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Reset the Netgear Nighthawk R8000P

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

This guide shows you how to reset your Netgear Nighthawk R8000P router to factory default settings. Resetting a router is different than rebooting a router. Every time your router loses power it reboots. A Router Reset completely erases the router and returns it to factory settings.

Warning: This is not a step to be taken lightly. A router reset will affect the following settings:

  • The router's login credentials are reset to factory defaults.
  • Your WiFi login, password, and network name are reset.
  • Your ISP settings are reset, which means you will have to contact your ISP to get them back.
  • All port forwards, firewall settings, and parental controls that you have configured will be removed.

Resetting your router should be considered the last step. Make sure that you have tried to recover your router password using our Router Password Finder first.

Other Netgear Nighthawk R8000P 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.

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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.

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This is the reset router guide for the Netgear Nighthawk R8000P v1.4.2.84_1.3.42. We also have the following guides for the same router:

Recover Password in Netgear Nighthawk R8000P

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.

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 - Automatically 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 R8000P

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Most routers have a small button on either the back or the bottom. What you are looking for is something that looks like this:

Router Reset Button

Even though yours may look slightly different, you need to look for a tiny button. 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. Notice how the lights on the front of the router are blinking. When the lights do something different, the router is reset. Do not be concerned about holding the reset button down too long. It will not hurt anything.

Remember, this will erase everything you have previously done to this Netgear Nighthawk R8000P 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 R8000P

Now that you have finished resetting the router, you need to login to the router interface using the default username and password. Our Nighthawk R8000P 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. The factory default passwords for routers are very well known. You can follow our Choosing a Strong Password guide to help you pick a solid password for your router.

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

Other Netgear Nighthawk R8000P Guides

If you want additional help with your Netgear Nighthawk R8000P be sure to check out some of our other guides.

This is the reset router guide for the Netgear Nighthawk R8000P v1.4.2.84_1.3.42. We also have the following guides for the same router: