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Reset the TP-Link TD-W8961NT

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

If you need to reset your TP-Link TD-W8961NT 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 username and password are reset.
  • Your WiFi login, password, and network name are reset.
  • All ISP settings will reset to default, and you may have to contact your ISP.
  • All port forwards, firewall settings, and parental controls that you have configured 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 TD-W8961NT 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 faster than ever deal!

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-W8961NT. We also have the following guides for the same router:

Recover Password in TP-Link TD-W8961NT

If you are resetting your router because you forgot your router password, then you should 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 - Lost or Forgotten Router Password Recovery Tool

If you are unable to recover your lost router password, then you may have to proceed with a full router reset.

Reset the TP-Link TD-W8961NT

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NordVPN is the fastest VPN 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 of the time you can find a small reset button located on either the back or the bottom of a router. A typical reset button looks like this:

Router Reset Button

Yours may look slightly different, but they are usually tiny. If you find a pinhole on the back of the router then that may be the reset button. You will 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. You should notice that the blinking pattern of the lights on the front of the router changes after a few seconds. It is harmless to hold the reset button too long.

Remember, this will erase everything you have previously done to this TP-Link TD-W8961NT router.

Only do this once 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 TP-Link TD-W8961NT

Now that you have finished resetting your router, you need to log in using the default username and password from the factory. We have a TD-W8961NT Login Guide with all this information ready for you.

Change Your Password

You need to change your router's default password after you log in for the first time. Leaving a router password set to default is a very serious security risk. Our Choosing a Strong Password guide talks about choosing a strong password for your router.

Tip: Write your new password down on a post-it note and stick it to the bottom of your router.

Other TP-Link TD-W8961NT Guides

This isn't our only TP-Link TD-W8961NT guide. We also have the following guides for this router.

This is the reset router guide for the TP-Link TD-W8961NT. We also have the following guides for the same router: