Reset a Network Router: How to Do It Fast and Easy
Network routers, whether they’re installed in homes or work places, tend to show a very strong personality at times. Much like fixing random problems on your computer with a simple restart, resetting a network router can fix various hanged processes or more serious problems that arise from long hours usage.
We’re talking about problems that pop up out of the blue — like a DNS error or one too many IP conflicts when a device tries to connect to the network and not serious problems that you encounter when setting up your network. A reset is also the way to go if you’ve forgotten the password to your router’s admin panel. And did you know some routers are smart enough that you can restart them automatically when you least use them? Let’s see how you reset a network router the right way.
Reset Router – Hard vs Soft
Routers are all different but resetting them is pretty straight forward. There are two different types of resets that you can do; a hard reset, and a soft reset.
A hard reset for a network router is like factory resetting it. You can use a hard reset to revert your router’s admin credentials back to its default ones. A hard reset will not change the firmware version of your router in anyway.
A soft reset is the type of reset you do to fix the random glitches that you’re experiencing on the network. This is the router equivalent of restarting your computer to fix a problem.
Find Reset & Power Buttons
Routers have a reset and a power button. The power button may not be present on all router models since there is no standardization for their design. Before you can do a hard or soft reset, you need to first locate the Reset button. This will be a physical button on your router either on one of its sides, or at the bottom.
If you bought your own router i.e. it wasn’t provided by your ISP, you can refer to its manual to find where the reset button is. The reset button may not be easy to reach on some routers i.e. it won’t be a simple button that you can press. It might reside inside the casing of the router with just a tiny hole to point you to it. If that’s the case, you need a tiny sharp object that you can press it with. Your phone’s SIM tray key is a good tool to use if it can fit through the hole.
Hard Reset Router
To hard reset your router, you need to press and hold the reset button on it. What’s important here is how long you press and hold it. Some routers require 10 seconds, others require 30, 60, or even 90 seconds. You can determine how long you need to hold down the reset button by trial and error, or by looking up the time for your router model.
When you do a hard reset, make sure that the router is On and disconnect it from broadband modem.
After you release the button, wait for as long as you held down the reset button, and the router will be reset.
Soft Reset Router
A soft reset can be done by turning the router off, and on again. You can use the power button to do so but if your router doesn’t have a power button, you can just switch the router off from the power outlet it’s connected to, and turn it on again.
You should also disconnect the connection cable going into your router and reconnect it again.
Alternatively, if your router has a Connect/Disconnect button, use it to disconnect it from your ISP’s service and connect it again.
One last way to do it
Another way you could do it is by connecting to the interface of your router (find the router’s address to access it). See the image above for an example. You can choose factory settings or you could load a profile that you previously saved – which is quite useful when you’re upgrading routers and just want to keep your settings.
Had any luck resetting your router?
