How to use iPhone Control center to connect to AppleTV 4k when Siri Remote is missing

Happy to report -- Success attempting to use iPhone Control center to connect to Apple TV box without a Siri Remote, following these steps:

1. with a putty knife I gentled pried the box off the back of the television
2. used an Ethernet cable to connect the box to my home network/router
3. my iPhone SE (connected to my home network by WiFi) Control Center app recognized a new Apple TV box
4. Control Center app asked if I wanted to add the new box to my account, and I said 'yes'
5. after a brief wait, watching the television screen, a four digit authentication code appeared on the television screen
6. I entered the 4 digit code in the 4 spaces that appeared on my iPhone screen (using the iPhone keypad)
7. after a brief wait, I now have full access to the AppleTV box using just my iPhone Control Center app (without ever involving a Siri Remote)
8. in Settings on the box, the previous users email addresses and configuration information appeared, and I could open their apps . . . without them being present . . . .
9. I deleted the previous users so that there was no default user and no additional users
10. I entered my AppleTV account information (to be more precise, the box asked if I wanted to use my account information as the default user and I said 'yes')
11. I am now the proud owner of the AppleTV box the sellers of the house left me, and picked up watching a movie right where I stopped watching on my SmartTVs and my iMac

The model number of the AppleTV box is A1625 (32GB). I updated the tvOS to ver. 16.6 but did not perform a hard reset back to the factory configuration; the previous owners apps are still on the box, including Netflix that shows the previous family members when I opened Netflix and it asked 'who's watching' (that was a little disconcerting; even though the previous owners were no longer listed as users of the box, to be able to connect to their Netflix subscription and watch their shows).

That's where I stopped.

I think my next step is to perform a full reset back to the factory configuration (to wipe out the previous owners stored apps/data), keeping the Ethernet cable connected to the box, and hope that my iPhone Control Center will still work without the Siri Remote that came with the unit when it was purchased.

I assume the full reset back to OEM configuration will allow me, if I disconnect the Ethernet cable, to enter my WiFi information so I can use the box over WiFi?

Do you have any thoughts about that?

P.S.-- I don't see any way to view the previous owner's WiFi settings, or change them to my home WiFi settings.

In Settings it shows the network connection line shows the box is connected by Ethernet and won't display any WiFi settings since it is connected by cable. I guess this means my iPhone is communicating to the box through my home network (or Bluetooth?) with no need for my home WiFi information.

Understood -- I hoped that using an Ethernet cable to connect the box to one of the LAN ports on my Wi-Fi router, and connecting my PC to the same router by Ethernet cable, would allow me to reset the box through the LAN, but that didn't work -- with my PC and box both on the same LAN, I used my PC to log into my AppleTV account, and looked under Support for some instructions to reset the box through the LAN, but didn't find them. The Support adviser wasn't aware of specific instructions, either.

I guess there may be some security feature in the AppleTV box that will not allow any reset of the box using any method other than a Siri Remote.

I will get a Siri Remote; thank you for thinking about my issue!

(I remain fearful, however, that I won't be able to configure a new Siri Remote to work with the box, unless I can prove to the box I am the rightful owner of the box; that's why I hoped that Support could do the reset, delete the box from the account of the person who sold me the house and SONY TV with the AppleTV box on the back of it, neglecting to leave the remote in the house).

We'll see what happens when I try to use a purchased or borrowed Siri Remote to reset the box.

I bought a Siri Remote 2nd generation at the Apple Store. When I entered the room where the AppleTV box is . . . a message appeared on the television screen: "Pairing Remote - Bring it closer to your Apple TV to continue pairing."

I carefully followed the pairing instructions and the message would blink but continued appearing; I tried every distance and from all sides and the pairing failed.

The box is stuck to the back of the TV with double sided tape, so I can't see the bottom of it; anyway, while the box recognizes there is a Siri Remote in the room, it won't pair. Does that mean I need a 1st generation Siri Remote?