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Reset the Asus RT-AC88U

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

This article covers how to reset the Asus RT-AC88U router back to factory default settings. This is a much bigger deal than a router reboot. Unplugging a router from the wall reboots it. A Router Reset completely erases the router and returns it to factory settings.

Warning: Since this erases everything you have done to the router, there are some things you need to consider first. When you reset your router, the following will happen.

  • The router's login credentials are reset.
  • All WiFi login information and network names are reset.
  • Your ISP settings are reset, which means you will have to contact your ISP to get them back.
  • Any firewall settings, parental controls, and port forwards that you have configured will be removed.

A router reset should be considered the last resort when you cannot log in to your router any other way. 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 Asuswrt-Merlin 384.8_2. We also have the following guides for the same router:

Recover Password in Asus RT-AC88U

Instead of resetting your router back to factory settings, you may want to 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 - Lost or Forgotten Router Password Recovery Tool

Just keep in mind that a router reset should be done as the last resort when you are unable to login to your router.

Reset the Asus RT-AC88U

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On most routers you can find a small button on the back or the bottom labeled reset. Look for something that looks 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.

Watch the front panel lights while you hold the reset button down for at least 10 seconds. After a few seconds the lights should blink differently. When this happens, the reset is complete. Do not worry about holding the button down too long; this is harmless.

Remember, this will erase everything you have previously done to this Asus RT-AC88U 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-AC88U

After you are finished resetting your router, you need to login in using the original factory username and password. Just follow our RT-AC88U Login Guide to find all of the information that you need.

Change Your Password

You need to change your router's default password after you log in for the first time. Since factory passwords are well known, it's a huge security risk to leave your router set to the default. Our Choosing a Strong Password guide talks about choosing a strong password for your router.

Tip: Put your new password on a post-in note and stick it to the bottom of your router.

Other Asus RT-AC88U Guides

We have collected a lot of information about the Asus RT-AC88U router. You can find some of our additional content here.

This is the reset router guide for the Asus RT-AC88U Asuswrt-Merlin 384.8_2. We also have the following guides for the same router: