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Reset the Netgear VMDG480

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

This guide shows you how to reset your Netgear VMDG480 router to factory default settings. This is a much bigger deal than a router reboot. Turning a router off and back on again causes a reboot. 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. The following settings will be changed in your router:

  • The router's login and password are reset.
  • Your WiFi name and password are reset.
  • Any ISP settings saved in your router will be removed. You may have to contact your ISP.
  • All parental controls, firewall settings, and port forwards will be removed.

A router reset is the last step you should take in recovering your router's password. Before you reset your router, you may want to try recovering your router password with our Router Password Finder.

Other Netgear VMDG480 Guides

This is the reset router guide for the Netgear VMDG480 v2. We also have the following guides for the same router:

Recover Password in Netgear VMDG480

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 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 - Lost or Forgotten Router Password Recovery Tool

Only after you have tried to recover your missing router username and password should you perform a full router reset.

Reset the Netgear VMDG480

Most routers have a small button on either the back or the bottom. Look at your router and try to find something that looks like this:

Router Reset Button

Your reset button may look different, but usually they are very small. Sometimes the button is under a pinhole, and you 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. The lights on the front of the router should do something different when the reset happens. Do not worry about holding the button down too long; this is harmless.

Just don't forget that this will totally reset your Netgear VMDG480 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 VMDG480

Now you need to log in using the factory default username and password. Our VMDG480 Login Guide has all of the information that you need.

Change Your Password

Do not forget to change your router's default password when you log back into it. 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: 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 VMDG480 Guides

Here are some of our other Netgear VMDG480 guides that you might be interested in.

This is the reset router guide for the Netgear VMDG480 v2. We also have the following guides for the same router: