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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. This is a much bigger deal than a router reboot. Rebooting a router is simply turning it off and back on again. However, when you reset a router you, return it back to its factory default settings.

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

  • The router's login 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, or 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 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 faster than ever deal!

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_2.12.12. We also have the following guides for the same router:

Recover Password in Hot Hotbox

Before you resort to doing a full router reset, you may want to try running our Router Password Finder first.

Router Password Finder is designed from the ground up to help you recover your forgotten router username and password, which can save you a lot 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 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.

Most routers have a small button on either the back or the bottom. This is what a typical reset button looks like:

Router Reset Button

Your reset button may look different, but usually they are very small. You might find a pinhole on the back of the router that requires a paper clip to push the button hidden under it.

Hold the reset button down for about 10 seconds while watching the lights on the front of your router. You should notice that the blinking pattern of the lights on the front of the router changes after a few seconds. Do not be concerned about holding the reset button down too long. It will not hurt anything.

Don't forget, this step will totally reset your Hot Hotbox router back to factory settings.

Be sure to only reset your router if you have tried everything else, such as running our Router Password Finder software, which can find your lost or forgotten router password for you.

Login to the Hot Hotbox

Once the reset is complete, you need to login to your router using the default IP address, username, and password. Just follow our Hotbox Login Guide to find all of the information that you need.

Change Your Password

Do not forget to change your router's default password when you log back into it. It's a very bad idea to leave your router's password set to the factory default. Our Choosing a Strong Password guide can help you pick a strong password for your router.

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

Other Hot Hotbox Guides

We have collected a lot of information about the Hot Hotbox router. You can find some of our additional content here.

This is the reset router guide for the Hot Hotbox HOT_2.12.12. We also have the following guides for the same router: