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Reset the Netgear WG302

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Setup Router Staff
Last Updated: | Reading Time: 3 minutes

If you need to reset your Netgear WG302 router back to factory settings, then this article shows you how. A router reset is very different 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: Before you continue, there are a few things you need to know. A router reset will affect the following settings:

  • The router's username and password are reset.
  • Your WiFi login, password, and network name are reset.
  • If your router has any ISP settings they will be removed, and you will have to contact your ISP.
  • Any firewall settings, parental controls, and port forwards that you have configured will be removed.

A router reset is the last step you should take in recovering your router's password. 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 WG302 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.

NordVPN is the fastest VPN!

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 WG302. We also have the following guides for the same router:

Recover Password in Netgear WG302

Instead of resetting your router back to factory settings, you may want to try running our Router Password Finder first.

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 - Automatically Recover Lost or Forgotten Router Passwords

Do not do a full router reset until after you have tried every other option to log in to your router.

Reset the Netgear WG302

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NordVPN is the fastest VPN deal!

You might notice that most of our site doesn't have ads on it. This is because we use partnerships with companies like NordVPN to keep the site running. Thank you for supporting us by using our referral links.

There is usually a small reset button located on either the back or the bottom of a router. What you are looking for is something that looks like this:

Router Reset Button

Yours may look slightly different, but they are usually tiny. You may need a paper clip to push the reset button.

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. Do not worry about holding the button down too long; this is harmless.

Remember, this will totally reset your Netgear WG302 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 WG302

Now that you have finished resetting your router, you need to log in using the default username and password from the factory. You can follow the WG302 Login Guide to find everything that you need to log in.

Change Your Password

After logging in to your router for the first time, you need to change your router's password. Leaving a router password set to default is a very serious security risk. 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 WG302 Guides

This isn't our only Netgear WG302 guide. We also have the following guides for this router.

This is the reset router guide for the Netgear WG302. We also have the following guides for the same router: