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Reset the TP-Link TL-WR1043N

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Setup Router Staff
Last Updated: | Reading Time: 4 minutes

In this article, you will learn how to reset your TP-Link TL-WR1043N back to factory settings. Resetting a router is different than rebooting a router. Every time your router loses power it reboots. A Router Reset completely erases the router and returns it to factory settings.

Warning: Before you continue, there are a few things you need to know. The following settings in your router will be changed:

  • The router's login credentials are reset to factory defaults.
  • Your WiFi login, password, and network name are reset.
  • All ISP settings will reset to default, and you may have to contact your ISP.
  • Any parental controls, firewall settings, or 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. Before you reset your router you may want to try recovering your router password with our Router Password Finder.

Other TP-Link TL-WR1043N 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 TL-WR1043N v2 Kibosh. We also have the following guides for the same router:

Recover Password in TP-Link TL-WR1043N

If the only reason that you are resetting your router is because you forgot your router password, then you may want to try running our Router Password Finder instead of resetting your router.

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

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 TL-WR1043N

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There is usually a small reset button located on either the back or the bottom of a router. Look at your router and try to find 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.

Keep an eye on the lights on the front of your router while holding the reset button down for about 10 seconds. Notice how the lights on the front of the router are blinking. When the lights do something different, the router is reset. 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 TL-WR1043N 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 TL-WR1043N

Now that you have finished resetting the router, you need to login to the router interface using the default username and password. You can follow the TL-WR1043N Login Guide to find everything that you need to log in.

Change Your Password

After logging in to your router for the first time, you need to change your router's password. 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: 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 TL-WR1043N Guides

Here are some of our other TP-Link TL-WR1043N guides that you might be interested in.

This is the reset router guide for the TP-Link TL-WR1043N v2 Kibosh. We also have the following guides for the same router: