This is an important step when troubleshooting some data pipe problems.
Factory-resetting is relatively easy, but every router is a bit different.
What Is a Factory Reset, and When Should You Do It?
Just like a PC, a reboot shuts down your router and starts it back up.
It’s agood troubleshooting stepif your router is acting strangely.
A factory reset, on the other hand, wipes all your data from the router.
Essentially, it’s like you just purchased the router from the factory, hence the name.
And that’s the point.
But there’s no going back, so this shouldn’t be your first troubleshooting step.
At the very least, try a reboot first.
It might also be a good idea toupgrade your router’s firmwareand see if that fixes the problem.
A factory reset is a good idea if you’re selling or disposing of your router.
Josh Hendrickson / How-To Geek
You’ll have to set it up again.
First, look closely at the router—most have a reset button on the back or bottom.
You might need an unwound paperclip to press it.
On many routers, if you hold in the button for 10 seconds, it factory resets your router.
We recommend consulting your router’s manual.
Look for the “Default Gateway” entry—that’s the IP address.
Here’show to find your router’s IP address on any platform.
Plug that IP address into your favorite web web client’s address bar and press Enter.
You should see your router’s admin interface and a prompt for the username and password.
If you aren’t sure, try checking a website likerouterpasswords.comfor your model.
you’re able to also find this info in your router’s manual.
From there, dig around to find the factory reset options.
They’re different for every router manufacturer (and even vary from model to model).
Check any tabs named “Restore,” “System,” or “controls.”
you might likely keep your router’s options to a file using its web interface, too.
After factory-resetting the router, just re-import that file.
You’ll essentially have a “fresh out of the box” router again.
