Password reset now router won’t accept ISP login

[-mn]

Trying to sort out my elderly mother’s router to add a new device. She had changed the pre-set wifi password but forgotten her new one so we did a re-set to factory settings but when reinstalling we had to enter the ISP username and password. She had forgotten that password too so we called the ISP and got that password reset. Tried again to reinstall router but now it will not recognise the ISP username and/or password. Tried several times and the details are definitely correct but the router just won’t accept them. Any ideas?

[-mn · Accepted solution]

Thanks for that.  I've solved the problem somehow - not sure.  We used the same ISP details as yesterday but today it has accepted them. 

[antinode]

> [...] now it will not recognise the ISP username and/or password.

   How do you know that the DSL problem is the username and/or password?
There are other DSL parameters which that reset could have altered (VCI,
VPI, VLANID, encapsulation, ...).  You might ask the ISP what _all_ the
DSL settings should be.

   Also, if the PPP password contains any special characters, then you
might be hitting a firmware bug which affects some models/firmware
versions:

      https://community.netgear.com/t5/x/x/m-p/1354547

[-mn · Accepted solution]

Thanks for that.  I've solved the problem somehow - not sure.  We used the same ISP details as yesterday but today it has accepted them. 

[michaelkenward]

Probably down to restarting the process in the right order.

In future, the first step in troubleshooting this sort of issue is to restart the network in the right order:

• Turn off and unplug the modem.
• Turn off the modem router and computers.
• Plug in the modem and turn it on. Wait 2 minutes.
• Turn on the modem router and wait 2 minutes.
• Turn on the computers.

The logic behind this is that you have to start things in the right order so that they handle local addressing properly. The modem has to do its thing and get a new IP address before the router can talk to it and start talking to the Internet.

My guess is that you previously tried things in a wonky order.

PS No need to talk about your mother's age. I am probably not far off the same age and can still manage to join up a network although it may take me some time.