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There are two ways to reset a Fios router, and they do very different things. A restart (also called a power cycle) turns the router off and back on. All your settings stay intact – your Wi-Fi name, password, parental controls, port forwarding rules. Nothing changes except the router clears its temporary memory and starts fresh.
A factory reset is a different story. It erases everything and returns the router to the exact state it was in when it came out of the box. Your Wi-Fi name reverts to the default printed on the sticker. Your password reverts. Every custom setting you ever configured is gone.
Most router problems – slow speeds, dropped connections, a device that won’t connect – are fixed by a simple restart. Factory reset is a last resort, reserved for situations where nothing else works or you need to wipe the router clean before returning it.
This guide covers both processes for every current Fios router model, plus what to do after a factory reset to get everything set back up.
Which Fios Router Do I Have?
Verizon has issued several router models over the years, and the reset process varies slightly depending on which one you have. The model number is printed on a label on the bottom or back of the router. If you can’t find it, the physical appearance is usually enough to identify it.
| Model | Appearance | Wi-Fi Standard | Ports | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CR1000A (Fios Gateway) | White, rounded rectangle | Wi-Fi 6E | 1x 10G WAN, 4x 1G LAN, 1x USB-C | 2023 |
| G3100 (Fios Gateway) | White, cylindrical tower | Wi-Fi 6 | 1x WAN, 4x 1G LAN, 1x USB 3.0 | 2020 |
| G1100 (Quantum Gateway) | Black, flat rectangular | Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) | 1x WAN (coax + ethernet), 4x 1G LAN, 2x USB | 2016 |
| Actiontec MI424WR | Black, flat | Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) | Coax WAN, 4x LAN | Legacy |
The CR1000A is Verizon’s newest router, included with 2 Gig plans and available as an upgrade on other tiers. The G3100 is still widely deployed and ships with most current plans. The G1100 is the older black model that many longtime Fios customers still use. The Actiontec MI424WR is very old at this point and mostly phased out, but a few are still in service.
If you’re unsure, flip the router over. The label on the bottom (or back, depending on the model) lists the model number, default Wi-Fi name, default password, and admin login credentials. You’ll need that label later if you do a factory reset.
How to Restart a Fios Router
A restart is the first thing to try when your internet is acting up. It clears the router’s temporary memory, refreshes its connection to Verizon’s network, and forces all connected devices to re-establish their connections. This fixes the majority of common issues – slow speeds, intermittent dropouts, devices that refuse to connect, and general sluggishness.
Unplug the power cord from the back of the router. Pull it from the router side, not the wall outlet – it’s easier to reach and you can see what you’re doing. Don’t use the wall outlet because some Fios setups use power adapters that are difficult to reach behind furniture.
Wait 30 seconds. This isn’t arbitrary. The capacitors inside the router hold a small charge even after you unplug it. Waiting 30 seconds lets that charge drain completely and ensures the router’s memory is fully cleared. If you plug it back in after only five seconds, the router may not actually reset its internal state.
Plug the power cord back in. The router will begin its boot sequence, which takes two to three minutes. On the CR1000A and G3100, a solid white LED means the router is fully booted and connected. On the G1100, look for a solid green light. Don’t try to connect any devices until the light is steady.
A restart does NOT erase your Wi-Fi name, password, or any settings. Everything stays exactly as it was. The only thing that changes is the router’s internal state – cached data is cleared, temporary errors are flushed, and the connection to Verizon’s network is re-established.
If the restart doesn’t fix the problem, try restarting the ONT (Optical Network Terminal) as well. The ONT is the box on your wall – usually in the basement, garage, or outside – where the fiber optic line enters your home. Unplug the ONT’s power cord, wait 30 seconds, plug it back in, and wait for it to fully boot before restarting the router. Always restart the ONT first and the router second, because the router needs to establish a connection to the ONT during its boot process.
How to Restart Fios Router from the My Fios App
If you’re not near the router – maybe you’re upstairs or at work and someone at home is reporting a connection issue – you can restart it remotely through the My Fios app.
Open the My Fios app on your iPhone or Android device. Tap on the Internet section. Scroll down until you see the “Restart Router” option. Tap it, then confirm that you want to restart.
The restart takes the same two to three minutes as a manual power cycle. The effect is identical – the router reboots, clears its memory, and reconnects to Verizon’s network. Your settings are preserved.
You can also restart the router from the My Verizon website at verizon.com. Log in to your account, go to the internet section, and look for the restart option. This is useful if you don’t have the app installed or prefer using a computer.
One thing to keep in mind: a remote restart only reboots the router, not the ONT. If the problem is on the ONT side – say, a solid yellow light on the router indicating no internet connection from the fiber line – you’ll need someone at home to physically power-cycle the ONT.
How to Factory Reset Fios Router
A factory reset is the nuclear option. It wipes every setting you’ve ever changed and returns the router to its default out-of-box configuration. Before you do this, understand exactly what you’re losing.
| What a factory reset erases | What a factory reset keeps |
|---|---|
| Custom Wi-Fi network name (SSID) | Router firmware version |
| Custom Wi-Fi password | Hardware MAC address |
| Admin login credentials you changed | Connection to Verizon’s network (re-established on boot) |
| Parental controls | Default Wi-Fi name and password (on the label) |
| Port forwarding rules | Default admin credentials (on the label) |
| DHCP reservations (static IPs) | Physical connection to the ONT |
| Guest network settings | |
| DNS settings | |
| Firewall customizations |
To perform a factory reset, locate the reset button on the back of the router. It’s a small pinhole – not a regular button you can press with your finger. You’ll need a paperclip, SIM card tool, or the tip of a pen to reach it.
With the router powered on, insert the paperclip into the reset pinhole and press firmly. Hold it down for a full 15 seconds. Don’t release early – if you let go too soon, the router may just restart instead of performing a full factory reset.
After 15 seconds, release the button. The router will reboot on its own. This process takes three to five minutes, longer than a normal restart because the router is restoring all default configurations. Once it’s fully booted, you’ll need to reconnect using the default Wi-Fi credentials printed on the router’s label.
How to Factory Reset Each Fios Router Model
The general process is the same across all models – press and hold the reset pinhole for 15 seconds – but the button location and indicator lights differ.
CR1000A (2023 Fios Gateway). The reset pinhole is on the back of the unit. Press and hold for 15 seconds with a paperclip. After you release, the LED on the front will cycle through several colors as the router restores its factory configuration and reboots. When the LED settles on a solid white light, the router is ready. Connect using the default Wi-Fi name and password on the bottom label.
G3100 (2020 Fios Gateway). The reset pinhole is on the bottom of the cylindrical unit. You may need to tilt the router to access it. Press and hold for 15 seconds. The white LED on the front will blink during the reboot and turn solid white when the router is fully operational. The default credentials are on the label on the bottom of the router.
G1100 (Quantum Gateway). The reset button is on the back of the unit, recessed into a pinhole. Press and hold for 15 seconds. The G1100 uses green LEDs instead of white – a solid green light means the router is booted and connected. Default credentials are on the label on the back of the router.
For all models, the default Wi-Fi network name will look something like “FIOS-XXXXX” and the default password will be a random string of characters. Both are printed on the router’s physical label. You cannot change them until you log into the admin panel after reconnecting.
What to Do After Factory Resetting a Fios Router
After the router finishes rebooting from a factory reset, you’re starting from scratch. Every device in your home has been disconnected because the Wi-Fi name and password have reverted to the defaults. Here’s how to get everything set back up.
Connect one device to the router using the default Wi-Fi name and password printed on the router’s label. A laptop is ideal for this step because you’ll need to access the admin panel through a browser, and that’s easier on a full-size screen.
Open a web browser and go to 192.168.1.1 or type myfiosgateway.com into the address bar. Either one will take you to the router’s admin panel. Log in using the default admin credentials, which are also printed on the router’s label. The username is usually “admin” and the password is the serial number or a code on the sticker.
The first thing to change is your Wi-Fi network name and password. Pick a name you’ll recognize and a password that’s strong but memorable. Avoid using personal information like your name or address in the network name. Once you save the new Wi-Fi settings, your current device will disconnect – reconnect using the new credentials you just set.
Next, re-configure any custom settings you had before the reset. That includes parental controls, port forwarding rules for gaming consoles or servers, DHCP reservations for devices that need a fixed IP address, and guest network settings if you used one. If you don’t remember your previous settings, this is a good time to set things up fresh.
Reconnect all your devices – phones, tablets, laptops, smart TVs, smart home devices, security cameras – to the new Wi-Fi network. Smart home devices like thermostats, smart plugs, and security cameras often require you to go into each device’s app and update the Wi-Fi settings individually. This is the most time-consuming part of a factory reset.
If you use the My Fios app, open it and make sure it reflects your new network settings. The app should detect the changes automatically, but you may need to re-pair it with the router.
Fios Router Lights and What They Mean
The LED indicator on the front of your Fios router tells you what the router is doing at any given moment. This is especially useful during and after a reset, because the light tells you whether the router has finished booting and whether it’s successfully connected to the internet.
The CR1000A and G3100 use the same LED color scheme. The G1100 uses a different set of indicators because it’s an older model with a different LED system.
| LED Color/State (CR1000A and G3100) | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Solid white | Normal operation – router is on and connected to the internet |
| Blinking white | Router is booting up – wait for it to finish |
| Solid blue | WPS pairing mode is active |
| Blinking blue | WPS pairing is in progress |
| Solid yellow | No internet connection – the router is powered on but cannot reach Verizon’s network |
| Blinking yellow | Firmware update is in progress – do not unplug the router |
| Solid red | Hardware failure or overheating – contact Verizon |
| No light | No power – check the power cord and outlet |
On the G1100, normal operation is indicated by a solid green light rather than white. The G1100 also has individual LED indicators for each function (power, internet, Wi-Fi, ethernet) rather than a single unified LED. If the internet LED on the G1100 is off or red, the router doesn’t have an internet connection.
If you see a solid yellow light after a restart, the problem is likely with the ONT or Verizon’s network, not the router itself. Try restarting the ONT. If the yellow light persists after restarting both the ONT and the router, call Verizon – the issue is probably on their end.
A blinking yellow light means a firmware update is being installed. Do not unplug the router during a firmware update. Interrupting an update can brick the router. Let it finish – updates typically take five to ten minutes.
When to Reset vs When to Call Verizon
Not every problem can be solved by resetting the router. Some issues require Verizon’s help because they involve equipment or network infrastructure that you can’t access or fix yourself.
Problems a restart usually fixes: slow internet speeds, intermittent connection drops, one specific device refusing to connect while others work fine, the router feeling generally sluggish, buffering during streaming, and high ping times during gaming. These are almost always caused by temporary software glitches or memory buildup in the router, and a restart clears them out.
Problems a factory reset fixes: forgetting your router admin password and being locked out of the settings panel, the router behaving erratically after you changed a setting (and you’re not sure which one caused the problem), or preparing the router to be returned to Verizon or sold. A factory reset is also worth trying if the router has persistent issues that survive a restart.
Problems that require calling Verizon (1-800-837-4966): a solid yellow light that doesn’t go away after restarting both the router and the ONT (this usually means an ONT problem or an outage in your area), a solid red light (hardware failure), no internet after restarting everything, and speeds that are consistently and significantly below what your plan includes. If you’re paying for a Gigabit plan and getting 50 Mbps, something is wrong beyond what a reset can fix.
Before calling Verizon, run a speed test at speedtest.net while connected to the router via ethernet cable (not Wi-Fi). This gives Verizon’s support team a baseline number to work with and rules out Wi-Fi interference as the cause of slow speeds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will resetting my Fios router change my Wi-Fi password?
It depends on which type of reset you mean. A restart (unplugging and plugging back in) does not change your Wi-Fi password, network name, or any other settings. A factory reset changes everything – your Wi-Fi name and password revert to the defaults printed on the router’s label. You’ll need to reconnect all your devices using those default credentials, then log into the admin panel to set a new custom name and password.
How often should I restart my Fios router?
There’s no strict schedule, but restarting once a month is a reasonable habit. It clears accumulated memory usage and temporary errors that build up over time. Some people restart weekly, which is fine but usually unnecessary unless you’re experiencing frequent issues. If your internet is working well, there’s no need to restart just for the sake of it. Only restart when you notice problems or as part of a monthly maintenance routine.
Will resetting my Fios router affect my TV service?
If you have Fios TV through a set-top box connected via coaxial cable, resetting the router does not affect your TV service. The TV signal travels over a separate coaxial connection to the set-top box. However, if you use the Fios TV app on a streaming device or smart TV, that relies on your internet connection – so your TV app will go offline during the two to three minutes the router is rebooting. It will reconnect automatically once the router is back up.
Can I reset my Fios router remotely?
You can restart it remotely through the My Fios app (iOS or Android) or by logging into your Verizon account at verizon.com. Remote restart has the same effect as unplugging and plugging back in. You cannot perform a factory reset remotely – that requires physical access to the reset pinhole on the router. This is actually a security feature, since a factory reset wipes all your custom settings.
Why does my Fios router keep needing to be restarted?
If you’re restarting the router more than once a week, something else is going on. Common causes include an aging router that’s running low on memory (the G1100 is nearly a decade old and may struggle with modern device loads), overheating from poor ventilation (don’t put the router in a closed cabinet or stack things on top of it), too many connected devices overwhelming the router’s processor, or a firmware issue. Try moving the router to a well-ventilated location. If the problem persists, contact Verizon – you may be eligible for a free router upgrade, especially if you still have a G1100.
Does resetting the Fios router reset the ONT?
No. The router and the ONT are separate devices. Resetting or factory resetting the router has no effect on the ONT. If you need to restart the ONT, you must physically unplug its power cord, wait 30 seconds, and plug it back in. The ONT does not have a factory reset button that customers can access. If the ONT needs to be reconfigured or replaced, Verizon handles that remotely or sends a technician.
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