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Reset the Netgear WNDR4500

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

This is the reset guide for the Netgear WNDR4500 router. Resetting a router is different than rebooting a router. A reboot happens every time a router loses power. This is very different from a reset, which erases a router completely and returns it to factory default settings.

Warning: Before you continue, there are a few things you need to know. The following settings will be changed in your router:

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

A router reset should be considered the last resort when you cannot log in to your router any other way. Before you reset your router, you may want to try recovering your router password with our Router Password Finder.

Other Netgear WNDR4500 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 WNDR4500 v2. We also have the following guides for the same router:

Recover Password in Netgear WNDR4500

If you are resetting your router because you forgot your router password, then you should 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

A router reset should be the last thing you try if you are unable to login.

Reset the Netgear WNDR4500

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Most routers have a small button on either the back or the bottom. Most reset buttons look like this:

Router Reset Button

Reset buttons are usually tiny. Yours may look slightly different than this. Sometimes the reset button is under a pinhole on the back of the router, and you need a paper clip to push it.

Hold the reset button down for about 10 seconds while watching the lights on the front of your router. Notice how the lights on the front of the router are blinking. When the lights do something different, the router is reset. Do not worry about holding the button down too long; this is harmless.

Don't forget, this step will totally reset your Netgear WNDR4500 router back to factory settings.

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 WNDR4500

Now that you have finished resetting your router, you need to log in using the default username and password from the factory. We have a WNDR4500 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. Leaving a router password set to default is a very serious security risk. Our Choosing a Strong Password guide can help you pick a strong password for your router.

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

Other Netgear WNDR4500 Guides

We have collected a lot of information about the Netgear WNDR4500 router. You can find some of our additional content here.

This is the reset router guide for the Netgear WNDR4500 v2. We also have the following guides for the same router: