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Reset the Asus RT-AC88U

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Setup Router Staff
Last Updated: | Reading Time: 5 minutes

This is the reset guide for the Asus RT-AC88U router. A router reset is a much bigger deal than a router reboot. Turning a router off and back on again causes a reboot. Resetting a router erases all settings from it and returns it to factory defaults.

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.
  • All WiFi information such as network name, password, and authentication method are erased.
  • If your router has any ISP settings they will be removed, and you will have to contact your ISP.
  • Any firewall settings, parental controls, and port forwards that you have configured will be removed.

A router reset is the last step you should take in recovering your router's password. Make sure that you have tried to recover your router password using our Router Password Finder first.

Other Asus RT-AC88U 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-AC88U 3.0.0.4.385_20490. We also have the following guides for the same router:

Recover Password in Asus RT-AC88U

If you are resetting your router because you forgot your router password, then you should try running our Router Password Finder first.

Our Router Password Finder can recover your lost or forgotten router password without doing a full router reset, which can save you lots of time.

Router Password Finder - Automatically Recover Lost or Forgotten Router Passwords

If you are unable to recover your lost router password, then you may have to proceed with a full router reset.

Reset the Asus RT-AC88U

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You can usually find a small reset button on either the back or the bottom of a router. Look at your router and try to find something that looks like this:

Router Reset Button

Your reset button may look different, but usually they are very small. Sometimes the reset button is under a pinhole on the back of the router, and you need a paper clip to push it.

Watch the lights on the front of your router and hold the reset button down for about 10 seconds. You should notice that the blinking pattern of the lights on the front of the router changes after a few seconds. You cannot hold the button too long, and it will not hurt the router to hold the reset button down for longer than 10 seconds.

Don't forget, this step will totally reset your Asus RT-AC88U router back to factory settings.

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-AC88U

Now you need to log in using the factory default username and password. Our RT-AC88U Login Guide has all of the information that you need.

Change Your Password

After logging in to your router for the first time, you need to change your router's password. It is a huge security risk to leave your router's password set to the factory default. If you need help coming up with a strong password, check out our Choosing a Strong Password guide.

Tip: A great place to write your new password down is on a piece of paper taped to the bottom of your router.

Other Asus RT-AC88U Guides

Here are some of our other Asus RT-AC88U guides that you might be interested in.

This is the reset router guide for the Asus RT-AC88U 3.0.0.4.385_20490. We also have the following guides for the same router: