How to Recover Your TP-Link Router Login Password

This page covers how to recover the admin login password for your TP-Link router — this is separate from your Wi-Fi network password. There are two scenarios: if you set up Password Recovery in advance using an email address, you can recover your TP-Link router password without a reset. If you are already locked out and did not configure Password Recovery, a factory reset is required to regain access.

Key Takeaways

• The Password Recovery feature lets you recover your TP-Link router's admin login password via email if you forget it, but it must be set up before you are locked out.
• To enable Password Recovery, log in to the router's web management page and go to Advanced > System/System Tools > Administration, then configure a sending and receiving email address along with your Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) server details.
• After saving the configuration, you can recover your password by visiting tplinkwifi.net, clicking Forgot Password? on the login page, and following the on-screen steps to set a new password.
• If you are using a TP-Link ID to log in to the web management page, the Password Recovery feature will be disabled. Manage your TP-Link ID at Basic > TP-Link Cloud.
• If you are already locked out and have not set up Password Recovery in advance, a factory reset is required to regain access.

This feature allows you to recover the login password you set for your router in case you forget it. If you cannot already log in to the management page, please reset your router to its factory default settings.

Note: If you are using a TP-Link ID to log in to the web management page, the Password Recovery feature will be disabled. To manage the TP-Link ID, go to Basic > TP-Link Cloud.

Step 1: Log In to the Web Management Page

Log in to the web-based interface of the router.

Step 2: Navigate to Password Recovery Settings

Go to Advanced > System/System Tools > Administration and focus on the Password Recovery section.

Step 3: Enable Password Recovery

Tick the Enable Password Recovery checkbox.

Step 4: Configure Your Email and SMTP Server

Specify a mailbox (From) for sending the recovery letter and enter its SMTP Server address. Specify a mailbox (To) for receiving the recovery letter. If the mailbox (From) used to send the recovery letter requires encryption, select Enable Authentication, then enter its username and password.

Tip: The SMTP server is available for users in most webmail systems. For example, the SMTP server address of Gmail is smtp.gmail.com. You can refer to their Help page to learn the SMTP server address.

Generally, Enable Authentication should be selected if the mailbox login requires a username and password.

Step 5: Save and Test Your Configuration

You can click Test Email to test whether the configuration is successful.

How to Use Password Recovery Once It Is Set Up

Once Password Recovery is configured, follow these steps if you forget your router login password:

1. Open a browser and visit tplinkwifi.net.
2. On the login page, click Forgot Password?
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to verify your identity via email and set a new password.

Already Locked Out? Use Factory Reset

If you are already locked out of your router and did not set up Password Recovery in advance, you will need to reset your router to factory default settings to regain access. This will erase all custom settings, including your Wi-Fi name and password. For full instructions, see how to reset a TP-Link router to factory defaults.