Delete Wi-Fi History From The Router

How To Delete Wi-Fi History From The Router

 Are you aware that your wireless router records the websites you visit? Not just you, but any device connected to the Wi-Fi network, even incognito devices. This recording puts your privacy in danger and necessitates action on your part. Most internet users know how to remove surfing history from their devices, but what about deleting it from the Wi-Fi router as well, so it can’t get traced there? Is this even doable, and if so, what steps should you take?

This article will walk you through accessing and deleting the router history.

How To Delete Your History From A Wi-Fi Router

The operating system, routing tables, PPPoE credentials, admin passwords, and configuration files are all kept in the memory of a Wi-Fi router. In addition, depending on the router’s configuration, it may record data that travels through it, such as the URLs that a user visits.

If you wish to clear your search history and other items kept on your Wi-Fi router, follow these steps: 

First Method Of Deleting Wi-Fi History On Your Router

Step 1: Determine The IP Address Of The Router.

You’ll need to know your router’s IP address to view its settings through your browser. An IP address is often an eight-digit number, such as ‘000.000.0.0’.

This number may be found in your router’s manual or by using the Command prompt (cmd) on a Windows laptop.

Suppose you can’t find your manual; press CTRL + R and type cmd. A window with a command prompt will appear.

Type the command ipconfig/all into the window and hit Enter.

Check for the value of ‘Default Gateway’ in the results tab. Those eight numbers determine your IP address. 192.168.1.1, 192.168.01, and 192.168.2.1 are the most frequent router IP addresses.

2: Go To Your Router’s Settings Page.

Once you’ve figured out your IP address, put it into your browser’s address bar. It takes you to the login page for the router settings.

The default username and password for each router gets listed in the user handbook.

If you don’t have the handbook, you can always look for the default login information for that router on the manufacturer’s website.

If you don’t remember your router’s password, try resetting it to its default settings.

Most routers’ default username and password is admin, and the password might be 1234 or even password.

If it doesn’t work, look on the back of your router for the default user name and password listed there.

You’ll be able to access the settings dashboard after entering your admin login and password.

3. Look Through The System Logs.

The system logs or your router dashboard’s Administrative Events Log portion usually keep your router history logs.

Dependent on the router’s brand, this part gets typically found on the navigation menu at the top of the left side of the page.

When the system log page loads, you’ll see a list of IP addresses (one for each connected gadget) as well as the domain addresses of the websites visited.

4. Clear The Logs

The last step is to clear the logs that appear in the system logs. At the bottom of the page, you should find a clear log option.

You’ll be asked to confirm that you wish to erase the logs when you click it. If you choose yes, all of your data will get wiped.

Copying the logs to a hard disk before deleting them is a wise practice in circumstances when you might require the log contents in the future.

You can choose to erase logs on select devices connected to the router if you don’t want to delete all of your records.

To do so, seek the ‘Attached devices’ item in the menu bar. For various router brands, this name may change somewhat.

This page will display all of the devices connected to the Wi-Fi network, allowing you to view the logs for individual devices. Each device gets represented by its IP address.

To examine a device’s logs, double-click on it, then click the clean logs button to wipe its history.

Remember to enable the logging option on routers like Linksys to see the surfing history.

5. Clear Your Browser’s Cache.

It would be best to remember to remove your browser history once you have deleted your Wi-Fi router history. Ensure that all of your records get cleared in your browser’s settings.

Second Method Of Deleting Wi-Fi History On The Router

1. To Delete All History, Factory Reset Your Router

Try the factory reset option below if you can’t find the router event logs or don’t want to hassle around logging into the router. All routers include the possibility of performing a full factory reset, which removes all settings and information and restores the router to its “out of the box” condition.

Different routers have different methods for accomplishing this; let’s look at the two most common scenarios:

Scenario 1: The router has a primary reset button in a conspicuous location, as well as a reset/factory reset hole elsewhere. This reset hole is self-evident. The reset button immediately resets the router (no accounts, passwords, or data should get lost). The reset hole is where you insert a pin for a complete reset (wipe history and settings). Insert a safety pin and hold it there for 10-20 seconds to complete the reset.

Scenario 2 – There appears to be only one reset button on the router, with no reset hole. When this is the situation, pressing and holding the reset button for 10-20 seconds is more likely to do a fast reset, whereas pushing and holding the reset button for 10-20 seconds will perform the factory reset you require.

If you conduct a full factory reset on your router, it should remove all history and event logs and return it to the condition it was in when it was completely new and first plugged in.

This factory reset is a wonderful process for getting rid of history, but keep in mind that you’ll also lose your entire router’s other unique settings:

1. All custom Wi-Fi SSIDs/usernames and credentials used to connect to the network will be lost, and the router will get reset to the settings shown on the label on the back. Users who need to rejoin must locate the router on the network list again and re-enter the default password to utilize the Wi-Fi.

2. If you’ve specified custom values for the router login admin/password (to alter settings), these will get reverted to the default ones listed on the rear sticker.

3. Any gamers who have configured a static IP for their console on the router will have to do it again.

4. Any other specific settings on the router (such as QoS, DNS, and DMZ) will be erased and will need to get reset.

5. Factory resets can take longer than fast resets, with the connection getting disrupted for up to several minutes.

How Long Does The Router Retain Its History?

Depending on the equipment, your router’s history gets kept for a different amount of time. As previously stated, most routers save your system logs, while some may also save the IP addresses of websites and services you’ve visited.

Routers that save some history provide options for how long they maintain that information.

As previously explained, it is also feasible to erase the information as needed.

Check your router’s manual to discover how long the system logs or IP addresses get stored by default. Depending on how often you use it, it might last from a few hours to weeks or even months.

Is It True That Unplugging Your Router Deletes Your History?

If you unplug your router, it won’t save your log history. The routers usually hold only the most crucial configuration data to keep the router operational after putting it back in. Such characteristics ensure that a power outage does not cause any more disruption than is necessary.

There’s no need to unplug your router to remove history unless your network has a logging option that you’ve activated because routers don’t track your actual browsing history like browsers such as Firefox, Safari, and Google Chrome.

Although most routers lack the storage capacity to save your surfing history, they record information that might assist you in troubleshooting network issues.

Because certain router brands save your history, it’s a good idea to double-check what model you have and what features it offers. Even after disconnecting your log history, there are advantages and disadvantages to maintaining it.

What Is The Best Way To Check Your Router’s History?

Your router must have a logging option, and that feature must get activated to see your router history. The logs contain a record of all the IP addresses connected to your router and your internet surfing history. To check the history, you must first know the target IP address and then look at the destinations or domains visited using that IP address.

Conclusion

It’s unlikely that you’ll need to clear your Wi-Fi history. Unless you’re concerned about others viewing system records or want to sell your router, there’s no reason to remove your router history. However, if you need to clear the router history, perform the steps outlined in this article.


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