Is your TP-Link router not working after reset? This guide will help you set it up from scratch!
The TP-Link router is probably not working after a factory reset because the device was not set up correctly and activated.
There are many initialization steps, and this read will assist you with the entire setup process and provide several quick and easy-to-apply troubleshooting solutions.
When your TP-Link router is not working after a factory reset, sign into the admin tool and complete the Quick Setup. If this doesn’t reactivate internet service, reset your computer’s TCP/IP settings and configure Wi-Fi settings.
Let’s now move further and learn everything in detail!
How to Configure TP-Link Router After Reset?
As resetting your router reverts all its settings to factory defaults, you must set up everything again, including Wi-Fi names and passwords.
Before doing so, your Wi-Fi will exist but under a default name with a default password, and many of the networking features might not work.
How to Connect the TP-Link Router Correctly?
There are a few cables that must be connected correctly according to your setup:
Info: You need an Ethernet connection to enter the configuration settings of the TP-Link router!
How to Set Up a TP-Link Router (Admin Tool)?
- Open any web browser on the connected PC.
- Insert “192.168.0.1” into the address bar (URL).
- Sign in by using “admin” for both credentials.
- Login to the router and go to the Quick Setup.
- Then, follow the on-screen steps until the end.
Tip: Using the same Wi-Fi SSID and password will automatically reconnect your devices!
TP-Link Router Not Working After Reset – Complete Solution
If your TP-Link router is not connecting to the internet, even after completing the “Quick Setup” in the admin tool, something is wrong.
The good news is that there are different ways to fix this!
1. Power Cycle Your Network Devices
Most of the time, the problem is a simple temporal glitch that might prevent the Wi-Fi router from accessing the internet from the modem.
Therefore, we highly recommend refreshing your entire TP-Link setup via power circulation, which doesn’t delete anything, but only refreshes the system.
Use the following steps to power cycle your TP-Link router and modem:
- Unplug the TP-Link router and modem from the outlet.
- Wait for about 5 minutes for the complete discharge.
- Plug the Power cables back into the modem and router.
- Secure the adapter’s end into a standalone wall outlet.
- Turn on your modem and router, and wait for 3 minutes.
Wait until the TP-Link router boots up and establish a connection with the modem.
Once you see the internet service LED light on the router, test the internet connection on your devices.
Tip: Test the internet connection on different devices via wireless or wired connection!
2. Inspect the Wiring and Connectors
You should look at the cable connections if you reset your TP-Link router and cannot access the internet.
There is a good chance that you’ve accidentally disconnected a cable on the back of the router or modem since the factory reset is a physical affair requiring the button on the back.
Alert: Unplug the router and modem from the power outlet!
Here’s how to check the connections on your network devices:
- First, check the blue Fiber cable on your modem.
- Make sure it is firmly plugged and in a good state.
- Check the internet cable on the router and modem.
- Verify the service wire is plugged into the WAN port.
- Inspect the Ethernet cable connecting your units.
If everything is in order, we suggest you disconnect and reconnect all cables to ensure a secure connection.
Also, verify the router and modem are directly plugged into the functional wall outlet.
Note: Any bent, melted, broken, or burnt connectors are considered faulty, so in such cases, you must seek replacement cables.
3. Set a Custom Wi-Fi Details
If you can’t connect to the Wi-Fi on your TP-Link router after a reset, this is entirely normal, and you need to set a custom Wi-Fi SSID and password.
After the reset, the Wi-Fi will appear under a default name, typically something including “TP-Link,” that prevents an automatic connection.
Info: You can still connect to the default TP-Link Wi-Fi using the default passwords on a sticker on the bottom of the router.
If you wish to configure a custom Wi-Fi SSID and password, follow these steps:
- Sign in to the TP-Link admin tool’s dashboard.
- From there, click on the “Wireless” section tab.
- From the top, switch to the “Advanced” options.
- Scroll down to discover the Wi-Fi frequencies.
- Insert your custom Wi-Fi SSID and password.
- Ensure to check the “Enable Wireless Radio.”
- Whenever you’re done, click on the “Save” tile.
Note: Your TP-Link router’s Wi-Fi will now be accessible by the custom Wi-Fi password!
4. Reset Your TCP/IP Settings
After resetting the TP-Link router, your computer might still be holding onto the old IP address assigned by the router.
Therefore, the TP-Link router has no internet after reset. You need to reset the TCP/IP settings to ensure that your device gets a new IP address.
To reset TCP/IP settings on a Windows computer, follow these steps:
- On a PC, open Command Prompt as an admin.
- Type “netsh int ip reset” and then press Enter.
- Type “netsh winsock reset” and press Enter.
- After that, restart your PC from the Start Menu.
Important: Make sure your computer is connected to your Wi-Fi network when you do this!
5. Disable the Router’s MAC Filtering
When you reset your TP-Link router to its default settings, all MAC filtering rules and settings will also revert, which causes your router to block all authorized connections.
To fix this, you need to disable the MAC filtering so all your devices can connect to your Wi-Fi unblocked.
Here’s how to disable MAC filtering on your TP-Link router:
- Go to “http://tplinkwifi.net” and sign in.
- On the dashboard, go to the “Wireless.”
- Then, enter “Wireless MAC Filtering.”
- Click MAC filtering or Access Control.
- Choose the “Disabled” option to stop it.
- Lastly, click on Save or Apply and exit.
Then, reboot your Wi-Fi router and test the connectivity of the devices on your network.
If the issue persists, then continue reading and try the next step…
6. Update TP-Link Router Firmware
When you reset the TP-Link router, the device will install an old firmware version, and if you haven’t updated the device, you will encounter connectivity issues.
So, it’s essential to update the TP-Link router as soon as you perform a factory reset to avoid any firmware-related faults.
Here are the steps to update your TP-Link router in easy steps:
- First, launch any online browser on your computer.
- Enter “http://tplinkwifi.net” or “http://192.168.0.1.”
- Enter login credentials to access the router settings.
- On the router’s admin page, click on “Advanced.”
- Click on “System Tools” and “Firmware Upgrade.”
- If an update is available, click the “Update” button.
After that, test the TP-Link router’s internet connection on your devices!
Note: Ensure your computer device is connected to the router via Ethernet cable!
7. Configure the Router’s WAN Settings
If your TP-Link router is still not working, then you should check your router’s WAN settings.
This is because resetting the router will also clear out your ISP’s IP address assignment, which causes your router to disconnect from the internet.
Use these steps to reconfigure your router’s WAN settings:
- Go to “http://tplinkwifi.net” and sign in.
- Click on “Advanced” and then “Network.”
- Select “WAN” and find the connection type.
- Set the network to “Dynamic” or “Static IP.”
- Click on “Save” to apply the latest changes.
If the issue persists, contact your internet service provider and ask for the connection type to configure it correctly.
We also recommend you contact the TP-Link Support for additional help in setting up your router initially.
Tip: Always reset your TP-Link router on a weekday to be able to receive immediate help!
Quick Recap:
When your TP-Link router not working after reset, restart your devices, check the cable connections, and reconfigure WAN settings.
In addition, disable MAC filtering, reset the TCP/IP settings, set a custom Wi-Fi SSID and password, or carry out the Quick Setup.
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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.