If you need to reset your Netgate 1541 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 different from a reset because a reset completely erases all settings from the router.
Warning: Proceed with caution; resetting your router can be a major headache. When you reset your router, the following will happen.
- The router's username and password are reset.
- All WiFi login information and network names 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.
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 Netgate 1541 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.
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 Netgate 1541 2.5.1. We also have the following guides for the same router:
Recover Password in Netgate 1541
Before you resort to doing a full router reset, you may want to try running our Router Password Finder first.
Router Password Finder can save you a ton of time by recovering your lost or forgotten router password instead of doing a full router reset.
Router Password Finder - Lost or Forgotten Router Password Recovery Tool
Only after you have tried to recover your missing router username and password should you perform a full router reset.
Reset the Netgate 1541
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On most routers you can find a small button on the back or the bottom labeled reset. Most reset buttons look like this:
Even though yours may look slightly different, you need to look for a tiny button. You may need a paper clip to push the reset button.
Watch the lights on the front of your router and hold the reset button down for about 10 seconds. You should notice that the blinking pattern of the lights on the front of the router changes after a few seconds. You can hold the button down as long as you like, it will not hurt anything.
Don't forget, this step will totally reset your Netgate 1541 router back to factory settings.
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 Netgate 1541
After you are finished resetting your router, you need to login in using the original factory username and password. Just follow our 1541 Login Guide to find 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. Since factory passwords are well known, it's a huge security risk to leave your router set to the default. If you need help coming up with a strong password, check out our Choosing a Strong Password guide.
Tip: Write your new password down on a post-it note and stick it to the bottom of your router.
Other Netgate 1541 Guides
We have collected a lot of information about the Netgate 1541 router. You can find some of our additional content here.
This is the reset router guide for the Netgate 1541 2.5.1. We also have the following guides for the same router: