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Netgear Nighthawk X10 / R9000 won't recognise admin pass & pass reset doesn't work
Hello,
I've had this router (Nighthawk X10) for a while and it's worked great for the most part, but I've recently been encountering some weird issues with getting locked out of router login page. As in the router no longer accepts the username & password and just says it's incorrect. Then after a few attempts it prompts the pass reset page which doesn't accept the answers either. I've gone through this about 3 times now already and ultimately come back to this same stage where none of the answers get accepted. MEANWHILE, wifi & ethernet seems to keep working perfectly fine.
Temporarily, the way I can get out of this is via the reset button on the back. I then set it up again - all the passwords, the secret answers etc. It works for a bit but then soon after it bugs or something and again will no longer accept my password for logging into the router.
I bought this router basically second hand years ago and on the first set up I recall something about trying to register the router, however, it had already been registered and I think because of that I have encountered some weird problems here & there, but nothing too major like this is becoming to be now.
I don't know what else to try as the reset route always eventually comes back to the same issue - i.e. within a few minutes. I've been having this problem for a few months now and I think I even updated the router during one of the resets, so I'm guessing that didn't fix any related issues either.
Anyone got any ideas?
I've seen the password pop up issue when running double nats.
I'd get that issue fixed first and then see if you're still having the other issues.
10 Replies
Are you doing a full factory reset of the device or just a reboot?
What modem/gateway are you connected to?
What firmware is on the router?
Have you tried a different pc/browser? I've had a specific computer that always had issues.
Hi,
1) I'm basically doing a full factory reset via the small pin-hole button - 3 times or even more.
2) It is a regular ISP's router from Vodafone. As in the internet line is going into this ISP's router which then is further passed on to the Netgear router via an ethernet cable and the Netgear router then feeds the internet to the house (wifi and ethernet cables). The wifi is off on the ISP router, however, via ethernet cable there is one device connected to the internet from the ISP's router if that tells anything.
I am not sure if links like this are allowed here, but one like this - https://www.vodafone.co.uk/broadband?cid=ppc-UK_19_AO_P_X_J_I_D_HBB_BAU_Drive_Text-Brand_Google_HBB-SF_NA_NA_Core_Mix_Mix_NA_Exact&kpid=go_cmp-2034513560_adg-106407874217_ad-530681229519_kwd-416702849434_dev-c_ext-_prd-&vfadid=2034513560&gclid=CjwKCAjwuvmHBhAxEiwAWAYj-AQjvHFXC2n_oVAzf8utb0KekILKp3eSYf9g8EHzgUwxeINTd0_ZtxoC9KEQAvD_BwE
3) I cannot recall and as I cannot login into the router I cannot check at the moment, but I would have updated it sometime during the past 4 months or so.
4) The problem right now is that I last gave this a go like two or so months ago and frankly I've simply forgotten the password, so I'd have to go through the reset steps again to make a new password that I know is correct. But if I recall correctly I did try different PCs as well as on a phone and it seemed to be like a router issue after all. Because, for example, additionally it would also bug out (and therefore log out) the Netgear Genie app also.
Thanks.
Turning off the wifi doesn't disable the ISP's router functions.
It leaves you in a double nat.
https://kb.netgear.com/30186/What-is-Double-NAT
Cascading routers can cause many issues.
Have you tried using the R9000 in Access point mode?
Or making sure the netgears IP address is in the Vodafone's DMZ?
Hello,
Was just about to go ahead with the re-setting-up of the routers when I came back to the realisation that the R9000 I have doesn't have a DSL port hence why I had the double router set up.
So, my question at this point - would it simply be best to set up the R9000 in AP mode? Or would there still be some settings to tune inside Vodafone's router as well (even if optional to better the performance)?
Any guidance will be much appreciated!
TheAx7 wrote:So, my question at this point - would it simply be best to set up the R9000 in AP mode? Or would there still be some settings to tune inside Vodafone's router as well (even if optional to better the performance)? You'd have to ask vodafone if their gateway supports modem only/passthrough mode or not. And how to set it up. they'd be the experts on their device. Access point mode is just an easy way around a double nat. but it does disable some features. If you don't use them, then its not a big deal.
Roger. Yep, checked the differences between AP mode and router mode and AP mode does disable some nice features that I'd like to keep. I'll get in touch with Vodafone again to ask them how to configure their router in this case.
Also, in regard to the password thing on the router. I just went ahead and did another factory reset - all well, set it up and everything, but then after some 10-20 minutes I get a pop up (while being on the router admin page and checking settings) to log back in into the router and by putting in the details I just set the router up with - they are no longer accepted. And neither are the secret answer questions for password reset accepted. Is this RAM inside the R9000 going qooqoo or...? This almost looks like someone gaining access to the router and doing this manually but this seems really unlikely as nothing else has ever been compromised i.e. I don't think I have ever had accounts hacked etc.
Anyhow, thank you for your help!
EDIT: Attached a file of some of the router settings.
Update:
I believe I've found an odd solution to the password thing. So, I factory reset the router again via the pin-hole on the back. Then set the router back up via routerlogin.net via the on screen instructions. Now, this is where I'd eventually get logged out without any success of being able to log back in. What I did this time, however, I went over to admin settings and did another change of the router login password there. Then at one point I believe the "log back in" screen popped up and with the new password I was now still able to log back in! I hope this stays that way and I no longer have to reset the router again to gain access to admin page lol.
About the Vodafone situation - I rang them just a few moments ago and by explaining pretty clearly what I was looking for (guidance within Static NAT/DMZ settings) I was told that he'd be unable to assisst as he doesn't have the knowledge there nor would anyone else if I was to get connected to someone else supposedly. Well, fair enough, let's believe him for now. The truth is - don't think there is too much knowledge around it anyway as far as I can tell - there is a flip switch (on/off) and an IP address to be put in. If I put my few brain cells to work they tell me that the IP address it is asking is that of the R9000 router - so, I entered it there. Would you say there is possibly anything else that would need to be done to eliminate double NAT here or this would be pretty much it?
EDIT: About the password thing - coincidentally I might have done the double NAT thing and password reset inside the admin page at around the same time or in between factory resets. Doing the NAT settings inside the Vodafone router I think you are right - sounds more likely to have fixed the password issue.
Thank you greatly for your help!
All you can do is try it and see what happens
