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Forum Discussion
MISTY66
Jan 03, 2026Aspirant
PC was hacked--Now cannot get into my account to change router password.
I have a Nighthawk 4-Stream AX1800 WIFI 6 Router that is 1.5 yrs old. The hackers were on my computer remotely, and actually knew the password on my router's label. Have had my computer cleaned of m...
FURRYe38
Jan 03, 2026Guru - Experienced User
A routers initial default PW can not be changed. Is set in Mfrg when the units are built. When a router is first set up, the user is given and required to input a new PW for the admin log in or on a factory reset of the router.
You may want to do a complete change of your NG profile account PW there first and then do a full on factory reset on the router, change both admin in log in Password, SSID network name and PW there.
Do you have others on your network that could be giving out information iwth out you knowing?
- MISTY66Jan 04, 2026Aspirant
No one else is on my network. Not sure I understand how to do what you suggest, as the hackers appear to have changed the password or user name as well as the answers to my security questions, so I cannot get into my NG account at all.
- CrimpOnJan 04, 2026Guru - Experienced User
Since you can log into the Forum and post messages, your Netgear Account obviously has not been changed.
When a user attempts to log into the router web administration, the user name is "admin" and the password was created when the router was configured. If an incorrect password is entered three times, the Password Recovery screen appears offering a way to reset the password. Sometimes the user did not actually select the specific security questions and enter answers during the original setup. Thus, the router does not contain "answers" that will match anything. (true or not) We may know our parent's middle name, but if that is not stored in the router memory, there is nothing to match.
The only thing the user can do is perform a Factory Reset and set the router up again. Page 12 of the User Manual indicates that holding the Reset button for more than 10 seconds will cause the router to return to the original "out of the box" settings.
https://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/RAX10/RAX10_UM_EN.pdf
Once this is done, the user can use the web interface (page 18) or the Nighthawk smartphone app to configure the router.