If you need to reset your Netgear Nighthawk RAX20 router back to factory settings, then this article shows you how. A router reset is very different than a router reboot. Every time your router loses power it reboots. This is very different from a reset, which erases a router completely and returns it to factory default settings.
Warning: This is not a step to be taken lightly. When you reset your router, the following will happen.
- The router's login and password are reset to factory defaults.
- All WiFi settings are reset, including network name and password.
- Your ISP username and password will be reset, and you may have to contact your ISP.
- All port forwards, firewall settings, and parental controls that you have configured will be removed.
Since a router reset is such a drastic step, it should only be done as a last resort when you cannot recover your router's password using any other methods. Make sure that you have tried to recover your router password using our Router Password Finder first.
Other Netgear Nighthawk RAX20 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 RAX20 v1.0.1.64_2.0.41. We also have the following guides for the same router:
Recover Password in Netgear Nighthawk RAX20
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 - Lost or Forgotten Router Password Recovery Tool
A router reset should be the last thing you try if you are unable to login.
Reset the Netgear Nighthawk RAX20
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Most routers have a small button on either the back or the bottom. This is what a typical reset button looks like:
Even though yours may look slightly different, you need to look for a tiny button. If you find a pinhole on the back of the router then that may be the reset button. You will need a paper clip to push it.
Watch the lights on the front of your router and hold the reset button down for about 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.
Remember, this will totally reset your Netgear Nighthawk RAX20 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 RAX20
Once the reset is complete, you need to login to your router using the default IP address, username, and password. We have a Nighthawk RAX20 Login Guide with all this information ready for you.
Change Your Password
Do not forget to change your router's default password when you log back into it. It is a huge security risk to leave your router's password set to the factory default. If you need help coming up with a strong password, check out our Choosing a Strong Password guide.
Tip: Write your new password down on a note and tape it to the bottom of your router for future reference.
Other Netgear Nighthawk RAX20 Guides
Here are some of our other Netgear Nighthawk RAX20 guides that you might be interested in.
This is the reset router guide for the Netgear Nighthawk RAX20 v1.0.1.64_2.0.41. We also have the following guides for the same router: