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Reset the TP-Link TL-WR642G

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

This guide shows you how to reset your TP-Link TL-WR642G router. This is not the same thing as rebooting a router. Rebooting a router is simply turning it off and back on again. This is very different from a reset, which erases a router completely and returns it to factory default settings.

Warning: This is not a step to be taken lightly. The following settings will be changed in your router:

  • The router's login and password are reset.
  • All WiFi information such as network name, password, and authentication method are erased.
  • If your router has any ISP settings they will be removed, and you will have to contact your ISP.
  • Any firewall settings, parental controls, and port forwards 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. 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 TL-WR642G 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-WR642G. We also have the following guides for the same router:

Recover Password in TP-Link TL-WR642G

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 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 - Recover Lost or Forgotten Router Passwords

A router reset should be the last thing you try if you are unable to login.

Reset the TP-Link TL-WR642G

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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:

Router Reset Button

Reset buttons are usually tiny. Yours may look slightly different than this. You may need a paper clip to push the reset button.

Hold the reset button down for 10 seconds and watch the lights. After a few seconds the lights should blink differently. When this happens, 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 TL-WR642G 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-WR642G

After you are finished resetting your router, you need to login in using the original factory username and password. Our TL-WR642G Login Guide has all of the information that you need.

Change Your Password

Be sure to change your router's default password after you get logged back in. It is a huge security risk 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: 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-WR642G Guides

We have collected a lot of information about the TP-Link TL-WR642G router. You can find some of our additional content here.

This is the reset router guide for the TP-Link TL-WR642G. We also have the following guides for the same router: