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Reset the Asus RT-AC51U

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Setup Router Staff
Last Updated: | Reading Time: 4 minutes

This guide shows you how to reset your Asus RT-AC51U router to factory default settings. Resetting a router is different than rebooting a router. Unplugging a router from the wall reboots it. However, when you reset a router you, return it back to its factory default settings.

Warning: Since this erases everything you have done to the router, there are some things you need to consider first. The following settings will be changed in your router:

  • The router's username and password are reset to factory defaults.
  • Your WiFi name and password are reset.
  • If your router has any ISP settings they will be removed, and you will have to contact your ISP.
  • All parental controls, firewall settings, and port forwards will be removed.

A router reset should be considered the last resort when you cannot log in to your router any other way. You should be sure that you have tried to at least recover your router password using our Router Password Finder before resorting to a router reset.

Other Asus RT-AC51U Guides

Use a VPN Instead

Have you considered using a VPN instead of forwarding a port? For most users, a VPN is a much simpler and more secure choice than forwarding a port.

We use and recommend NordVPN because not only is it the fastest VPN, it includes a new feature called Meshnet that makes forwarding a port no longer necessary for most applications. With NordVPN Meshnet, you can connect to your devices from anywhere in the world, completely secure, over a highly encrypted VPN tunnel.

When shopping for a VPN, make sure that they meet the following criteria:

  • Your VPN provider should have a no-logs policy. This means that they do not keep any logs of any kind.
  • Make sure that your VPN provider has lots of exit nodes all around the world.
  • Check that your VPN will not affect your speed.
  • Verify that your VPN provider uses WireGuard as the underlying protocol.
  • Many people prefer a VPN provider that is not based in the United States.

This is the list of requirements that we used when we were shopping around for a VPN provider. There are lots of free, shady VPN providers out there that we looked at and dismissed.

Based in Panama, using diskless servers, and with over 6,100 servers in 61 countries, we can safely say that NordVPN satisfies all of these requirements.

NordVPN is the fastest VPN!

Once you've set up your NordVPN account on multiple computers and enabled Meshnet, you can seamlessly access all of your devices as if they were on the same network. You don't even have to log in to your router. It's very simple.

Every time you click on one of our affiliate links, such as NordVPN, we get a little kickback for introducing you to the service. Think of us as your VPN wingman.

This is the reset router guide for the Asus RT-AC51U 3.0.0.4.380_8496. We also have the following guides for the same router:

Recover Password in Asus RT-AC51U

Instead of resetting your router back to factory settings, you may want to try running our Router Password Finder first.

Router Password Finder is designed from the ground up to help you recover your forgotten router username and password, which can save you a lot of time.

Router Password Finder - Automatically Recover Lost or Forgotten Router Passwords

A router reset should be the last thing you try if you are unable to login.

Reset the Asus RT-AC51U

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Most routers have a small button on either the back or the bottom. Most reset buttons look like this:

Router Reset Button

Reset buttons are usually tiny. Yours may look slightly different than this. If you find a pinhole on the back of the router then that may be the reset button. You will need a paper clip to push it.

Keep an eye on the lights on the front of your router while holding the reset button down for about 10 seconds. The lights on the front of the router should do something different when the reset happens. Do not be concerned about holding the reset button down too long. It will not hurt anything.

Just don't forget that this will totally reset your Asus RT-AC51U router.

This last step should only be taken if you have tried everything else, such as using our Router Password Finder software, which can recover lost or forgotten router passwords.

Login to the Asus RT-AC51U

Once the reset is complete, you need to login to your router using the default IP address, username, and password. We have a RT-AC51U Login Guide with all this information ready for you.

Change Your Password

Be sure to change your router's default password after you get logged back in. The factory default passwords for routers are very well known. You can follow our Choosing a Strong Password guide to help you pick a solid password for your router.

Tip: After creating this new password, we highly recommend writing this down on a post-it note and attaching it to the bottom of your router for future reference.

Other Asus RT-AC51U Guides

If you want additional help with your Asus RT-AC51U be sure to check out some of our other guides.

This is the reset router guide for the Asus RT-AC51U 3.0.0.4.380_8496. We also have the following guides for the same router: