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Reset the Hot Hotbox

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

In this article, you will learn how to reset your Hot Hotbox back to factory settings. A router reset is very different than a router reboot. Every time your router loses power it reboots. This is very different from a reset, which erases a router completely and returns it to 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 login credentials are reset.
  • Your WiFi name and password are reset.
  • Your ISP settings are reset, which means you will have to contact your ISP to get them back.
  • Any parental controls, firewall settings, or 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. Make sure that you have tried to recover your router password using our Router Password Finder first.

Other Hot Hotbox 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 Hot Hotbox HOT_2.1.28. We also have the following guides for the same router:

Recover Password in Hot Hotbox

If the only reason that you are resetting your router is because you forgot your router password, then you may want to try running our Router Password Finder instead of resetting your router.

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

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

Reset the Hot Hotbox

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

NordVPN birthday 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.

On most routers you can find a small button on the back or the bottom labeled reset. A typical reset button looks like this:

Router Reset Button

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

Hold the reset button down for 10 seconds and watch the lights. The lights on the front of the router should do something different when the reset happens. 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.

Remember, this will totally reset your Hot Hotbox 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 Hot Hotbox

After you are finished resetting your router, you need to login in using the original factory username and password. Our Hotbox 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. The factory default passwords for routers are very well known. Our Choosing a Strong Password guide talks about choosing a strong password for your router.

Tip: Write your new password down on a note and tape it to the bottom of your router for future reference.

Other Hot Hotbox Guides

If you want additional help with your Hot Hotbox be sure to check out some of our other guides.

This is the reset router guide for the Hot Hotbox HOT_2.1.28. We also have the following guides for the same router: