How to Recover Your Router’s Password by Resetting the Router

Last updated June 21, 2021
Written by:
Novak Bozovic
Novak Bozovic
Senior VPN Editor

There are many reasons why you might be having a hard time accessing your router. However, using an invalid username or password is usually the biggest factor here. So, what to do if you can't remember the password? How to recover your router's password? And more importantly - is it a good idea to reset it at this point? Keep on reading to learn more!

How to Access a Router's Admin Panel Without a Password? Should You Reset It?

In essence, we can give you several great pieces of advice. Even if none of the following ones don't help you, we have the final advice that will make it possible to enter your router's admin panel. So, let's begin.

First and Foremost - Try to Find Your Routers' Default Username & Password

When talking about possible scenarios regarding router credentials, we are essentially talking about two situations. Your router comes with the default username and password set by its manufacturer. However, you are also free to change these and make them unique.

In case you know that you haven't changed the default credentials, keep on reading. If you did change the credentials but can't remember the new username/password, jump to the next segment - and learn more about resetting the router password to its factory value.

If Nothing Else Helps - Here's How to Reset Your Router to Recover Its Password

If you can't find the correct username/password combination, the chances are that someone changed them. That is especially true for routers provided by ISPs (Internet Service Providers). The best response to this situation is to reset the router to factory settings.

Resetting your router will erase any configuration changes, and their values will return to their original state. That includes any forwarded ports, Wi-Fi names/passwords, parental controls, wireless channels, and pretty much anything else. Once you do the factory reset, your router's default username and password will return to their default values.

Even though the exact process can be slightly different for different router types, models, and manufacturers, here's our general guide on how to do the full factory reset.

In case you'd like to know the difference between resetting and restarting a router, make sure to click on the provided link. You'll be taken to our dedicated guide, answering all your questions.

Extra Tip - You Can Forward Ports Even Without Accessing Your Router!

We understand that many of you want to access your router to forward ports. That action can help access a server, play a multiplayer game, or use torrent clients. However, the good news is that you can forward ports even without accessing your router, which wasn't the case in the past.

A number of Web-connected applications support 'Universal Plug and Play' (UPnP), which is a protocol that allows them to open ports automatically. In case UPnP is enabled, your computer will 'ask' your router to open a certain port.

In general, this option can be found within different apps in the 'Web' or 'Connection' groups of settings. For example, you can find this option under 'Connection' in uTorrent and BitTorrent. Just tick the box next to 'Enable UPnP' and 'Enable NAT-PMP,' and the software will do the rest.

There's also a very handy application called UPnP Port Mapper, using which you can create rules, open different kinds of ports, and make sure Web-connection applications work without a single issue.

That would be all on how to recover your router's password. We have provided several solutions in an effort to help you with this problem. If you have any doubts or questions, make sure to post your comment below. And lastly, thanks for reading!



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