You may lose your router password but if access is required you should know how to get into a router without knowing the password.
Routers generally are protected with passwords which you require to login to their web interface and configure networking, port-forwarding and parental control settings. You can change the default password in order to protect your router from getting hacked.
There might be cases where you have forgotten the password of your router or you have purchased a router from another person and don’t know the password. This article provides some tips on how to login to router without knowing the password and to forward traffic.
Trying with Default Username/Password
In many cases, people don’t change the password and the router will set with default username and password which you can use to login. You must need this information in case if you plan to reset the router to the factory default settings. There are various ways to find the default username and password of the router,
Go through the manual of router where you might information about how the router can be accessed using default username/password for initial configuration. Different models from same vendor might have different username/password combinations. In case you don’t have the hard copy of the manual along with you, you can search in Google with a model number and the name of the router for the soft copy version of it or there might be links that provide the default login information.- In some routers, the default username and password is printed on the back or side with stickers. When you purchase a new router from your Internet service provider, they might have given the default login information in the router itself which makes your job easier.
- You can also try with common username/password combinations like admin, root and blank passwords. There is a website named www.routerpasswords.com which provides you information about default username / password for different model routers.
Resetting the Router to Default Settings
If all the above steps don’t work out, then the last option is to reset the router to its factory default so that you can login with default username/password. It will also remove all the configurations which are done in the router, including network settings, custom passwords, bridged/routed mode configurations, forwarded ports, parental controls etc.
Now the router will behave as a new router with default settings and you can login with default username/password found in the manual of the router.
The resetting process can differ among various router models. It is suggested to look at the manual of the router to find out the exact procedure for resetting it. In most models, there will be a reset button which is present in the backside of the router within a depressed hole.
You can use the tip of a pen or any pointed device to press this button which will automatically reset the router to its default settings. Generally it’s required to give a long press for 5-10 seconds to activate the reset button and once done, you can easily login to the router with default username and password.
Using Hydra to crack the router Password
Hydra is a popular password cracking software which you can use to login to your router without knowing the password. All you have to do is download Hydra from their website and install it in your Linux of windows machine. Once installed you can login to the router with default URL http://192.168.1.1/ and this require basic HTTP authentication. Now, you can activate hydra software which will make use of a brute force algorithm to login to your router by cracking the existing password.
