[sue]

I have a Linksys WRT3200ACM Router running DD-WRT for long time no issues and i have now created an issue.
I logged into the GUI HUB via Ethernet cable on LAN as normal & i navigated to Admin tab then i deleted the password which was there then i inputted a new password and clicked APPLY and ever since i have no more access, i.e. i can no longer log in to that Router HUB GUI yet i can see the Router splash page when i type in the normal IP address i use to normally log in but it just outright refuses me to log in and i not know what to do how to solve this issue and any help would be most welcomed indeed.

[ho1Aetoo]

if you do not have access via ssh key authentication then you can only press the reset button.

and next time enter the correct password or a valid password (with valid special characters)

[sue]

[ho1Aetoo]

press and hold the reset button for a few seconds until the router reboots... this deletes all user settings

[sue]

Ow i meant what exactly does it reset, all the config or just user name and password and what about the IP does that change back to factory, just im scared?

[ho1Aetoo]

What don't you understand about “this deletes all user settings”?

[sue]

well i don't understand even what is User Settings, im thinking that User Settings are any/all settings which the user inputs which surly is the whole config set up as the user inputted all that data, i really don't know?

[egc]

Reset will reset to system defaults.
This means that the router will be reachable at 192.168.1.1 after you rebooted your PC.

You have to enter all your settings again or restore your backup if that is made with the same build on this router (or another very recent backup of this router although that is second best and you run the risk of introducing outdated settings, so not recommended unless you know what you are doing)

[sue]

Ok, so i did as you said, hit the reset button for about 5secs whilst router powered on, then i waited about 20secs then i pulled out router plug then waited about 20secs then re-connected, then i updated the firmware and choose to not Reset to Factory as i was to scared
then i re-inputted all Mullvad VPN data and i seem to be up and running, not that painful thanks to you.

However what i was wondering now is, should i of reset to factory when i upgraded and what about the NVRAM or what-ever its called, should i be co0ncerned do you think?

[SurprisedItWorks]

Hi Sue...

That pull-the-plug part is not recommended after a reset or generally during reboot. I'd be afraid that might break something, but it sounds like you got lucky.

In dd-wrt land, "reset" always means setting the configuration back to default for the currently installed dd-wrt version.

Normally no need to try to deal with starting from factory settings to upgrade builds. That's more complicated. Just upgrade from one version of dd-wrt directly to another using the ddwrt-linksys-wrt3200acm-webflash.bin file (I'm guessing on the wrt3200acm part since I have a different model) that you download in advance to your computer. Do not request a reset as part of the process. Ordinarily you don't need to reset the configuration and re-enter everything unless you are leaping over many months of builds. I generally upgrade every 3 or 4 months without resetting. Once the upgrade starts, don't touch anything for five or more minutes. No plug pulling or power switch flipping. No nagging the router using a browser. Just stay hands off. The router has some serious work to do when installing a new build, so let it work in peace.

When you do a reset, which is sort of a last result if the config gets seriously damaged (like by somehow breaking the password!), stay hands off afterward for a few minutes also. Let it boot peacefully.

After you do all the work to get your config set up, DO A BACKUP! After a reset, you can usually restore a backup file and not have to re-enter everything. I make a backup after every significant change in the config, and I keep notes on what I change and when I do backups.

In the long run, learning to use ssh (with key authentication) will be worth your time. The details of how to do it depend on your computer's OS. Linux and Windows are different, for example. Lots of tutorials online. I found it seemed a bit overwhelming at first, but once I waded through all the how-tos, in the end it was very few commands and not all that involved. The only time I found it really got messy was when ssh software on the router and ssh software on my computer got super separated in time, i.e. one a new version and one a really old one. Currently dd-wrt has a modern version, just so you know.