How do you recover a router if the password has been lost?

• A. Reset or Net-install
• B. Reboot
• C. Factory reset only
• D. Firmware update

Answer: (A)

When you can’t log in because the password is lost, you need to remove the existing configuration so you can set a new password. The hardware reset (or using NetInstall) does this by restoring the device to a clean state. A hardware reset clears all settings, returning you to a first-boot-like state where you can log in (usually as admin with no password) and then set a new password. NetInstall takes this further by reloading RouterOS over the network, which is useful if the device won’t boot or you want to reinstall a fresh OS image; this also wipes the old configuration and lets you start over with a new password.

Reboot only restarts the device and leaves the password unchanged, so it won’t help you recover access. A firmware update changes software but typically preserves current settings and passwords, so it’s not a password-recovery method.