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How to Reset the Hot Hotbox

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

If you have tried unsuccessfully to login to the Hot Hotbox router you may need to reset it back to factory defaults.

A reset like the one I am describing in this guide is nothing like a reboot. When you reboot a router you cycle the power to the unit. No settings are changed in a reboot. When you reset a router you take all the settings and revert them all back to how they were from the factory.

Warning: This means every single setting you have ever changed is erased and returned to how it was from the factory. We strongly recommend making a list of all the possible settings that have been changed in the lifetime of this device such as:

  • The router's main username and password.
  • The WiFi information such as SSID and Internet password.
  • If this is a DSL router you need to re-enter the ISP or Internet Service Provider username and password. You have to call your local ISP for these details.
  • Have you ever made any other changes to this device? How about port forwards or IP address changes?

Other Hot Hotbox Guides

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

Reset the Hot Hotbox

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.

Unfortunately I was unable to find an image of the Hot box router reset button/pinhole. below is the typical placement of a reset button.

router reset factory settings
This is the reset page from your Hot Hotbox router.

If the reset button is not on the back panel it can also be on the sides or bottom of router as well. The reset button is normally a very small hole in the panel instead of a button.

Once you have found the reset button make sure your router is on. Then with a small object such as a straightened paperclip press and hold the reset button for about 10 seconds. This begins the reset process. In a lot of routers if you don't hold the reset button down for long enough you end up only rebooting the device instead of resetting it like you wanted.

Remember a reset like this one is going to erase every single setting you have ever changed. We recommend trying other troubleshooting methods before resorting to a reset.

Login to the Hot Hotbox

Following that you'll need to log into your Hot Hotbox router. This is done by using the factory default username and password provided for your use in our Login Guide.

Tip: Defaults not logging you in? It might be because the reset butotn wasn't held down for long enough.

Change Your Password

After you've reset and logged into your router we recommend setting a new password for it. This can be anything you want, however bear in mind that a strong password includes no personal information and is 14-20 characters in length. For more help be sure to visit our Choosing a Strong Password Guide.

Tip: Keep from losing your new password by writing it on a sticky note and attaching it to the bottom of your router.

Setup WiFi on the Hot Hotbox

You should begin the reconfiguration of the Hot Hotbox router now. For this router that needs to include the WiFi settings. We have Hot Hotbox WiFi Instructions if you are interested.

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.

Hot Hotbox Help

Be sure to check out our other Hot Hotbox info that you might be interested in.

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