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Reset the Zhone 6518-A1

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

This guide shows you how to reset your Zhone 6518-A1 router to factory default settings. This is a much bigger deal than a router reboot. Turning a router off and back on again causes a reboot. This is very different from a reset, which erases a router completely and returns it to factory default settings.

Warning: Since this erases everything you have done to the router, there are some things you need to consider first. The following settings will be changed in your router:

  • The router's username and password are reset.
  • 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.
  • 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 Zhone 6518-A1 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 Zhone 6518-A1 v5. We also have the following guides for the same router:

Recover Password in Zhone 6518-A1

Instead of resetting your router back to factory settings, you may want to 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 Zhone 6518-A1

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

Router Reset Button

Reset buttons are usually tiny. Yours may look slightly different than this. 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.

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. Do not worry about holding the button down too long; this is harmless.

Remember, this will erase everything you have previously done to this Zhone 6518-A1 router.

This last step should only be taken if you have tried everything else, such as using our Router Password Finder software, which can recover lost or forgotten router passwords.

Login to the Zhone 6518-A1

Now that you have finished resetting the router, you need to login to the router interface using the default username and password. Just follow our 6518-A1 Login Guide to find all of the information that you need.

Change Your Password

You need to change your router's default password after you log in for the first time. Leaving a router password set to default is a very serious security risk. 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 Zhone 6518-A1 Guides

This isn't our only Zhone 6518-A1 guide. We also have the following guides for this router.

This is the reset router guide for the Zhone 6518-A1 v5. We also have the following guides for the same router: