So, you forgot your router password again. Well, who doesn’t forget their passwords when they need it, right? Some people write it down on a piece of paper like a sticky pad or something. Some people even save the darn crazy thing in a text file somewhere on their computer. Unfortunately, people still forget (they even forget that they wrote it!) and everyone will need to reset a wireless router every once in a while.
The Good News
The good news is that it doesn’t matter whether you forgot a Linksys password or some other password and username there is for whatever router brand, the process is relatively easy. Well, resetting the router is really easy. It’s the configuration part that’s a bit baffling nevertheless it’s also workable given some practice.
Equipment you’ll need
You don’t need any form of equipment for this task except for a paper clip that has been straightened out. Keep your screwdrivers and the rest of your toolbox kit since you won’t need them for this task.
Steps to Reset a Wireless Router Password
The first step to set up a new password is to reset your router to its factory settings. This might seem like an insanely complicated procedure but it really is very simple. As mentioned in the list of equipment that you’ll need in this process, the only thing that you will ever need is the paper clip that was straightened out.
While your router is powered up with the lights on, turn it around so that you’ll be looking at the ports at the back. Since all you want to do is to reset a wireless router or a regular wired router for that matter, there is no need to turn off your computer or your modem. You’ll notice that at the back of the router there is a small button that is labelled as “Reset.”
It’s too bad that no human finger can reach into that button to press it, which is why you’ll need that paper clip. Use it to press and hold that button down for 30 seconds. This will make the router power cycle and then reset its settings to its factory default values. Now you don’t have to guess what username and password to use to log on to the web based settings page.
Open a web browser and enter the web address for your router. This address is usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1. However, some routers may use another address so if these two addresses don’t work then check your router’s user’s manual to find out which address to use. Another way to figure it out is to issue an “ipconfig” command on a command prompt and look at the value for the default gateway.
Saving Your New Username and Password
To figure out the default username and password, you will have to check your router’s documentation. Some routers use “admin” as the username and the word “password” as the password. Other usual username-password combinations used by router manufacturers include “admin” and “admin” or “admin” and just a blank for the password. The username-password combination will vary from one router model to the other.
You can find the default username and password for your router in the instruction manual that comes with your device. Sometimes you can also find it printed on the box. Other brands have the default username and password printed on a sticker which is attached to the router itself.
After logging on using the default username and password, you should change the said information into something that you can easily recall. Some routers will prompt you immediately after logging on while in some other router set ups users will have to navigate to the section where they can change the said information.
At this point, after saving your desired login information you can save your settings and logout or close the web browser that you’re using. Try to connect to the Internet. If you can’t connect to the Internet then power cycle your router, computer, and router then try again. And that’s how easy it is to reset a wireless router.
Charlie is a free lancer writer and content builder of many Technology sites and he is sharing his experience regarding how to reset Linksys Router Password.
It surely works on all the routers I have worked with. Pro-tip or should I say the only KILL switch to reset your router in case you forgot your problem or if you want to hard reset your router.