How to View and Change the Default Password on a Network Router

Questions:

• I have reset the settings on my router and the password goes back to the factory default, How can I view the default routher password?
• I have lost or forgotten the password for the router, access point or other network device
• I left the default password  and someone has hacked my network

Answers:

Depending on what router you use, you can either view or change the wireless network password (also referred to as the passphrase or security key) if you can log into the router.  Some routers mask the wireless network password, so even although you cannot recover or retrieve it, you can enter and save a new password.

To view or change a wireless network password:

1. Log in to your NETGEAR router by browsing to http://www.routerlogin.net or http://www.routerlogin.com. Enter the username (admin) and password. By default, the password is password or 1234 unless it has already been changed.
2. From the left-hand navigation menu of the Router Manager, select Set Up > Wireless Settings.
3. From the center screen, select your encryption type from under the Security Options heading.

   • If the wireless network passphrase is visible, review it and use it to log devices onto your network.
   • If it is not visible, you can change your wireless passphrase; however, changing the passphrase will cause you to lose your wireless connection.  Connect your computer to the router with an Ethernet cable before entering a new passphrase into the text box and clicking Apply.

If you cannot log into your router:

Unfortunately, there is no method to recover a lost or forgotten password from a router or access point; you will need to reset the device to factory defaults. However, once the device is reset to factory defaults, you can use the default username (“admin”) and password (either “password” or “1234″ depending on your router) to reconfigure your router settings.

NOTE:  Restoring factory defaults on a device will erase any customizations you have made.  You will lose any configurations saved to the device!