In this article, you will learn how to reset your Netgate 6100 back to factory settings. Resetting a router is different than rebooting a router. A reboot happens every time a router loses power. A Router Reset completely erases the router and returns it to factory settings.
Warning: Before you continue, there are a few things you need to know. The following settings will be changed in your router:
- The router's username and password are reset.
- Your WiFi name and password are reset.
- All ISP settings will reset to default, and you may have to contact your ISP.
- Any port forwards, firewall settings, or parental controls 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 Netgate 6100 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 6100 2.5.1. We also have the following guides for the same router:
Recover Password in Netgate 6100
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.
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
Do not do a full router reset until after you have tried every other option to log in to your router.
Reset the Netgate 6100
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Usually there is a reset button located on the back or bottom of a router. A typical reset button looks like this:
Reset buttons are usually tiny. Yours may look slightly different than this. Sometimes the reset button is under a pinhole on the back of the router, and you need a paper clip to push it.
Hold the reset button down for about 10 seconds while watching the lights on the front of your router. The lights on the front of the router should do something different when the reset happens. It is harmless to hold the reset button too long.
Keep in mind that this will completely reset your Netgate 6100 router.
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 Netgate 6100
Now that you have finished resetting the router, you need to login to the router interface using the default username and password. We have a 6100 Login Guide with all this information ready for you.
Change Your Password
After logging in to your router for the first time, you need to change your router's password. It is a huge security risk to leave your router's password set to the factory default. You can follow our Choosing a Strong Password guide to help you pick a solid 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 Netgate 6100 Guides
If you want additional help with your Netgate 6100 be sure to check out some of our other guides.
This is the reset router guide for the Netgate 6100 2.5.1. We also have the following guides for the same router: