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What Happens When You Reset Your Router

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Updated: Oct 3, 2023 8:40 AM

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Learn More About Router

If you are experimenting with your wireless network, you may wonder what happens when you reset your router. After all, the best routers allow for full factory resets, along with simple restarts. Why would you perform a router reset? Keep reading to find out.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Resetting a router is simply done by using a sharp point, such as a paper clip, to hold down the embedded reset button on the exterior of the router.
This factory reset process restores the router to its factory default settings, meaning that the password, network name, and any changes you made will revert.
Pressing the reset button on a router and instituting a factory reset is a great way to eliminate unwanted guests on your private wireless network.

Resetting a Wireless Router

Resetting a router restores the device to its factory settings, but what does that mean? Any changes you made will be erased, which is important to know if you recently learned how to turn off DHCP on a router and you want a simple way to restore the setting. Of note, simply restarting a router does not reset your volatile and non-volatile memory, as resetting it does, so if you recently learned how to change a router’s IP address, the change will still be in place after restarting.

Insider Tip

Be sure to reset your router if you notice any suspicious activity on your network.

Here is what else you can expect by resetting a router.

Password and Network Name

Both your password and the network name will reset back to their original state, meaning the default password and network name would have been reinstated. In other words, you’ll have to check the outside of the router for the sticker that originally contained that information. This sticker should also include the router’s default IP address and other information.

Reset Changes

Any changes you made throughout the lifetime of the router will revert back to their default settings. Did you create a guest network or change the IP address? Did you enable DHCP or rejigger the parental settings? All of these changes will be gone, so you’ll have to make them again. Make sure to check out our best parental control router guide to ensure your kids are viewing safe sites on the web.

Everyone Kicked Off

Every connected device will be kicked off of the router when you reset it, which is certainly annoying to legitimate and longtime users of your wireless network but can be a great way to get rid of unwanted guests.

Eliminated Malware

If your router becomes contained with malware of any kind, resetting it should solve the problem. Malware tends to usurp and infect the router’s non-volatile memory, so once you reset this memory back to the factory settings the malware should be completely wiped away. This is one of the primary reasons consumers perform one of these factory resets.

For more helpful guides, read how to clear the cache from a router and how to block websites through a router.

F.A.Q.S

How to reset your modem to factory settings?

This depends on the model of your modem, but there is likely a reset button near the Internet light. Hold this down to restore the modem to factory settings.

When should I factory reset my router?

Perform a router reset if you find the Internet connection to be sluggish or if the current settings are not to your liking.

How to reboot your router on a schedule?

You can set a reminder on your phone, though some routers include custom settings and various wireless settings for automatic reboots on a schedule.

STAT: If you forgot your router password and can’t access the router, or want to start over with fresh settings, you may perform a router reset to restore factory defaults. (source)

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Lawrence Bonk

Lawrence Bonk is a copywriter with a decade of experience in the tech space, with columns appearing in Engadget, Huffington Post and CBS, among others. He has a cat named Cinnamon.