Reset the TP-Link TD-W8960N v8

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

This guide shows you how to reset your TP-Link TD-W8960N v8 router. A router reset is a much bigger deal than a router reboot. Unplugging a router from the wall reboots it. This is very different from a reset, which erases a router completely and returns it to factory default settings.

Warning: Make sure that you fully understand the following before resetting your router. The following settings will be changed in your router:

  • The router's username and password are reset.
  • All WiFi information such as network name, password, and authentication method are erased.
  • Any ISP settings saved in your router will be removed. You may have to contact your ISP.
  • All port forwards, firewall settings, and parental controls 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. Make sure that you have tried to recover your router password using our Router Password Finder first.

Other TP-Link TD-W8960N v8 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 TP-Link TD-W8960N v8 1.1.0. We also have the following guides for the same router:

Recover Password in TP-Link TD-W8960N v8

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 - Lost or Forgotten Router Password Recovery Tool

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

Reset the TP-Link TD-W8960N v8

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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. What you are looking for is something that looks like this:

Router Reset Button

Yours may look slightly different, but they are usually tiny. 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 totally reset your TP-Link TD-W8960N v8 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 TD-W8960N v8

Now you need to log in using the factory default username and password. Our TD-W8960N v8 Login Guide has all of the information that you need.

Change Your Password

You need to change your router's default password after you log in for the first time. Since factory passwords are well known, it's a huge security risk to leave your router set to the 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 TP-Link TD-W8960N v8 Guides

This isn't our only TP-Link TD-W8960N v8 guide. We also have the following guides for this router.

This is the reset router guide for the TP-Link TD-W8960N v8 1.1.0. We also have the following guides for the same router: