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Reset the SMC SMCD3GN

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

If you need to reset your SMC SMCD3GN 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. 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 in your router will be changed:

  • The router's username and password are reset to factory defaults.
  • All WiFi settings are reset, including network name and password.
  • All ISP settings will reset to default, and you may have to contact your ISP.
  • Any firewall settings, parental controls, and port forwards that you have configured will be removed.

Resetting your router should be considered the last step. Before you reset your router, you may want to try recovering your router password with our Router Password Finder.

Other SMC SMCD3GN 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 SMC SMCD3GN. We also have the following guides for the same router:

Recover Password in SMC SMCD3GN

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 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 - Automatically Recover Lost or Forgotten Router Passwords

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

Reset the SMC SMCD3GN

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Most of the time you can find a small reset button located on either the back or the bottom of a router. Most reset buttons look 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.

Hold the reset button down for about 10 seconds while watching the lights on the front of your router. The blinking pattern of the lights on the front of the router should change when the reset is complete. You can hold the button down as long as you like, it will not hurt anything.

Just don't forget that this will totally reset your SMC SMCD3GN 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 SMC SMCD3GN

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 SMCD3GN Login Guide to find everything that you need to log in.

Change Your Password

After logging in, you should really change your router's password for added security. It's a very bad idea 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: 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 SMC SMCD3GN Guides

We have collected a lot of information about the SMC SMCD3GN router. You can find some of our additional content here.

This is the reset router guide for the SMC SMCD3GN. We also have the following guides for the same router: