Factory Reset Asus Router

First, Verify that your router is currently turned on and plugged into a power source. Next, Find the round Reset button on the back or bottom of your router. Take the end of a paperclip or pin. After that, press and hold down the Reset button for about 10 seconds (Some times it will take 15 seconds).

Wi-Fi CellSpot Routers are discontinued and are no longer available for purcase. If you want help with Wi-Fi CellSpot Router setup or connection issues, we have you covered.

On this page:

Set up a Wi-Fi CellSpot Router

Get to know your router

T-Mobile's Wi-Fi CellSpot Router improves the Wi-Fi signal in your home. The router lets you use Wi-Fi Calling for calls at home, instead of the cellular network. Calls are prioritized over other Wi-Fi data for best call quality.

  1. In order to reset the ASUS RT-AC66U to its factory settings 1. Find the reset button on the rear of the router 2.
  2. How to hard reset ASUS RT-N56U. In order to reset the ASUS RT-N56U to its factory settings 1. Find the reset button on the rear of the router 2. Press and hold the button for more than 5 seconds. The default factory settings are: Default username: admin Default password: admin Enable DHCP: Yes Default IP address: 192.168.1.1 Default subnet mask.
  3. How to factory data reset Asus wireless router? Make everything back to default settings. Yup, that’s what you should do when upgrade to 3rd party firmware like Merlin or downgrading official.

It doesn't boost wireless network signal, but it does provide:

  • 3,000+ sq. ft of Wi-Fi for placing calls at home.
  • 2.4 & 5 GHz bands
  • IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac
  • IPv4 & IPv6
  • Security: WEP, WPA-PSK/ENTERPRISE, WPA2-PSK/ENTERPRISE, WPS


Internet requirements

You need internet with reliable high-speeds to support Wi-Fi Calling. Try a speed test when connected to your home internet to check for:

  • 2 Mbps upload speed
  • 2 Mbps download speed

Set up your router

Setup video (English)

Video not loading? Please reload this page and try again.

Configuración de video (Español)
Start guides (Printable)

Click to download the Wi-Fi CellSpot Router Setup guide and User manual.

Start guide or user manual not opening? Install the free Adobe PDF viewer on your computer, Android, or Apple iOS device.

Factory Reset Asus Router Ac3100

Connect your phone to the router

  1. On your phone, turn on Wi-Fi. (If you need steps, find your phone on the Devices page.)
  2. Select one of the T-Mobile Wi-Fi networks:
    • CellSpot_2.4GHz_[4-digit ID]
    • CellSpot_5GHz_[4-digit ID]
    • (If the network name was changed, select the new network name instead.)
  3. Enter the password on the white sticker on the back of your router.
  4. Update the network name and password on your computers, tablets, etc.

Change network name (SSID) or password

  1. Make sure your computer or phone is connected to the router.
  2. Enter either URL in the web browser:
    • http://cellspot.router (phones use this link)
  3. Log in to the configuration page using your login name and password.
    • The default router login is name (admin) and password (password).
    • If you set up your own password and have forgotten it, reset the router.
  4. See the SSID and password steps below to update.

Network name (SSID)

  1. From the General tab, select the CellSpot_5GHz_[4-digit ID] and change its name.
  2. Update the WPA Pre-Shared Key to your previous network password.
  3. Click Apply.
  4. Reconnect your devices to the Wi-Fi network.
  5. Use the 2.4GHz band if connecting existing devices (printers, cameras, etc.).

Password

  1. On the Network Admin page, go to the System Status section of the Network Map.
  2. Click the 2.4GHz tab.
    • In the Authentication Method drop-down, click WPA2-Personal.
    • In the WPA-PSK key field, enter a password that is at least eight characters.
  3. Click the 5GHz tab.
    • In the Authentication Method drop-down, clickWPA2-Personal.
    • In the WPA-PSK key field, enter a password that is at least eight characters. You can use the same password you entered in step 4.
  4. Click Apply, and the router restarts.
  5. Once restarted, reconnect using your new password. If you lose this password, the router must be reset to its default settings

Reset router

Restart router & modem

Restart the modem and router before performing a full reset. This can fix minor problems, and also check for and install firmware updates.

  1. Unplug your modem.
  2. Unplug your router.
  3. Turn off your computers.
  4. Plug in the modem, and wait for two minutes.
  5. Plug in the router, and wait for two minutes.
  6. Turn the computers on.

Reset the router

  1. Press and hold the Reset button on the back of the router for eight seconds.
  2. Release the Reset button.
  3. The router is now reset to the factory default settings.

Default router settings

Resetting the router restores it to its default settings, which are listed below.

  • User Name: admin
  • Password: password
  • Enable DHCP: Yes (if WAN cable is plugged in)
  • IP address: 192.168.29.1
  • Domain Name: (Blank)
  • Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0
  • DNS Server 1: 192.168.29.1
  • DNS Server 2: (Blank)
  • SSID (2.4GHz): CellSpot_2.4GHz_(four digit MAC ID)
  • SSID (5GHz): CellSpot_5GHz_(four digit MAC ID)

If your previous network name is different than the defaults, update your existing device network settings.

Troubleshoot issues with your Wi-Fi CellSpot Router

Router has no lights
  1. Make sure all cables are connected to the right place, and plugged in completely.
  2. Plug the router into another power outlet to test it.
  3. Make sure the router is set up properly. For steps, see router setup above.
Forgot router admin username or password

If you forgot your username or password, follow reset the router above.

Can't access router admin pages

If you can't access the router admin, follow these steps.

  1. Make sure your computer or phone is connected to the router.
  2. On the computer, enter either address in the address bar and open the page:
    • http://cellspot.router (phones use this link)
  3. Log in to the configuration page using your login name and password. The default router login is name (admin) and password (password).
    • If this is the first time accessing, you are prompted to change the password. Note your new router admin username and password to use it later. Passwords cannot be recovered.
    • If the password is lost, follow reset the router above.
  4. If you're still unable to access the admin pages, contact us.
Can't connect phone to router
  1. Turn off the phone.
  2. Wait five seconds, then turn on the phone.
  3. Try to connect your phone to the router.
  4. If that didn't work, follow reset the router above. Then try reconnecting.
  5. Use another phone or computer to see if other devices can connect (or are connected) to the network.
  6. If other devices can connect, the router is ok. The problem is with device that wont connect. Check its settings and user manual.
  7. If no phones or computers can connect, contact us.
Can't connect to Internet
  1. Make sure that:
    • Router and modem are plugged in.
    • WAN and LAN lights are illuminated.
    • Computer or connected device is connected to the correct network.
    • Network is set up properly. For steps, follow router setup above.
  2. Turn off the connecting device, and turn it back on.
  3. Try to access the Internet.
  4. If you are still having this issue, contact us.
Slow internet
  1. Verify the following:
    • Is the blue indicator light (looks like a globe, fifth from the right) illuminated?
      • Yes: You are receiving an Internet connection from your modem.
      • No: The router is not setup correctly. See router setup above.
    • Are there blue lights above 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz on the front of the router?
      • Yes: The router is broadcasting wireless signal.
      • No: Wi-Fi is off. Press the Wi-Fi on/off button on the right side of the router to turn it on.
  2. If the answer to both questions above is yes, your router is set up correctly. (If not, reset the modem and router above.)
  3. Load a web page and see if your speed has improved.
    • Internet speeds are determined by your Internet provider (ISP). T-Mobile isn't providing the service.
    • Contact your Internet provider (ISP) to report slow Internet, if problems continue.
No wireless network available / not broadcasting Wi-Fi

Determine if network is set up properly and wireless signal is broadcasting from Wi-Fi CellSpot Router:

Factory Reset Asus Router Ac1300

  1. Make sure the router is turned on. The Power button on the back of the router must be pressed in.
  2. Are any of the router lights illuminated?
    • Yes: Skip to step 5.
    • No: Move to the next step.
  3. If no lights are on, press the LED on/off buttonon the back of the router, and wait five seconds.
  4. Is the blue indicator light (looks like a globe, fifth from the right) illuminated?
    • Yes: Move to the next step.
    • No: Follow router setup above.
  5. Are the blue lights illuminated above the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz icons?
    • Yes: The router is broadcasting wireless signal. Follow connect your phone to the router above.
    • No: Wi-Fi is turned off. Press the Wi-fi on/off buttonon the side of the router to turn on Wi-Fi.
  6. If you are still unable to locate your wireless network using a T-Mobile phone, contact us.

The FBI say yes but should you follow this advice? And if you do follow it, do you know how to do so safely?

Reboot your router! That is the advice put out on May 25, 2018, by one of the world’s most widely known law enforcement agencies: the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). But should you follow this advice? And if you do follow it, do you know how to do so safely? This article provides some answers, both long and short.

Here are eight short answers, for those who already know what a router is, what a router reboot means, and have experience performing a router reset. If you need to refresh your knowledge of what routers do and how they fit into your network, scroll down to: What is a router?

Factory reset asus router rt-ac87u
  1. What’s going on? As many as 500,000 routers in more than 50 countries were found to be compromised by malware dubbed VPNFilter.
  2. What should I do? Rebooting your router – turn it off, wait 30 seconds, turn it on again – will help to defeat this particular malware.
  3. Who is affected? This threat mainly affects small office and home office (SOHO) routers. A list of models known to be impacted is located at the end of the article.
  4. What if my router is not on the list? It may still be at risk from VPNFilter, so current advice is for all SOHO routers to be rebooted.
  5. Is a reboot the same as a reset? NO! A reset wipes out configuration information and returns the router to factory defaults. Do not reset your router unless you know how to configure it and have a record of the configuration information, e.g. admin password, SSID, and so on (see rest of the article for more details).
  6. What if my router is supplied by my ISP? You should contact them for instructions if they have not already alerted you and provided instructions.
  7. What other defensive measures can I take? Consider upgrading your router to the latest firmware, changing the default password, and disabling remote administration. At the end of the article is a table of links to instructions for doing this work on known at-risk routers, along with links on how to reset them to their factory defaults.
  8. Does ESET detect this malware? Yes, it is detected as Linux/VPNFilter. However, ESET recommends that you go ahead and reboot your router – read on for more details.

What’s a router?

While techno-snobs may gasp at the idea that there are still people on the planet who don’t know what a router is, I’m going to provide a brief description anyway. I know plenty of bright and well-educated people who have used the internet in their home or small business via a router from many years without ever needing to know what one is or how it works. Some of these folks are now shocked to learn that, not only is their router a computer, it’s a computer that criminals may try to exploit in numerous ways.

The term router comes from the fact that these devices direct traffic between networks: they literally route data from one digital device to another. For example, when you use your laptop in your home to read your email, the messages typically get to your laptop through equipment that came with your internet service, or which you purchased when you set up internet service.

While there are many possible equipment configurations, most include the following functions: modem, router, Wi-Fi (wireless) access point. As shown in this diagram, these functions may be performed by separate devices, or they can be combined into a single box:

The modem takes the signal from your ISP (internet service provider) and converts it to standard network traffic (Ethernet). When your incoming email reaches the router, it decides where to direct it. In the “old days” before Wi-Fi there would be an Ethernet cable going from your router (or modem/router) to your laptop. Today, many homes and small offices are using wireless connections. In that case the traffic, like that email coming to your laptop, or your tablet, or your smartphone, gets routed through the wireless access point.

(Most of today’s home and small office internet connection equipment supports both wireless and wired connections, so there may be a wire from your router to your printer or a Network Attached Storage (NAS); many smart TVs use a wired routed connection to stream video from the internet.)

Clearly, your router is doing a lot of work – handling traffic that ranges from email to web surfing, printing, streaming music and video, and enabling online gaming. A router is also how most IoT (Internet of Things) devices connect to the internet, things like smart thermostats, alarm systems, and security cameras.

To do all that work, computing power is required. That is why routers have evolved to become specialized computer systems in their own right; which brings us to the FBI’s advice about rebooting routers.

What did the FBI say about routers?

On May 25, the FBI issued a statement with this headline: “Foreign cyber actors target home and office routers and networked devices worldwide”. This was in response to the discovery that “cyber actors” had used malicious code (malware) to compromise a whole bunch of routers and other equipment, like NAS devices.

In this context, the term “compromise” means these “cyber actors” executed their code on people’s devices without their permission. This malware, which has the ability to collect information flowing through the device but can also render the device inoperable, has been dubbed VPNFilter by the researchers in the Talos threat intelligence group at Cisco (their first report on VPNFilter has many of the technical details).

Fortunately, the part of VPNFilter that could be used to spy on your router traffic, and/or disable the device, can be removed with that classic IT move: turn it off and on again. So the FBI issued this recommendation:

“The FBI recommends any owner of small office and home office routers power cycle (reboot) the devices.”

As you may know, booting is the technical term for powering on a computing device, thereby activating basic code that is stored on chips in the device. The very first code to run is that stored in what we call “firmware”, meaning it is considered part of the hardware. Think of the code in firmware as hard to change (in some cases it is practically impossible).

The next code that runs in the boot process is that which has been stored in something called non-volatile memory, a type of memory that retains data even when the device is powered down. That is different from volatile memory, the regular kind of memory that gets wiped clean when you power down your computer (or suffer a power outage).

Remember, your router is a computer, with firmware and memory, both volatile and non-volatile. When a router is compromised by VPNFilter malware, chunks of malicious code are loaded into volatile memory. Rebooting or power cycling your router will clear that out, and that is what the FBI would like you to do.

For some people the easiest way to reboot the router is to unplug the power supply, wait 30 seconds, then plug it back in again. Alternatively, there may be an on/off switch on the back of the router, in which case you can use that to turn it off, wait 30 seconds, and then turn it on again. However, you shouldn’t do that unless you are sure the switch you are using is the on/off switch.

Reboot vs. reset

How could you be confused about the on/off switch? Some routers have multiple switches on them; for example, the router on my desk right now has a “Wi-Fi” on/off button as well as a power switch and something called a WPS button. Also, your router may have a reset switch or “Restore Factory Settings” button. Resetting your router and thereby restoring it to the factory configuration is very different from rebooting it.

Performing a reset will erase both volatile memory and non-volatile memory. The latter is where your router stores any changes you have made to its configuration. For example, most routers come with a default administrator name and password that you should change to prevent attackers taking it over. How could they do that? Because the default user names and passwords are widely known. They are often printed on the back of the router and may be discoverable via a Google search based on your model number. For example, on my desk I have a Netgear WNDR3400:

This model, like many others, has a browser-based control panel that you can use from your computer (typically by using a URL like http://192.168.1.1). The interface enables you to change any settings that are then stored in the router’s non-volatile memory. My router control panel looks like this:

Note that I have blurred out the settings for user name and password and SSID (the name of the wireless access point). I have also written these down on a piece of paper so that, when I reset the router I can reenter the settings and restore the configuration.

Why would I want to perform a router reset? When your router is compromised by VPNFilter malware, part of the code is written into non-volatile memory, so it does not go away when you simply reboot. That remaining code enables the device to reach out to a web domain after a reboot and download fresh malware into memory … except the FBI now controls that domain. So, even if you have not removed VPNFilter code from non-volatile memory, it is currently prevented from downloading fresh malware.

How do you perform a router reset?

Taking control of a malware domain is called “sinkholing” and this was clever work by the FBI. However, you may decide that you want to reset your router anyway. This should remove the last of the VPNFilter code from the device.

How you perform the reset varies by make and model. I strongly suggest you go the website of the router manufacturer and get the instructions from there, specific to your model. Exercise caution if you decide to Google the instructions for your device because there may be attempts to poison search results relating to this issue. You can restrict results to pages found on the manufacturer’s website by using the “site” parameter like this: Netgear WNDR3400 factory reset site:netgear.com.

What follows is a generic guide that you use at your own risk.

For many routers the reset operation is more than flipping a switch, it involves the classic “paper clip poker” and a small hole on the device. This may be referred to in the manufacturer’s documentation as “Restore Factory Settings” or something similar. It is often printed on the back of the device, along with the default values, like this:

To proceed with the reset, first make sure:

  1. You know the default user name and password for the device because you will need these to access the device after the reset.
  2. You have recorded any adjustments you made to the factory settings, like changing the router password, as well as the wireless SSID name and password.
  3. The router is powered on.
  4. You have warned everyone who is using the network to save their work.
  5. The router is disconnected from the internet (if the reset reverts the router password to a known default and the router is on the internet it instantly becomes a soft target).

Now grab your poking implement – a straightened paperclip, or something similar, like the pin you got with your smartphone or tablet to pop the microSD card or SIM-tray – and follow these three steps to perform the reset:

  1. Gently insert poker into the reset hole where you can feel it depress a button.
  2. Hold the button down for 10 seconds
  3. Release.

This will cause the lights on the router to flash a lot, but after a minute or so they will settle down. However, before reconnecting the router to the internet you should log into the router to change the router admin password from the default and make other changes, like setting the wireless SSID name and password.

Summary

Summing up: the VPNFilter malware poses a serious threat to the security and availability of small office and home office networks. Even if you are not using one of the routers in the list below, you need to take action. The following is the minimum response:

  • If your router is supplied by your ISP, turn it off and then back on again, then check for further advice from your ISP.
  • If you own/maintain a router, reboot it, change the default password, and check if any firmware updates are available from the router manufacturer; if so, install them.

If you are someone who knows their way around network hardware you may also want to do the following:

  • Disconnect your router from the internet and perform a router reset.
  • Re-install the most recent firmware.

For ongoing protection – and hopefully, it goes without saying these days – you need to run reputable security software on all your networked devices like laptops, PCs, Macs, Android tablets, smartphones, and yes, even your smart TV.

In addition, everyone should stay tuned for further news about VPNFilter and other malicious code that targets network connected devices. I hope you are already following WeLiveSecurity. I can also recommend: Krebs On Security, Security Week, Bleeping Computer, and Morning Cybersecurity.

Finally, if you would like your government to do more to prevent attacks like this in the future – and I firmly believe there is a lot more that governments could be doing – consider sending a message to your elected representatives demanding action.

Resources

Links to instructions and updates from affected router vendors.

Reset to factory defaultsUpgrade to latest firmwareChange default passwordDisable remote adminAdvisory
LinksysResetUpgrade ChangeDisableVPNFilter Malware Update
MikroTikResetUpgradeChangeDisableVPNFilter official statement
NetGearResetUpgrade ChangeDisableSecurity Advisory for VPNFilter Malware on Some Routers
QNAPResetUpgradeChangeDisableSecurity Advisory for VPNFilter Malware
TP-LinkResetUpgradeChangeDisableVPNFilter Malware Security

List of router models known to be at risk (but there could be more)

Linksys: E1200, E2500, WRVS4400N

Mikrotik Routeros Versions for Cloud Core Routers: 1016, 1036, 1072

Factory Reset Asus Router Rt-ac88u

Netgear: DGN2200, R6400, R7000, R8000, WNR1000, WNR2000

Router

QNAP: TS251, TS439 Pro, other QNAP NAS devices running QTS software

Factory Reset Asus Router Rt-ac86u

TP-LINK: R600VPN

More articles about routers on WeLiveSecurity:

Factory Reset Asus Router Rt-ac68u

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