This guide shows you how to reset your TP-Link Archer C900 router to factory default settings. Resetting a router is different than rebooting a router. Every time your router loses power it reboots. This is very different from a reset, which erases a router completely and returns it to factory default settings.
Warning: This is not a step to be taken lightly. A router reset will affect the following settings:
- The router's login credentials are reset to factory defaults.
- Your WiFi name and password are reset.
- Your ISP username and password will be reset, and you may have to contact your ISP.
- All parental controls, firewall settings, and port forwards will be removed.
A router reset should be considered the last resort when you cannot log in to your router any other way. 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 TP-Link Archer C900 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 TP-Link Archer C900. We also have the following guides for the same router:
Recover Password in TP-Link Archer C900
Instead of resetting your router back to factory settings, you may want to 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 TP-Link Archer C900
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There is usually a small reset button located on either the back or the bottom of a router. Most reset buttons look like this:
Reset buttons are usually tiny. Yours may look slightly different than this. Sometimes the button is under a pinhole, 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 blinking pattern of the lights on the front of the router should change when the reset is complete. Do not be concerned about holding the reset button down too long. It will not hurt anything.
Remember, this will erase everything you have previously done to this TP-Link Archer C900 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 TP-Link Archer C900
Now that you have finished resetting the router, you need to login to the router interface using the default username and password. Our Archer C900 Login Guide has all of the information that you need.
Change Your Password
After logging in to your router for the first time, you need to change your router's password. It's a very bad idea to leave your router's password set to the factory default. 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 TP-Link Archer C900 Guides
We have collected a lot of information about the TP-Link Archer C900 router. You can find some of our additional content here.
This is the reset router guide for the TP-Link Archer C900. We also have the following guides for the same router: