Reset the Netgear Nighthawk AX12 RAX120

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

If you need to reset your Netgear Nighthawk AX12 RAX120 router back to factory settings, then this article shows you how. Resetting a router is different than rebooting a router. Every time your router loses power it reboots. This is different from a reset because a reset completely erases all settings from the router.

Warning: Make sure that you fully understand the following before resetting your router. When you reset your router, the following will happen.

  • The router's login credentials are reset to factory defaults.
  • Your WiFi name and password are reset.
  • If your router has any ISP settings they will be removed, and you will have to contact your ISP.
  • All parental controls, firewall settings, and port forwards 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 Netgear Nighthawk AX12 RAX120 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 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.

This is the reset router guide for the Netgear Nighthawk AX12 RAX120 v1.0.2.136. We also have the following guides for the same router:

Recover Password in Netgear Nighthawk AX12 RAX120

If you are resetting your router because you forgot your router password, then you should 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

If you are unable to recover your lost router password, then you may have to proceed with a full router reset.

Reset the Netgear Nighthawk AX12 RAX120

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Usually there is a reset button located on the back or bottom of a router. This is what a typical reset button looks like:

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.

Hold the reset button down for 10 seconds and watch the lights. After a few seconds the lights should blink differently. When this happens, the reset is complete. Do not worry about holding the button down too long; this is harmless.

Remember, this will erase everything you have previously done to this Netgear Nighthawk AX12 RAX120 router.

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 Netgear Nighthawk AX12 RAX120

Now that you have finished resetting the router, you need to login to the router interface using the default username and password. Our Nighthawk AX12 RAX120 Login Guide has all of the information that you need.

Change Your Password

You need to change your router's default password after you log in for the first time. Since factory passwords are well known, it's a huge security risk to leave your router set to the default. Our Choosing a Strong Password guide talks about choosing a strong password for your router.

Tip: Put your new password on a post-in note and stick it to the bottom of your router.

Other Netgear Nighthawk AX12 RAX120 Guides

Here are some of our other Netgear Nighthawk AX12 RAX120 guides that you might be interested in.

This is the reset router guide for the Netgear Nighthawk AX12 RAX120 v1.0.2.136. We also have the following guides for the same router: