How to Reset an AT&T Router – Technology Simplified


How to Reset an AT&T Router – Technology Simplified for the Everyday Person.  

Technology has increasingly become an essential part of our lives. The need to stay connected all the time is something that we can all admit as necessary.  It is therefore a source of headache and stress when the WIFI connection isn’t working. 

Most often than not, the easiest way to solve any network problem is to reset your router. If you’re like 80% of people that have no idea how technology works then worry not. In this post, I will be listing the different steps on how to reset your AT&T router. 

I assure you that this will be concise. You do not need to learn any of the network jargon you would expect to hear. The steps listed takes the simple approach, a certified stress-free way to dealing with today’s most common technology. 

How to reset an AT&T router? 

  • First, you can always Restart 

Sometimes the answer to all connectivity woes is to simply restart your router.  Note, that restarting is very different from resetting the router. Resetting takes more steps, but we’ll get to that later. 

There is only one way to restart your router and that is to disconnect the router from any power source. Make sure to turn off your router and then unplug it. You might also want to disconnect phone/device connections and remove any backup batteries before unplugging the router as well. 

Once, the router is already unplugged then it’s a waiting game. To ensure the best results we recommend waiting a minute to 5 minutes (if you can spare it) before reconnecting the router back to the power source. 

When the router has been plugged, simply wait for a few minutes for the router to reboot. All lights should flicker green specially the broadband/WIFI/Internet node. 

  • Reset the Router to Factory settings 

If a simple restart does not work, then it’s time for you to try resetting the router to its factory settings. This is not a daunting step; you just literally need to know and find what kind of button to push. 

First, locate the factory reset button of your router. This is usually a red button that is located at the back of the device. For convenience, the “reset” label can be found beside this button as well. 

Get a pin, a pen or anything that is thin and sharp enough to push the button. Hold the reset button of your AT&T router for at least 10 seconds. The lights should flicker, wait for all the lights to turn green, and make sure that the WIFI/broadband/internet status is green. 

Once the lights are back wait for five minutes and do a restart for the system to fully reset to its factory settings.  Make sure to hold the reset button for the needed time otherwise the router won’t reset, it will only restart. 

Why do I need to reset or restart my router? 

You might be thinking, why do I need to reset or restart my router in the first place? The reset/restart approach is a workaround that is used to solve the root cause of the connection issue. This means that the reset/restart doesn’t necessarily fix the problem per se, but it allows your device to run afresh.

The main reason for a restart is because routers can get overworked. Imagine your router as a human working 24 hours shifts, seven days a week, that human is bound to burn out. To fix this burnout, this overworked human needs time to rest. 

This is the same for your routers. Routers might be a small device, but it processes a lot of information for 24 hours, every single day. The router handles all traffic that is going through your LAN network. This tons of information tends to bog down the processing of the router and would therefore need to be cleared now and then. 

Resetting and restarting your activities clears all this baggage away and allows your router to start with a clean slate. There are no specific intervals for routers to be reset, but resetting the router every couple of months can help optimize its performance. 

What happens after I reset my router? 

If you do a simple restart, you do not lose any data such as your password. But a factory reset restores your data to factory settings, this means that you’re returning the router to its original state. Any customized data or configurations done such as wi-fi name and password will be erased. 

If you’re worried about your network security after a router reset, then you may still change your password. This is a relatively easy task especially for AT& T routers. You may change your password using two ways: via the Smart Home Manager or using the AT&T U-Verse router. 

Password reset using the Smart Home Manager 

The Smart Home Manager is a web portal that has different options to better manage your network, including changing your WIFI passwords. The steps to change your connection password is very straightforward: 

  1. Go to the Smart Home Manager Website.
  2. Enter your log-in details. 
  3. Go to the Main Menu and click on More. 
  4. Choose Network 
  5. Select your WIFI network from the list provided 
  6. You will be redirected to a screen where you can change your WIFI/connection name and password. 
  7. Save your changes 
  8. Disconnect and Reconnect your device, you should already see your new WIFI name. 
  9. The system will ask for your new password. 
  10. Enter your new password. Once connected, enjoy surfing! 

Password reset using the AT&T U-verse router 

To reset your WIFI password using the AT&T U-verse router you need to log in to your router directly. This is usually done by entering the IP address of your router in the search bar of your browser. 

  1. Make sure that your device is connected to the AT&T network 
  2. Enter 192.168.1.254 in your browser’s search bar or you can simply click this link
  3. Go to Home Network and click on Wireless 
  4. You might be asked to enter your Device Access Code which is usually a sticker attached to your router. 
  5. Once you enter this code, you will be redirected to a screen where you can set your new WIFI name and password 
  6. Save your changes. 
  7. Disconnect and Reconnect your device, you should already see your new WIFI name. 
  8. The system will ask for your new password. 
  9. Enter your new password. Once connected, enjoy surfing! 

What to do if the connection issue persists even after resetting/restarting the router? 

If connection issues persist even after the restart/reboot of your router, it might be time to replace the device. Know that the blinking lights of your routers are indicative of what is wrong. If all the lights are green, then it means the connection has no issues. There are times when the light will be red, this means loss of connection (LOC). 

It is recommended that you call the customer service hotline of your provider to check if there are system maintenance activities that are ongoing in your area.  If there are none, it is better to schedule a check where AT&T will send a person to your address to check the health of your router.  

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