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Reset the Netgear WNR1000

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Setup Router Staff
Last Updated: | Reading Time: 6 minutes

If you need to reset your Netgear WNR1000 router back to factory settings, then this article shows you how. This is a much bigger deal 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: 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 credentials are reset to factory defaults.
  • Your WiFi name and password 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, or port forwards 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. 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 WNR1000 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 WNR1000 v2 Genie. We also have the following guides for the same router:

Recover Password in Netgear WNR1000

Before you resort to doing a full router reset, you may want to try running our Router Password Finder first.

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

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

Reset the Netgear WNR1000

Don't forget to sign up for NordVPN's promo deal before it's gone.

NordVPN faster than ever 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.

Most routers have a small button on either the back or the bottom. Look for something that looks like this:

Router Reset Button

Even though yours may look slightly different, you need to look for a tiny button. 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. It is harmless to hold the reset button too long.

Remember, this will totally reset your Netgear WNR1000 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 WNR1000

Once the reset is complete, you need to login to your router using the default IP address, username, and password. You can find all of the information that you need in our WNR1000 Login Guide.

Change Your Password

After logging in, you should really change your router's password for added security. 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: Put your new password on a post-in note and stick it to the bottom of your router.

Other Netgear WNR1000 Guides

Here are some of our other Netgear WNR1000 guides that you might be interested in.

This is the reset router guide for the Netgear WNR1000 v2 Genie. We also have the following guides for the same router: