issues.
If one doesn’t know how to restart the router correctly, this simple power cycle would solve most common internet problems without requiring a reset.
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What is the difference between resetting and rebooting a router?
Rebooting the router is also a soft reboot that tends to refresh the connection, and even a minor error may be cleared. Reset takes you back to the factory settings and clears all your configurations. So, when you have small problems with it, it is better to reboot your router, but if you want to reset it and restore it to its factory settings or forget its login details, you need to learn how to reset your router.
Both restarting and resetting have their purposes. Knowing which one to use can save you time and trouble.
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How do I reset my router password?
If you forgot your router password and did not log into the admin panel, you must do a factory reset and change all settings to the default password. You then log in using the default credentials of the router’s admin page and can change the password afterward. This is how much knowledge on resetting router passwords lets you take control of the configuration of your network again.
This procedure also works if you want to learn how to reset a password for your WiFi router, assuming you have forgotten a specific password related to your WiFi network.
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How do I reset the WiFi settings on my router?
Accessing the router’s admin panel is required to reset WiFi settings. You can achieve this by typing the router’s IP address in a web browser. Once logged in, the settings page will often be able to reset network settings and clear all the custom configurations you have done, such as SSID, password, and security protocols.
In most cases, knowing how to reset your WiFi settings is necessary, especially if you want to troubleshoot or configure your network from scratch.
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Can I reset my WiFi router using remote access?
The answer is yes since most modern ones enable resetting or restarting remotely through their admin panel. You would open your router’s IP address on a web page to access the admin page. From that page, look for a reset or restart option in the menu. Thus, you might reset your WiFi router without touching the device and pressing the button.
Note that a router reset from a distance must revert to factory settings, so all your custom configurations will be deleted.
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What do I do if my router won’t reset?
If the router fails to reset, you probably didn’t hold the reset button for at least 10 seconds. In addition, do not worry if it doesn’t budge immediately; unplug it, plug it back in, and try the reset again. Some routers also need a firmware update to complete a reset properly.
Particular guides about resetting the router for a model that does not reset well should check the manufacturer’s website for troubleshooting tips.
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Why Should the WiFi Router be Reset?
Resetting a WiFi router solves many problems; these include forgotten passwords, slow speeds, or even the settings needing to be fixed. If you have custom settings that are now causing a problem, reset will return everything to default. Knowing how to reset your WiFi router is useful if you cannot troubleshoot the issue using other methods.
In cases where restarting does nothing, resetting is the best option for solving your internet problems.
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How do I Reset My Router’s IP Address?
You can log into the router admin settings to reset the router’s IP. You can put a new static IP address there or reset the router, which will automatically give you a new IP address. If you are solving an IP problem, knowing how to reset WiFi and how to set an IP might save your skin.
Be aware that the router’s IP reset does not have to be a full factory reset unless you’re troubleshooting other network issues.
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Will resetting my router improve my WiFi speed?
Resetting may boost WiFi speed if this is because incorrect settings slow down your internet connection. Before a reset, try restarting your router, which often solves speed problems and doesn’t wipe your settings.
If resetting does not work, interference may come from other devices, or you might need to reconfigure the WiFi channel within the router settings.
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How long does it take to reset a WiFi router?
Resetting a WiFi router requires approximately 10-30 seconds. Once that reset occurs, it will reboot, and this is another couple of minutes. When it has fully rebooted, you must log in and reconfigure your settings. Assuming you asked how to reset the WiFi router efficiently, having completed all the steps, the rest of the reconfiguration takes approximately 5-10 minutes for your router model.
You can also find professional help and get “reset near me” from this website or look up “reset near me” to get support near you.