Reset the Dlink DIR-816

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Setup Router Staff
Last Updated: | Reading Time: 3 minutes

If you need to reset your Dlink DIR-816 router back to factory settings, then this article shows you how. Resetting a router is different than rebooting a router. Rebooting a router is simply turning it off and back on again. This is very different from a reset, which erases a router completely and returns it to factory default settings.

Warning: Proceed with caution; resetting your router can be a major headache. The following settings will be changed in your router:

  • The router's login and password are reset to factory defaults.
  • All WiFi information such as network name, password, and authentication method are erased.
  • Any ISP settings saved in your router will be removed. You may have to contact your ISP.
  • All port forwards, firewall settings, and parental controls that you have configured will be removed.

Resetting your router should be considered the last step. 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 Dlink DIR-816 Guides

Use a VPN

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  • Check that your VPN will not affect your speed.
  • Verify that your VPN provider uses WireGuard as the underlying protocol.
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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.

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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.

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This is the reset router guide for the Dlink DIR-816 1.03. We also have the following guides for the same router:

Recover Password in Dlink DIR-816

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 - Recover Lost or Forgotten Router Passwords

Do not do a full router reset until after you have tried every other option to log in to your router.

Reset the Dlink DIR-816

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Most routers have a small button on either the back or the bottom. Look at your router and try to find something that looks like this:

Router Reset Button

Reset buttons are usually tiny. Yours may look slightly different than this. You might find a pinhole on the back of the router that requires a paper clip to push the button hidden under it.

Keep an eye on the lights on the front of your router while holding the reset button down for about 10 seconds. The blinking pattern of the lights on the front of the router should change when the reset is complete. Do not be concerned about holding the reset button down too long. It will not hurt anything.

Remember, this will totally reset your Dlink DIR-816 router.

Only take this last step of fully resetting your router after you have exhausted all other troubleshooting options, such as running our Router Password Finder software, which can recover a lost router password for you.

Login to the Dlink DIR-816

Now that you have finished resetting your router, you need to log in using the default username and password from the factory. We have a DIR-816 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. 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 Dlink DIR-816 Guides

We have collected a lot of information about the Dlink DIR-816 router. You can find some of our additional content here.

This is the reset router guide for the Dlink DIR-816 1.03. We also have the following guides for the same router: