This guide shows you how to reset your TP-Link TD-W9970 v3 router. A router reset is a much bigger deal than a router reboot. Rebooting a router is simply turning it off and back on again. This is different from a reset because a reset completely erases all settings from the router.
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 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 port forwards, firewall settings, or parental controls 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 TP-Link TD-W9970 v3 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.
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This is the reset router guide for the TP-Link TD-W9970 v3 20.08.05.01006. We also have the following guides for the same router:
Recover Password in TP-Link TD-W9970 v3
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 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 - 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 TP-Link TD-W9970 v3
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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 button is under a pinhole, and you need a paper clip to push it.
Watch the front panel lights while you hold the reset button down for at least 10 seconds. You should notice that the blinking pattern of the lights on the front of the router changes after a few seconds. You can hold the button down as long as you like, it will not hurt anything.
Keep in mind that this will completely reset your TP-Link TD-W9970 v3 router.
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 TP-Link TD-W9970 v3
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 TD-W9970 v3 Login Guide to find everything that you need to log in.
Change Your Password
Be sure to change your router's default password after you get logged back in. Since factory passwords are well known, it's a huge security risk to leave your router set to the default. You can follow our Choosing a Strong Password guide to help you pick a solid password for your router.
Tip: A great place to write your new password down is on a piece of paper taped to the bottom of your router.
Other TP-Link TD-W9970 v3 Guides
Here are some of our other TP-Link TD-W9970 v3 guides that you might be interested in.
This is the reset router guide for the TP-Link TD-W9970 v3 20.08.05.01006. We also have the following guides for the same router: