How to Reset the Linksys WRT54G Wireless Router

Once of the most popular pages on Technically Easy is the post titled Securing Linksys WRT54G Wireless Router. In that post I outlined the steps needed to secure that particular wireless router.

The one problem I didn’t mention is how to reset the router back to the factory defaults. You may need to do this if you forget your router’s password or made a mistake and you can’t connect to the router. In this post I’ll outline two methods you can follow to reset your Linksys WRT54G wirless router.

Reset Button

The first method involves simply pressing a button located on the back of the router. The image below (courtesy of Linksys) shows where the button is located.

To reset your router, use the following steps:

1. Press the reset button for 30 seconds.

The settings should now be returned to the factory default settings, meaning any changes you had made would be deleted.

2. Open up your Web browser and enter 192.168.1.1 in the address bar.
3. For the login, leave a blank ID and enter admin as the password.

The router has now been reset. Follow the steps in Securing Linksys WRT54G Wireless Router to secure your router.

Through the Web Administration Pages

The second method involves logging into the Web administration pages of the router. Use the following steps to reset the router using this method:

1. Open your Web browser and enter the IP address of your router. By default, the address is 192.168.1.1.
2. Enter your user ID And password when prompted. Hopefully this has been changed, but if it hasn’t, the default is no ID and admin as the password.
3. At the top of the Web page, click Administration and then Factory Defaults.
4. Beside Restore Factory Defaults, click Yes.
5. Now click the Save Settings button at the bottom of the Web page.

Your WRT54G wireless router should now be reset to the factory defaults. Ensure you follow the steps outline in Securing Linksys WRT54G Wireless Router to secure your router.

Summary

This post has provided two methods you can use to reset your Linksys WRT54G wireless router. If you are having problems with your router, try reseting the router to the factory defaults, and then make the changes again and see if the router starts working again.