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Entiat's avatar
Entiat
Follower
Dec 27, 2020

Braindead "First Netgear Product Purchased" question on password reset - wat?

So I'm trying to reset my router password...and it wants to know the first NETGEAR product I ever purchased. Say what? Who's going to remember that? I tried looking in my registered list and entering everything in there but no luck.

a) Is there any way around this braindead question?

b) Is this information stored somewhere on Netgear's website?

Or do I have to go through the pain of reseting the entire route to factory defaults (arg)?

 

Thanks.

2 Replies

  • plemans's avatar
    plemans
    Guru - Experienced User
    Dec 27, 2020

    If the password recovery questions were never setup (or you don't remember) it still asks them. But there isn't a correct answer. So if you don't know the login info, don't know the password recovery answers (or didn't setup), then you'd need to factory reset to get back in. 

  • michaelkenward's avatar
    michaelkenward
    Guru - Experienced User
    Dec 28, 2020

    To add to the answer from plemans, there is a bug in Netgear's implementation of password recovery on some devices. You can get locked into a closed loop.


    If password recovery is enabled, but you have not set the answers to the questions, it keeps sending you back to the beginning of the process. If you haven't already given the thing your personal answers, they are not in its memory and it has no way of knowing if they are correct.


    If the standard factory password (password) does not work, then you will have to factory reset the thing to get back to that. Then either disable password recovery (check the manual for your device) or provide some answers to those questions.

     

    How do I perform a factory reset on my NETGEAR router? | Answer | NETGEAR Support