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Reset the TP-Link TL-R460

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

This article covers how to reset the TP-Link TL-R460 router back to factory default settings. This is not the same thing as 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: Proceed with caution; resetting your router can be a major headache. A router reset will affect the following settings:

  • The router's login credentials are reset to factory defaults.
  • All WiFi information such as network name, password, and authentication method are erased.
  • Your ISP settings are reset, which means you will have to contact your ISP to get them back.
  • Any port forwards, firewall settings, or 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. Before you reset your router you may want to try recovering your router password with our Router Password Finder.

Other TP-Link TL-R460 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 TL-R460. We also have the following guides for the same router:

Recover Password in TP-Link TL-R460

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

Do not do a full router reset until after you have tried every other option to log in to your router.

Reset the TP-Link TL-R460

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NordVPN is the fastest VPN deal!

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There is usually a small reset button located on either the back or the bottom of a router. This is what a typical reset button looks like:

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.

Keep an eye on the lights on the front of your router while holding the reset button down for about 10 seconds. The lights on the front of the router should do something different when the reset happens. Keep holding the button as long as you want, it will not hurt anything to hold it down too long.

Don't forget, this step will totally reset your TP-Link TL-R460 router back to factory settings.

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 TL-R460

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 TL-R460 Login Guide with all this information ready for you.

Change Your Password

Do not forget to change your router's default password when you log back into it. 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: 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 TL-R460 Guides

This isn't our only TP-Link TL-R460 guide. We also have the following guides for this router.

This is the reset router guide for the TP-Link TL-R460. We also have the following guides for the same router: