How To Recover The Forgotten Password Of The Router

When we decide to change the password of our WiFi network or the DNS servers of our fiber or ADSL connection, we must necessarily enter the router / modem configuration panel and manually change the settings from the control panel generally accessible via web browser.

If we forget the password to access the router, every type of option and action becomes in fact inaccessible.

How to recover the forgotten password of the router

In the case of a forgotten password, how can you recover access to the router’s settings panel? In this guide, we will see how to recover the forgotten password of the router so that we can make all the changes we want again. If we are unable to recover it, we will see how we can reset the device to bring the router back to the default password.

The default password of the router

Before making any extreme changes (such as reset), you can try using one of the default passwords set by the manufacturer; if we have never changed the password, it is highly likely that it is the factory one. Assuming that the username is always admin, the first passwords to consider are:

By trying them all, we could be lucky enough to find the router’s password since, in most cases, it is one of those listed.

Another way is to read the login credentials that could be saved on the label located on the bottom or back of the router. We always recommend taking a look to see if the password we have forgotten is present.

If even after trying all the passwords you cannot access the settings, continue reading the following paragraphs for other tips and solutions.

Router user manuals

We could recover the password (at least the default one) of the router by reading the user manuals available online; all we have to do is visit the manufacturer’s website, insert the model of router or modem in your possession and check if there is a user manual in the documents provided so that you can read it and find out the default password.

The sites of the main router manufacturers in the world in Italian, you can find them here:

Sites where to recover the router password

If we have not been lucky with the user manuals, we can always use some online services to find out what the access credentials of a specific router are.

The sites where you can retrieve this valuable information are as follows:

1. RouterPasswords.com

Excellent site where to recover the default password of any router. Just choose the manufacturer and click on ” Find Password “. Note that the site also reports the method used to access the configuration panel: HTTP (therefore via the browser), Telnet, SSH, etc.

2. CIRT.net

Another site that you can use to try to recover the router’s default password is CIRT.net; all you have to do is choose the manufacturer of your router among those present or use the search field to search for it even more quickly. Then choose ” Search Passwords “. Again, the method to be used to connect to the configuration panel of the router in question is reported.

Factory reset of the router

If you changed the default password to a personal one you can’t remember, the only way you can go to recover the forgotten password is recovery. By restoring the default settings, you can return the password to its initial default state (and therefore use the advice of the previous paragraphs).

On the other hand, you will lose all the changed settings and options: port forwarding,  DNS configurations, WiFi network password. In any case, you can make the changes again.

On practically any router there is a small button hidden in the back of the router, which can only be pressed with a needle or a toothpick (usually has a RESET label ).

Press and hold this button with the router turned on for at least 30 seconds (usually it takes even less).

You will see the router lights turn on and off altogether and after a few seconds the router will restore the default settings. You can then use the recovered passwords using this guide and access the control panel of the same again.

If you are not sure of what you are doing, read the router’s user manual to find out the correct procedure for restoring the factory settings.