Cisco Valet M10 and Valet Plus M20 Default Password

Valet M10 and Valet Plus M20 Default Login and Other Support Information

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Tim Fisher
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Tim Fisher
Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability
  • Emporia State University
Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the SVP and General Manager of Lifewire.
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Updated on December 8, 2022

Both the Cisco Valet M10 and Valet Plus M20 routers have the default password and default username of admin. The password is case-sensitive, so it should be written in all lowercase letters.

These routers ship with the default IP address of 192.168.1.1.

Those login details are valid for all hardware versions that might exist for either Valet model.

white and blue Cisco Valet M10 wireless router
Cisco Valet M10 Router. Cisco

Can't Get the Valet Default Password to Work?

If the default password doesn't work for your Valet or Valet Plus, then someone changed it at some point (which was smart, for security's sake).

If you have no way of knowing the current password, your only course of action is a factory reset. That's exactly what it sounds like: a complete reversion back to the original factory settings.

Although they sound similar, reset and restart are different. Resetting a router permanently affects it, which, in this case, is exactly what you want to do. Restarting the router simply forces it to reboot, but it retains all its current settings.

Here's how to reset a Valet M10 or Valet Plus M20:

  1. Turn it on if it's currently off.

  2. Turn the router around so you have access to the back (where the cables are plugged in).

  3. Reset button on the back

    Hold down the red Reset button. You might need a paperclip or some other small, pointy object.

  4. Release the button after 10 seconds. Watch the power light on the router to see that it's flashing or blinking, which confirms that it's resetting.

  5. Wait while your router restarts, which might take one to two minutes.

  6. Using a network cable, connect a computer to the router.

    If you already have a computer connected by wire, you don't have to plug another one in; just use the existing computer and its connection to the router.

  7. Access the Valet router via http://192.168.1.1 in your browser. Enter the default credentials of admin and admin, as explained above.

  8. Follow the prompts to complete the setup.

Be sure to change the router's password to something more secure—but also easy to remember! You might even consider storing the new password in a password manager so you always have access to it. We have some examples of strong passwords if you need inspiration.

You also need to set up the wireless network settings again. Unfortunately, a factory reset erases all the existing settings, such as the Wi-Fi password, SSID, etc., not just the username and password.

What If I Can't Access the Valet Router?

Whether you know the password and username to your Cisco Valet router is irrelevant if you can't reach it by its IP address. By default, you should be able to access your router at 192.168.1.1. If not, you or someone else must have changed it at some point, which is completely fine.

To see which IP address the Cisco Valet is using is as simple as identifying the default gateway on one of the computers that are connected to the router. See How to Find Your Default Gateway IP Address if you need help doing this in Windows.

Cisco Valet and Valet Plus Manual

Both Cisco Valet routers share the same manual, available here as a PDF: Valet and Valet Plus User Guide.

There are support pages for these routers on Linksys' website (M10 and M20), but they no longer include firmware updates or other support.

As clear as it might seem that Cisco manufactured and supports your Valet or Valet Plus router, Linksys actually supports both devices. Cisco, during its Linksys ownership from 2003 through 2013, branded the M10 and M20 routers with its logo and company name. Your router, however, is a Linksys device in all ways other than in name, and Linksys is where you'll find the support you need.

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