When you have a Netgear router not accepting password, it could mean several things. It’s best to determine the real cause so that you can apply the appropriate solution.
Netgear is an American computer networking company that connects people, powers businesses, and advances the way we live.
However, some users have recently said that the router does not accept the password.
Here’s how to solve this issue!
Start with a simple restart to fix the Netgear router not accepting password problems. Power cycle your router to get a fresher connection and eliminate bugs and glitches. If this doesn’t work, retype your password carefully.
Before we proceed to the solutions, let us discuss the most likely cases. It will help us understand the issue and help select the best solution.
Why Netgear Router Will Not Accept Password
There are several sources that will cause your Netgear router not to accept your password.
It’s possible that you’re typing in the wrong one, or your browser settings are preventing you from successfully logging in.
No matter the cause, here are some of the possible problems that you’re going to face while using routers:
1. Using The Wrong Password
Passwords need to be 100% exact to work. Typing in the wrong one will cause your Netgear router to stop working.
2. Forgot The Password
It’s easy sometimes to forget the simplest things, like your router’s password. If you ever forget your password, Netgear has ways that allow you to recover it.
3. Blocked By Browser Extensions
Browser extensions are great until they disrupt some of your router’s functions.
Your browser can save passwords, which may not be the best idea if you’re logging into multiple routers.
4. Router Malfunction
If your router is starting to malfunction by not accepting your password, you’ll need to do something about it.
These are some of the common reasons your Netgear will not accept your password.
Once you figure out which causes the issue, you can select the best solution to your problem.
How to Fix Netgear Router Not Accepting Password
The first thing you want to do if your Netgear router does not accept your password is to restart your router.
Doing this can eliminate any temporary software bugs and issues that block you from entering your password.
If the problem is not serious, you should be able to access your router’s web interface so you can configure it depending on your needs.
In case none of these work and your Netgear admin password not working continues, here are the fixes you can do:
Solution #1: Retype Your Router Password Carefully
Restarting your Netgear router can only do so much to fix this particular issue.
However, when you’re faced with your router not accepting your password, your initial instinct would be to check how you typed it.
There’s nothing wrong with it since if you’ve been typing all day, you may have activated the caps lock.
Remember that passwords are case-sensitive, including the ones for your router.
Here’s how to properly retype your router admin password:
- Open a notepad app on your computer.
- Slowly and deliberately type in your password.
- Make sure the caps lock function is disabled.
- Copy the password you typed on your notepad app.
- Pasteit into the password field of your router.
Note: If you’re having a hard time entering your password, we recommend following this solution so you can see your password.
Solution #2: Do not Use Your Browser’s Saved Password Feature
Accessing your router’s web interface requires you to do it via your browser. However, your browser comes with certain features that can disrupt this.
Some browsers’ saved passwords can be too aggressive that they can automatically type fill the password field with a value from a different account.
To get around this, you can disable the saved password feature on your browser.
You can also delete the saved passwords that are associated with the same username.
This can happen if you’ve logged into a different router and kept it.
Here’s how to disable your browser’s saved password:
- Open your browser.
- Open your browser’s settings.
- Select Autofill.
- Click on Password Manager.
- Turn off Auto Sign-in
Note: Most routers use admin as their username; saving this automatically allows your browser to fill the password field with a different value.
Solution #3: Clear Cookies and Browser Data
Another fix that you can quickly perform is deleting your browser cache and cookies.
These small files your browser saves allow you to access the website much faster.
However, if you’re using your browser to log in, these can cause issues where it can reject your password.
If you do not clear your browser’s cookies and data, it can stop you from logging in successfully.
It will cause your browser to malfunction by auto-filling an old password even though you’ve just recently changed it.
Here’s how to clear your browser’s cookies and data:
- Open your browser, such as Chrome.
- At the top-right, select the More icon.
- Click on More tools, and choose Clear browsing data.
- Check the box next to Cookies and other data.
- Check the box next to Cached image and files.
Note: We recommend deleting everything to avoid any more issues moving forward.
Solution #4: Enable Your Router’s Password Recovery
Netgear routers come with a feature that allows you to recover your password.
It’s easy to lose or forget router passwords. However, the only way you’ll be able to do this is if this feature is already enabled.
Of course, it’s quicker than the alternative, where you will reset your router to its factory defaults.
The advantage of this is that you won’t need to reconfigure your router. Since you’re going to use password recovery, it’s also a much faster process compared to resetting your device.
Here’s how to enable the password recovery feature on your Netgear router:
- Launch your browser and log in to your router’s admin interface.
- Go to Advanced, then Administration.
- Select Set Password.
- Check the box opposite Enable Password Recovery.
- Choose two security questions and answer them.
Note: To use password recovery on your Netgear router, you need to go to the log-in page, then click Cancel. You will be redirected to the recovery page.
Solution #5: Disable Your Browser Extensions
Extensions are welcome additions to your browser’s functions. They can affect your router’s functions.
Remember that your router’s log-in pages are not advanced and made with the latest web standards.
Extensions can sometimes affect your router’s pages and give you a hard time logging in.
For the most part, extensions won’t cause any issues. However, the more you keep them gives the higher chance of disrupting your browser.
Here’s how to disable the extensions on your browser:
- Open your browser like Google Chrome.
- Click the Settings icon on the top right.
- Go to More tools, then select Extensions.
- Select the switches and move them to the off position.
Note: To determine the extension causing the issue, you will need to disable the extensions one at a time and check until you can open your router’s admin page.
Solution #6: Factory Reset Your Netgear Router
There are only a few instances where you need to reset your Netgear router to factory defaults. One is when you cannot access the recovery page or it’s disabled in the first place.
The second is when you completely forget the security questions or your password.
In any of these cases, there’s nothing you can do. Your only option would be to reset your router.
The downside of performing a reset is that all your router settings are going to be removed. You’re going to need to reconfigure it again.
Here’s how to reset your Netgear router:
- Make sure that your router is switched on.
- Find the reset button on your router.
- Use a needle or pin to push and hold it for about 10 seconds.
- Wait for the LED lights to blink and the device to restart.
Note: After resetting, you can now access your router’s web interface by using admin and password as the credentials.
That’s it!
If your Netgear router is not accepting your password, there are different ways to bypass it.
If ever you get locked out and need to access your router, don’t worry, as gaining access is a quick and painless process.
You can also contact Netgear customer support for additional help.
Read Next: Netgear Router Not Recognizing Ethernet Cable?
Bottom Line
Now that you know why your Netgear router not accepting password, you can start the process of gaining back control.
If you complete the password recovery or reset your device, it will not be that difficult.
Finn Wheatley holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from UCL, London. He helped small data science consultancy firms, helping large corporations to grow their data capabilities, deploy advanced machine learning-based analytics and troubleshoot tech-related issues. Check out more about him here.