This article covers how to reset the TP-Link TL-WR840N v3 router back to factory default settings. This is not the same thing as rebooting a router. Turning a router off and back on again causes a reboot. A Router Reset completely erases the router and returns it to factory settings.
Warning: This is not a step to be taken lightly. When you reset your router, the following will happen.
- The router's login and password are reset to factory defaults.
- All WiFi settings are reset, including network name and password.
- Your ISP username and password will be reset, and you may have to contact your ISP.
- All parental controls, firewall settings, and 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-WR840N 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.
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-WR840N v3 3.16.9. We also have the following guides for the same router:
Recover Password in TP-Link TL-WR840N 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 - Automatically Recover Lost or Forgotten Router Passwords
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-WR840N v3
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There is usually a small reset button located 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. You may need a paper clip to push the reset button.
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. 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 TL-WR840N 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 TL-WR840N v3
Now you need to log in using the factory default username and password. You can find all of the information that you need in our TL-WR840N v3 Login Guide.
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 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 TL-WR840N v3 Guides
This isn't our only TP-Link TL-WR840N v3 guide. We also have the following guides for this router.
This is the reset router guide for the TP-Link TL-WR840N v3 3.16.9. We also have the following guides for the same router: