This guide shows you how to reset your Netgear Nighthawk AX4 RAX38 router to factory default settings. This is a much bigger deal than a router reboot. A reboot happens every time a router loses power. Resetting a router erases all settings from it and returns it to factory defaults.
Warning: Since this erases everything you have done to the router, there are some things you need to consider first. A router reset will affect the following settings:
- The router's login credentials are reset to factory defaults.
- All WiFi settings are reset, including network name and password.
- Any ISP settings saved in your router will be removed. You may have to contact your ISP.
- Any firewall settings, parental controls, and port forwards that you have configured will be removed.
Resetting your router should be considered the last step. Before you reset your router, you may want to try recovering your router password with our Router Password Finder.
Other Netgear Nighthawk AX4 RAX38 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.
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This is the reset router guide for the Netgear Nighthawk AX4 RAX38 v1.0.3.80_1.0.1. We also have the following guides for the same router:
Recover Password in Netgear Nighthawk AX4 RAX38
Instead of resetting your router back to factory settings, you may want to 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
A router reset should be the last thing you try if you are unable to login.
Reset the Netgear Nighthawk AX4 RAX38
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You can usually find a small reset button on either the back or the bottom of a router. Most reset buttons look like this:
Yours may look slightly different, but they are usually tiny. You might find a pinhole on the back of the router that requires a paper clip to push the button hidden under it.
Keep an eye on the lights on the front of your router while holding the reset button down for about 10 seconds. The lights on the front of the router should do something different when the reset happens. Keep holding the button as long as you want, it will not hurt anything to hold it down too long.
Remember, this will totally reset your Netgear Nighthawk AX4 RAX38 router.
This last step should only be taken if you have tried everything else, such as using our Router Password Finder software, which can recover lost or forgotten router passwords.
Login to the Netgear Nighthawk AX4 RAX38
Now you need to log in using the factory default username and password. You can follow the Nighthawk AX4 RAX38 Login Guide to find everything that you need to log in.
Change Your Password
Be sure to change your router's default password after you get logged back in. Since factory passwords are well known, it's a huge security risk to leave your router set to the 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 Nighthawk AX4 RAX38 Guides
Here are some of our other Netgear Nighthawk AX4 RAX38 guides that you might be interested in.
This is the reset router guide for the Netgear Nighthawk AX4 RAX38 v1.0.3.80_1.0.1. We also have the following guides for the same router: