A friend gave me a managed switch a while back. I did a factory reset and could not get into the switch no matter what I tried.

The manual at Netgear.com is wrong. It says there is a "Factory Defaults" button on the back or bottom. There isn't. It says the "Reset" button isn't the factory reset button but it is.

Regardless, back then I figured how to get into it after 3 days of messing around with it. I set it aside until today and since my laptop hard drive ate it's own platter and was unrecoverable, I no longer have the password that I set.

I am back at that point again. I've factory reset the switch. It comes up at the default IP of http://169.254.100.100/ but the default password doesn't work.

username admin with no password doesn't work
username admin with password as the passwords doesn't work
username admin with 1234 as the password doesn't work.

I just can't remember how I got into it last time. Any tips?

Did you try admin-admin?

quote:

Originally posted by triggertreat:
Did you try admin-admin?

yes

According to Netgear the default for that model is admin for the username and no password.
https://www.downloads.netgear....4100/M4100_IG_EN.pdf

super 5777364
none(as in nothing entered) password

Did you restore factory defaults using the boot menu?

https://kb.netgear.com/15115/M4100-Boot-Menu

quote:

Originally posted by BamaJeepster:
Did you restore factory defaults using the boot menu?

https://kb.netgear.com/15115/M4100-Boot-Menu

I don't have a serial port on my computer.

quote:

Originally posted by mark123:

quote:

Originally posted by BamaJeepster:
Did you restore factory defaults using the boot menu?

https://kb.netgear.com/15115/M4100-Boot-Menu

I don't have a serial port on my computer.

USB->Serial adapters are cheap & probably better suited to what you are doing.

There's a USB mini port that I'll try.

Your local Radio Shack has all the adapters one could need!

Of course Amazon....

https://www.amazon.com/TRENDne...20Serial%20Connector

quote:

Originally posted by mark123:

quote:

Originally posted by BamaJeepster:
Did you restore factory defaults using the boot menu?

https://kb.netgear.com/15115/M4100-Boot-Menu

I don't have a serial port on my computer.

There exits a USB-serial cable thingy, ala https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent...tronics%2C150&sr=1-3. Very interesting that the above "how to hook up" panel doesn't list "connect a serial terminal" as an option. I still have one of these on my just in case shelf, you know, just in case.

quote:

It says there is a "Factory Defaults" button on the back or bottom. There isn't. It says the "Reset" button isn't the factory reset button but it is.

Look for a small hole to insert a paperclip in to set the reset.

I'm able to get into the console with putty so I'll delete the config.

quote:

Originally posted by mark123:
I'm able to get into the console with putty so I'll delete the config.

it let me reset the password after that. Thanks.

I really don't much like NetGear anymore, and this thread illustrates one reason why.

The User Manual for the 4100-series doesn't mention a hard factory reset via any button at all. NetGear KB articles talk about a recessed factory reset button on the bottom or back, but the Installation Guide hardware illustrations and descriptions show no such button at all.

In general terms: A factory default reset is usually achieved by either:

• Power down unit. Press and hold reset button. Power up unit. Wait X amount of time.
  
• With unit powered-up: Press and hold reset button for X amount of time.
  

Usually there's some kind of indication the FR has been recognized--blinking LED or something.

According to the 4100-series User Manual, the default username and password is "admin" with a blank password.

Re: How you lost the login credentials to your switch: Now you know why I use an encrypted keyring with copies of said keyring on not less than three different devices

(I composed the above while you were posting your "I solved it" posts.)

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
I really don't much like NetGear anymore, and this thread illustrates one reason why.

The User Manual for the 4100-series doesn't mention a hard factory reset via any button at all. NetGear KB articles talk about a recessed factory reset button on the bottom or back, but the Installation Guide hardware illustrations and descriptions show no such button at all.

In general terms: A factory default reset is usually achieved by either:

• Power down unit. Press and hold reset button. Power up unit. Wait X amount of time.
  
• With unit powered-up: Press and hold reset button for X amount of time.
  

Usually there's some kind of indication the FR has been recognized--blinking LED or something.

According to the 4100-series User Manual, the default username and password is "admin" with a blank password.

Re: How you lost the login credentials to your switch: Now you know why I use an encrypted keyring with copies of said keyring on not less than three different devices

(I composed the above while you were posting your "I solved it" posts.)

IF you hold the reset button for 5 seconds it turns amber and if you go to 30 seconds is blinks. However, while the IP address was reset the password was not. The console did the trick but I don't remember having to do that last time.