If you need to reset your TCL R218t router back to factory settings, then this article shows you how. This is a much bigger deal than a router reboot. Every time your router loses power it reboots. A Router Reset completely erases the router and returns it to factory settings.
Warning: Since this erases everything you have done to the router, there are some things you need to consider first. When you reset your router, the following will happen.
- The router's login and password are reset to factory defaults.
- All WiFi login information and network names 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.
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 TCL R218t 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.

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 TCL R218t R218t_ME_02.00_06 Vodafone. We also have the following guides for the same router:
Recover Password in TCL R218t
Before you resort to doing a full router reset, 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
If you are unable to recover your lost router password, then you may have to proceed with a full router reset.
Reset the TCL R218t
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You can usually find a small reset button on either the back or the bottom of a router. Most reset buttons look like this:
Yours may look slightly different, but they are usually tiny. Sometimes the reset button is under a pinhole on the back of the router, 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. It is harmless to hold the reset button too long.
Don't forget, this step will totally reset your TCL R218t 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 TCL R218t
Now that you have finished resetting your router, you need to log in using the default username and password from the factory. You can find all of the information that you need in our R218t Login Guide.
Change Your Password
Do not forget to change your router's default password when you log back into it. It is a huge security risk 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: Write your new password down on a note and tape it to the bottom of your router for future reference.
Other TCL R218t Guides
Here are some of our other TCL R218t guides that you might be interested in.
This is the reset router guide for the TCL R218t R218t_ME_02.00_06 Vodafone. We also have the following guides for the same router: