This guide shows you how to reset your Netgear Nighthawk M5 MR5200 router to factory default settings. A router reset is a much bigger deal than a router reboot. Turning a router off and back on again causes a reboot. A Router Reset completely erases the router and returns it to factory settings.
Warning: Before you proceed, there are a few things you need to know. When you reset your router, the following will happen.
- The router's login credentials are reset to factory defaults.
- All WiFi settings are reset, including network name and password.
- All ISP settings will reset to default, and 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. 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 Nighthawk M5 MR5200 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 Netgear Nighthawk M5 MR5200 NTGX55_10.29.11.00. We also have the following guides for the same router:
Recover Password in Netgear Nighthawk M5 MR5200
Before you resort to doing a full router reset, you may want to try running our Router Password Finder first.
Our Router Password Finder can recover your lost or forgotten router password without doing a full router reset, which can save you lots 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 M5 MR5200
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You can usually find a small reset button on either the back or the bottom of a router. This is what a typical reset button looks like:
Even though yours may look slightly different, you need to look for a tiny button. 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. 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.
Remember, this will erase everything you have previously done to this Netgear Nighthawk M5 MR5200 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 Nighthawk M5 MR5200
Now you need to log in using the factory default username and password. We have a Nighthawk M5 MR5200 Login Guide with all this information ready for you.
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. If you need help coming up with a strong password, check out our Choosing a Strong Password guide.
Tip: A great place to write your new password down is on a piece of paper taped to the bottom of your router.
Other Netgear Nighthawk M5 MR5200 Guides
If you want additional help with your Netgear Nighthawk M5 MR5200 be sure to check out some of our other guides.
This is the reset router guide for the Netgear Nighthawk M5 MR5200 NTGX55_10.29.11.00. We also have the following guides for the same router: