My MIL asked me to try to connect her new laptop to her router, because it wasn’t working for her. No problem, I’ve done this before. Her router is an old Verizon block (like the Devil’s Tower in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, but white…like mashed potatoes). The password is on the back.
For some reason, though, her password didn’t work anymore, and when I checked my phone (which has been connected to her wifi for years) it wanted a password again. After trying a few times, I decided to go into the router admin & see what was going on, but…that password didn’t work any more either. Wtf.
Eventually after futzing with it a while longer I decided to hold down the reset button on the router, and that…did nothing. Still can’t get in.
She’s out of town, and I think I’m just going to buy a new router and reassign everything. But if anyone has any ideas what’s going on, feel free to jump in. I don’t usually find this kind of tech problematic, but I might be missing something obvious.
Does the reset button actually do a factory reset?
Usually, a “hard” (factory) reset is done via a little hole on the back of the router, into which you stick a paper clip. This will return the router to factory condition and the default user name and password printed on the back should work.
Yeah, that’s the reset I did. I was so annoyed by this whole thing that I am literally typing this post from in front of that router, and I have done the paper clip again, and the goddamn thing still will not recognize the passwords on the back.
Does it have any Ethernet ports you can connect to directly? You might be able to go in and reset it there, or even change the wi-fi password.
You just need to get into the web interface. Hopefully you know the address for that already, but it’s probably 192.168.something.something, and the irst something will probably be 0, 1 or 255. And the second one just 1 or 255.
Also, you usually have to hold down the reset version for a decent amount of time while plugged in for it to actually do a factory reset.
Yeah, I held it down until the lights turn themself off and then turn themselves back on again. I’ve now tried that four times.
As I mentioned above, I did try to access the router directly through its admin interface/web address (from yes, an ethernet connected computer). That has failed multiple times, is literally not recognizing the password on back of the router, but I’m going to try one more time.
I have not tried this. My MIL’s house is half an hour away, and I have now driven there twice, but I’m contemplating a third time, because it’s really annoying me.
I assumed that he was holding the reset button in for, I assumed, 30 seconds . The trip may be useless because any other causes, hardware or firmware problems, will not really be fixable.
I held the button in until the lights went off and then on again (I found the manual online, and that’s what it said to do). I’d say that did run around 30 seconds.
I’m sure. FiOS uses these simplified passwords that are word, number, word, number, word… and after the whole process started failing, I was very careful to make sure I duplicated those, and even at one point used their clever little scan-in-the-password feature when I was trying to reconnect my phone.
Well, it sounds like the Flash is borked.
There’s probably a way of re-flashing it, but at this point you might as well cut your losses and just replace it.
Not really sure what’s going on with her router, but I would suggest not using the password provided by the router’s manufacturer. It would be too easy to crack with certain tools used by idiots who like to steal wifi. Make the new password on the new router longer with less common words.
If you don’t have the owner manual, search the web for one, and follow whatever process is described there. That will eliminate any uncertainty about what’s going on. If the manufacturer’s process doesn’t solve the problem for you, then it’s time for a new router.