Restarting your router is the first thing to try when your internet goes down, speeds drop, or devices stop connecting. But there’s a right way to do it — a proper restart (not just a quick power cycle) clears the router’s memory and re-establishes a clean connection with your ISP. Here’s how.
Why Restart the Router?
Routers run continuously for months or years and can develop issues over time:
- Memory fills up with logged connection data, slowing performance
- DHCP leases can become confused, causing devices to lose connectivity
- The router’s connection to your ISP can drop and fail to re-establish cleanly
- Firmware glitches can cause intermittent problems that a restart clears
A restart doesn’t change any settings and is completely safe to do at any time.
How to Restart Your Router Properly
- Switch the router off — use the power button on the router, or unplug it from the wall. Don’t just briefly press and release — make sure it’s fully off.
- Wait 30 seconds — this lets the capacitors drain fully, clears the memory, and gives your ISP’s equipment time to notice the connection has dropped.
- Switch it back on — plug it back in or press the power button.
- Wait 2 minutes — routers take time to fully boot, connect to the ISP, and start handing out IP addresses. Don’t try to connect devices immediately.
- Test your connection — once the router’s lights have settled (usually a solid or slow-flashing internet/WAN light), reconnect and test.
Router vs Modem — Do You Need to Restart Both?
Many homes have a combined router/modem in one box — restarting it covers both. If you have separate devices:
- Switch off both the modem and the router.
- Wait 30 seconds.
- Switch the modem on first and wait for it to fully connect (usually about 60 seconds and the WAN light becomes steady).
- Then switch the router on.
- Wait another minute before connecting devices.
Starting the modem first is important — the router needs the modem’s connection to be established before it can configure its own WAN connection.
Restart vs Reset — Don’t Confuse Them
A restart (power off and on) is safe and changes nothing. A factory reset (using the recessed reset button, usually held for 10 seconds) wipes all your settings — your WiFi name, password, port forwarding rules, and everything else goes back to factory defaults. Only do a factory reset if you specifically need to start from scratch.
When a Restart Won’t Help
If a restart doesn’t restore your connection:
- Check for a service outage — search your ISP’s name + “outage” or check their status page.
- Check the physical cable — if you’re on broadband, check the cable from the router to the wall socket is firmly plugged in.
- Try a wired connection — plug a laptop directly into the router with an Ethernet cable. If that works, the problem is with WiFi, not the internet connection.
- Contact your ISP — if nothing works and there’s no known outage, call them. They can often see a fault on the line remotely.
How Often Should You Restart Your Router?
There’s no hard rule, but many IT professionals recommend a restart every 1–3 months. Some routers have a scheduled restart option in their settings — worth enabling if your router supports it, as it keeps performance consistent without any manual effort.
