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Reset the Netgear N450

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

If you need to reset your Netgear N450 router back to factory settings, then this article shows you how. A router reset is very different than a router reboot. A reboot happens every time a router loses power. This is very different from a reset, which erases a router completely and returns it to factory default settings.

Warning: Proceed with caution; resetting your router can be a major headache. A router reset will affect the following settings:

  • The router's username and password are reset.
  • All WiFi login information and network names are reset.
  • All ISP settings will reset to default, and you may have to contact your ISP.
  • All port forwards, firewall settings, and 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. 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 Netgear N450 Guides

Use a VPN

Have you considered using a VPN when you connect to the internet? A VPN is a great way to increase your security and anonymity while surfing.

We use and recommend NordVPN because not only is it the fastest VPN, it includes a new feature called Meshnet that makes securely sharing your home network super simple. 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.

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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 Netgear N450 v3.01.22. We also have the following guides for the same router:

Recover Password in Netgear N450

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 - 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 Netgear N450

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Most routers have a small button on either the back or the bottom. Look at your router and try to find something that looks like this:

Router Reset Button

Yours may look slightly different, but they are usually tiny. Sometimes the reset button is under a pinhole on the back of the router, and you need a paper clip to push it.

Watch the front panel lights while you hold the reset button down for at least 10 seconds. You should notice that the blinking pattern of the lights on the front of the router changes after a few seconds. It is harmless to hold the reset button too long.

Just don't forget that this will totally reset your Netgear N450 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 Netgear N450

After you are finished resetting your router, you need to login in using the original factory username and password. Just follow our N450 Login Guide to find all of the information that you need.

Change Your Password

Be sure to change your router's default password after you get logged back in. It's a very bad idea 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: After creating this new password, we highly recommend writing this down on a post-it note and attaching it to the bottom of your router for future reference.

Other Netgear N450 Guides

Here are some of our other Netgear N450 guides that you might be interested in.

This is the reset router guide for the Netgear N450 v3.01.22. We also have the following guides for the same router: