Easy Ways to Reset a Linksys Router Password

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Easily reset your Linksys router so you can recover your password

Written by Darlene Antonelli, MA

Last Updated: September 1, 2024

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Pressing the Physical Reset Button

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Using Your Linksys Cloud Account

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Q&A

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Tips

Did you forget the password for your Linksys router? If you previously changed it from the default password, you'll need to reset your router, which means that you'll lose every personal setting on it.^{[1]
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Research source} Note that the router password is different than the Wi-Fi password. This wikiHow article walks you step-by-step through resetting your Linksys router password.

Things You Should Know

The easiest and quickest solution to reset a Linksys router password is pressing the "Reset" button on the router.
If you have a Linksys cloud account, go to the router login page, select "Forgot password," and enter your email.
Follow the link in the email to create a new password for your Linksys router.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Pressing the Physical Reset Button

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1
Turn on the router. Most Linksys routers don't have an on/off switch, but turn on automatically when you plug it into an outlet.
- If there's an ethernet cord connecting to your computer or modem, unplug it now.
- This is the easiest and most straightforward way to reset your Linksys router if you have access to the router physically. If you forgot your router's password and don't have access to your Linksys cloud account, this is your only option.
2
Press and hold the Reset button. Hold the button for 10 seconds.
- The Reset button is usually at the back of the router near the power cord, but its location can change depending on the model.
- These buttons are usually indented so you can't easily reset your router by accident. You may need to use the end of a paperclip or some other narrow object to press the button.
- Older Linksys routers require you to press and hold the reset button on the router for 30 seconds to reset it.
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A blinking light means that your router is resetting.
4
Turn off the router and turn it on again. Unplug the router to turn it off, wait 30 seconds, and then plug it in again to turn it back on. This process is called power cycling and ensures the device is drained of electrical energy before turning it back on.
- The Power light should be solid. If it doesn't stop blinking, turn the router off, wait 30 seconds, and then turn it on again.
5
Re-connect the router to your computer. Connect the router to a PC using its ethernet cable. You can use any of the ethernet ports on the router to connect it to the computer.
- When it's connected to a computer with an ethernet cable, the ethernet port light will light up.^{[2]
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- If you connect it to a modem and then wirelessly access it instead, you'll need to go through the steps to re-connect your computer to Wi-Fi.
- You can now log in using the default password that came with your router. Don't forget to update your password for security!

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using Your Linksys Cloud Account

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1
Go to https://linksyssmartwifi.com/. While you most likely can't connect to your router's network wirelessly without knowing your router's password, you can instead connect your computer or laptop to your router with an Ethernet cable in order to use the internet temporarily.
- You can also follow these steps using the mobile browser on an Android, iPhone, or iPad.
It's below the two text fields that you use to log in normally.
3
Enter your email address and select Send Instructions. You have to use the email address connected with your Linksys cloud account or you'll get an error message.
- You'll need to access that email address to continue this process.
- If successful, you'll see an "Email Instructions have been sent" message with a green checkmark.
The address will be similar to "noreply@linksyssmartwifi.com."
5
Open the email and click the link. You can either click or tap the "Click here" text or the URL in the third paragraph.
- If clicking or tapping the link doesn't work, copy it and paste it into a web browser's address bar.
6
Enter a new password and confirm it. Make sure the password in the "New password" field matches the text you enter in the "Confirm password" field.
- Make a secure password by using a new password that you don't already use for something else.
This will apply your changes so you can log into your router using the new password.

Community Q&A

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Question

How can I change my router from WPA to WPA2?

Community Answer

You can change it from the router's configuration page. The URL to the configuration page is normally labelled on the router itself; otherwise, search for it on web with your router details. In the configuration page, you can change the settings for WLAN. Look for encryption or security options.

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Tips

If you've secured your router, all those settings have been reset, so you'll need to do that again if you plan on using the router after you've reset it.

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Resetting the router will also erase any manual configurations you've made, like if you set your router to block specific programs or sites. Make sure to set up those settings again if you want to keep blocking them.

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