How to factory reset a Cisco router

Reset button location

Mode button on the front (Cisco AP) or dedicated reset pinhole (Cisco Small Business).

Hold duration

20 seconds

What gets reset

Clears the running config and reboots to the boot-image factory defaults; on switches it reverts VLANs and access lists.

Brand-specific notes

Enterprise IOS devices do NOT have a UI default. You drop to ROMMON / press-and-hold mode to wipe NVRAM. cisco / cisco is for Small Business series only.

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