Question from Thomas: I hope you can help me Rick.
I can’t log into my router because I lost the password and I need to log into it to make some much-needed settings changes.
I’m so frustrated right now that I’m seriously thinking about not even putting a password on my router and Wi-Fi connection once I manage to get into the settings screen again.
I heard there are programs that you can download from the Internet that’ll hack into your router and give you the password. Can you recommend a good one?
Rick’s answer: While I fully understand why you need to be able to log into your router, I’m afraid I won’t be able to recommend a program for hacking into it, Thomas.
I don’t use any type of program that claims to be able to hack into something, and I would never recommend them to others.
Why? Because those programs are almost always fake and their actual purpose is to deliver malware to your computer.
What’s more, the few programs that really do help someone hack into things are used primarily by actual hackers, and that’s a class of folks you don’t ever want to be associated with.
However, the above being said, I can give you some generic instructions for resetting your router back to its factory default settings. You’ll then be able to log into it using the default username and password.
Note: The instructions that follow will necessarily be generic since you didn’t mention the brand and model number of your router, but they should help you get the job done.
First of all, you’ll need your router’s user manual in order to reset the router back to the factory default settings.
If you no longer have the manual, you should be able to access an online copy of it or even download a free .PDF copy from the manufacturer’s website. Just Google your router’s brand and model followed the by the words user manual.
Once you have a user manual, open it and look for the section that explains how to perform a factory reset.
Performing a factory reset on a router typically involves pressing and holding a reset button for a few seconds. Just follow the instructions in the manual to the letter.
After you have reset your router, log into the settings utility by following the instructions listed in the manual.
This typically involves plugging your router into your computer with an Ethernet cable, then visiting your router’s IP address (which you’ll find in the manual) with a web browser and logging in using the default username and password that’ll also be listed in the manual.
Once you have successfully logged into your router using the default username and password you’ll be able to change them and make any other changes you wish to make.
And now, a few words about wanting to skip putting a password on your router…
While I can certainly understand your motivation for wanting to do so, you really shouldn’t leave your router unprotected against hackers.
I strongly recommend that you never bring a router online without protecting it’s login screen by choosing a really strong password and locking down the Wi-Fi network by enabling the strongest encryption method on it that the router supports.
If you’re wondering why I so strongly recommend protecting your router with a password, you’ll know after you read this post.
Bottom line: Online hackers love taking control of unsuspecting users’ routers and use them for all kinds of nefarious things. Don’t let that happen to you.