How to Factory Reset a Router and Set It Up Again

A factory reset wipes everything you or your provider configured on the router and brings back the settings it left the factory with: the default admin login, the default Wi-Fi name and password from the label, and the default address. It is the right tool when you are locked out of the settings, when you are passing a router on to someone else, or when the configuration is so tangled that starting over is faster. It is the wrong tool for an ordinary slow or dropped connection — that usually needs a reboot, not a reset.

Reboot or Factory Reset?

A reboot (restart, power cycle) turns the router off and on again. Settings stay as they are; only the running state is cleared. Unplugging the router for 30 seconds or using a Restart button in its app is a reboot. It fixes most temporary glitches: a frozen Wi-Fi radio, a stuck connection to the provider, a device that will not get an address.

A factory reset erases the configuration. After it, the router behaves like a new box: your Wi-Fi network disappears and the default one from the label comes back, any custom admin password is gone, and the internet connection may stop working until you enter your provider’s details again.

So the order is always: reboot first, reset only if the reboot did not help or you cannot get into the settings at all.

What to Save Before You Reset

If you can still open the router’s settings page, take five minutes to save what you will need again. Most routers have a backup option that downloads the configuration to a file — ASUS calls it Restore/Save/Upload Setting, TP-Link puts it under Backup and Restore. A backup can be loaded back later, ideally on the same firmware version.

Even if you cannot make a backup, write down:

1. The internet connection type and login. Many DSL and fibre providers use PPPoE with a username and password from your contract; without them the router will not get online after the reset.
2. Your Wi-Fi name and password. Setting the same ones again lets most devices reconnect automatically.
3. Anything custom: port forwarding rules, reserved IP addresses, DNS servers, parental controls.

If the router belongs to your internet provider, check with the provider first: some cable gateways need to be reactivated after a reset, and the provider can often reset or reconfigure them remotely.

How to Reset a Router With the Button

Almost every router has a small recessed Reset button on the back or bottom, sometimes labelled Restore Factory Settings. It is recessed on purpose, so you need a paper clip or a SIM tool.

1. Leave the router switched on — a reset only works while it is powered.
2. Press and hold the button. Most brands need 5 to 10 seconds; the router usually confirms with a change in its lights.
3. Release the button and wait two to three minutes while it restarts. Do not unplug it during this time.
4. Look for the default Wi-Fi network from the label and connect to it.

Holding the button for only a second or two often just reboots the router, which is why “the reset didn’t work” is a common complaint. Hold it until the lights change.

Reset Steps by Brand

After the reset, the default login applies again. Our brand pages list it for each model: ASUS, NETGEAR, TP-Link, Linksys, and the full list of default logins.

Resetting From the Settings Page

If you can still sign in, a reset from the settings page is gentler than the button because the router itself confirms each step. The option is usually under Administration, System or Maintenance:

On ASUS, open Administration → Restore/Save/Upload Setting and click Restore. On TP-Link, go to Advanced → System (System Tools on older models) → Backup and Restore and choose Factory Restore. On NETGEAR, the erase option is in the Backup Settings section. Whatever the brand, do not switch the router off while it restores; ASUS explicitly warns against powering it down during the process.

Do You Need the 30-30-30 Reset?

The “30-30-30” method — hold reset for 30 seconds, unplug for 30 seconds with the button still held, plug back in and hold another 30 — comes from the community around alternative firmware such as DD-WRT, where it was used to clear stubborn settings on older routers. Current routers from ASUS, NETGEAR, TP-Link and others do not need it; their own instructions ask for a 5–10 second hold. The long version rarely does harm, but if a normal reset does not take, follow your manufacturer’s “hard reset” instructions instead of holding the button longer.

What to Set Up Right After a Reset

A freshly reset router is open in two ways: anyone nearby can use the default Wi-Fi from the label, and anyone on the network can log in with a published default password. Work through the setup in this order:

1. Connect to the router by cable or through the default Wi-Fi network from the label.
2. Open the settings page — most routers start a setup wizard automatically. If not, open 192.168.0.1, 192.168.1.1 or the address from the label.
3. Set an admin password. Many current routers force you to create one; on older models change the default admin straight away.
4. Restore the internet connection. Choose the connection type your provider uses and enter the PPPoE login if you have one.
5. Recreate your Wi-Fi. Using your old network name and password means phones, TVs and smart devices reconnect on their own. If you want a new password, see how to change your Wi-Fi password.
6. Update the firmware from the settings page or the app.

Only after that load a configuration backup, if you made one — and only if it came from the same model.

When a Reset Doesn't Fix the Problem

If the router still cannot get online after a reset and a correct setup, the problem is probably outside it: the provider’s line, the modem, or the cable between them. Check whether the modem’s internet light is on and whether the provider reports an outage; our guide to Wi-Fi connected but no internet walks through how to tell which side is at fault. If the router will not boot at all, the power light never settles or the reset button has no effect, the hardware may be failing — at that point a replacement is usually cheaper than repair.