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How to Reset the Asus RT-N66U

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

This guide will discuss how to reset the Asus RT-N66U router. A lot of you may be confused about the difference between resetting and rebooting. Unfortunately these two words are sometimes used interchangeably. Rebooting a router consists of cycling it's power by turning it off or unplugging it for a time and then turning it back on or plugging it back in. This will solve some lesser problems you may be having with your router. A reset is different. A reset will erase all your configurations you have ever made to your router and revert the device to factory settings.

Warning: Resetting your router can cause unforeseen problems if you don't know what to expect. Please consider the following list before you decide to reset your Asus RT-N66U router.

  • The router interface username and password are reverted to factory settings.
  • All WiFi information such as SSID, password, and authentication method are erased.
  • If you use DSL you are required to re-enter the ISP username and password to reconnect to the Internet. If you don't have this information you need to contact your ISP.
  • All configurations you have ever made are erased. This could include anything but some common ones are port forwards, IP address changes, or even parental controls.

Other Asus RT-N66U Guides

This is the reset router guide for the Asus RT-N66U. We also have the following guides for the same router:

Reset the Asus RT-N66U

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.

So you have decided that a reset to the Asus RT-N66U router is what needs to be done. First off, keep your router on this entire time. Unplugging or turning the device could cause permanent damage.

Once you have made sure your device is on, locate the reset button. It will be on the back panel. We have circled it's location for you in the image below.

router reset factory settings
This is the reset page from your Asus RT-N66U router.

Using the tip of a sharpened pencil or unwound paperclip press and hold the reset button for around 10 seconds.

Remember this erases every configuration you have ever done to your router. It will all need to be re-entered. Make sure to try other troubleshooting methods before deciding to reset your device.

Login to the Asus RT-N66U

Now that you have finished resetting the Asus RT-N66U router you need to login using the default username and password from the factory. These can normally be found in the user manual or on the device itself. We have found them for you and added them to our Login Guide for the Asus RT-N66U router.

Change Your Password

Once you have successfully logged in, change your password. Never leave a password as it's default. If creating new passwords is hard, we have a guide full of hints and ideas. Check it out here.

Tip: Write this new password down on a piece of paper and attach it to the bottom of the router for future reference.

Setup WiFi on the Asus RT-N66U

The last setting we will discuss here is the security settings for your WiFi. We strongly recommend making sure you are using the most up-to-date security available, WPA2-Personal. If you need help doing this we have a guide titled How to Setup WiFi on the Asus RT-N66U for you to follow.

Don't forget to sign up for NordVPN's promo deal before it's gone.

NordVPN faster than ever deal!

You might notice that most of our site doesn't have ads on it. This is because we use partnerships with companies like NordVPN to keep the site running. Thank you for supporting us by using our referral links.

Asus RT-N66U Help

Be sure to check out our other Asus RT-N66U info that you might be interested in.

This is the reset router guide for the Asus RT-N66U. We also have the following guides for the same router: