What’s the Cost for Fixing a Firewall After a Factory Reset?

Usually, there’s a minimum charge for a site visit that covers at least 4 hours. After connecting via the console cable, restoring a backup is quick — about 30 minutes. So you can easily pocket that extra time as profit.

Typically, you should charge according to what your contract outlines for emergency services. If this scenario is covered, there shouldn't be any issues, and it's a good idea to keep that tension low during stressful moments with clients.

I hope you've got a backup of the configuration. If it's a third-party vendor firewall and not under your management, that makes things a bit trickier, especially if they can’t resolve it after several hours on the phone.

Honestly, when someone hits reset instead of reboot, it can get tricky. Be clear with non-tech users next time and maybe leave some instructions near the device to avoid confusion.

In this situation, charge as much as your contract allows. Your client might have misjudged, but at the end of the day, it’s your expertise on the line.