How to Restart a Router and a Modem from your computer or by disconnecting the power

How to restart the router and the modem: power button

Sometimes when you are browsing, gaming, or streaming, you may experience internet connection issues. These connection issues can be resolved most at times by several easy steps. One of the easiest and most effective ways to get your internet working is by rebooting the router and the modem. However, how do you restart the router and modem from your computer or without using a computer?

You can restart the modem using the power button, switching off the power, or from a computer’s web user interface. Sometimes your WiFi just isn’t working properly and you can’t connect to the internet at all. Other times, your connection is slow or there’s too much interference. Fortunately, restarting your WiFi router is an easy fix that will most likely solve these problems and get you back on track in no time.

Sometimes during our online activities like streaming a movie, gaming, or listening to music online, the activity freezes. In those instances, you try turning off the internet option from your device to no avail. At those times, it might be the time to reboot the router.

Restarting the router enables it to cool off in addition to flushing out your router’s memory. This is because, with a heavy workload, the router might overheat causing the reduction of the performance. Besides, older routers require some time to cool off once in a while.

In most devices, restarting the device will help to resolve the issue being experienced. If a phone or computer is hanging or seems slow, any tech guy will request you to restart the device.

For most people, restarting a router may not be as easy as ABC. It is quite easy to restart devices like computers and phones by pressing a button and following the prompts. For routers, however, restarting is not that easy. There are a few steps that should be followed to properly restart a router or a modem.

When do you restart the router

A router can function without rebooting for a very long time. It has its internal cooling mechanisms which ensure it remains active and performing well most of the time. If your router is in an aerated area the cooling will most definitely take place.

However, when you suddenly can not access some websites or are getting random DNS errors then you might need to restart the router. It also helps when the Network Attached Storage (NAS) stops appearing on your desktop.

Other concerns are when your network has become so slow that you can’t enjoy your movie or game. The cause for these sluggish connections may be in the router or modem.

Almost 75% of the time, rebooting the router and modem resolves the connection problem. This is because the process corrects the network problems through flushing of the memory and cooling off in case overheating is the major cause.

Kindly note the specific process for restarting the router and the modem should be followed as recommended. Using other restarting processes may make you lose the router or the internet connection for good.

However, if after restarting the router and the connection is still slow or non-existent, then check if there is a problem with the ISP. You can identify the problem by checking the lights on your modem.

If the 3 lights on your modem are flickering, talk to your internet service provider for them to solve the issue.

How to Restart a Router and a Modem

Before we proceed, I would like to clarify that there is a difference between resetting a router and restarting a router. For the following steps, we are describing how to restart a router. You can read more about the router reset process here.

A restart or reboot means turning off the router or modem and then turning it back on. On the other hand, resetting a router means restoring the router to the default manufacturer’s settings. In this case, resetting the router will delete the set login details and restore them to the default ones.

In this description, we will rely on two methods to restart a router: from your computer or by disconnecting the power source.

Please do not press the reset or restart button if all you want is to restart the router or modem.

Restarting a router by disconnecting the power

The following are the steps for rebooting your router and modem:

  1. First of all, unplug the router and modem from the socket/ power supply. This is the best option for all devices including other managed network hardware. For unmanaged devices, it’s not a must for you to switch them off but as we intimated, turning off the devices increases the chance to resolve the issue.
  2. Wait for at least 30 seconds with the devices unplugged. In this time the modem and router will cool off and all your devices will lose the Wi-Fi connection.
  3. Plug the modem back to the power supply. Carefully follow the sequence when carrying out this step and the following steps. Wait for at least a minute for the modem to re-establish a connection to the ISP (authenticates the ISP and your modem is assigned a public IP address). Press the power button if the modem does not power on in a few seconds.
  4. When the first three lights in your modem are stable, plug in your router. Note that a huge percentage of the modems have four lights which are used to show the following: power, received, send, and activity light. Other modems have an internet light which will indicate if the modem is getting internet from the ISP.

To turn on the router, you may require to physically press the power button. However, some people might be having a modem router combo (gateway), if this is the case then skip the step of turning on the router.

These days, not all routers have antennas. You may be having a mesh system or other routers with internal antennas. If you have a device connected to the modem, it is probably the router.

5. After powering the router one, wait for at least 2 minutes. In two minutes, the router will reboot, assign and transmit the new private IP addresses to your devices. The devices will now start receiving the Wi-Fi signals from the router.

6. After the devices are connected, check if the problem has been resolved. If the connection is still sluggish then note that you might be having a problem with the ISP. It is time to call them

Note that some devices may require that you restart them to be able to access the internet. Before deducing that the problem is not with the router, it is important to restart your devices.

How to restart your router from your computer

The method above is quite easy when you are near the router. However, you may want also to remotely restart your router or just want to use a computer to restart the router when there are internet connection problems. Therefore, this is how to restart your router from your computer:

  • Type in your router’s IP address in the address bar of your computer. Most routers have http”://192.168.1.1 or a similar address as their IP address. However, you can check the details availed on the bottom of your router or manufacturer’s page for your IP address. This is because in the login details for Arris routers for example the default IP address can also be 192.168.1.254 (in 14% of Arris routers) and 192.168.100.1 (14%).
  • The router admin panel varies from one router model and type to another. You can reboot your router by going to the basic settings of your router.
  • After accessing the basic settings, click on “save” and “apply”. Note that you should not make any changes to the settings as you click on save and enter.
  • The action will restart your router. After the reboot, you can check if your internet connection is restored.

What if restarting does not solve your internet connection challenges

If after restarting the router and the modem there are internet problems. You can troubleshoot using the following criteria:

  • Your computer or other devices may be the ones disconnected from the internet.
  • Your computer or devices may have added a proxy to your browser
  • Maybe your modem or router requires resetting.
  • Check if the connection between your modem and router is tight and functioning.
  • The firewall and other security features in your computer or router are misconfigured thus preventing connection to your devices

Why Is My WiFi Not Working?

There are many reasons why your WiFi might not be working. The most common culprit is interference from other WiFi networks, although sometimes it could also be a hardware issue or a software problem. Sometimes restarting your WiFi router will solve the problem and get you back on track in no time!

What happens when you restart the WiFi router

When you restart your WiFi router, the device is essentially doing a reboot. Re-starting your WiFi router will clear up any glitches that may be slowing down your device and help you get back to using it at the speed of light.

Restarting your WiFi router will also rid it of any malware that may have accumulated over time.

When you restart your WiFi router, the device will reconnect to the internet, which will clear up any interference that might be slowing down your connection. It also resets all of the settings on the router itself, which can help address connectivity issues as well.

Benefits of Restarting Your Router

There are a lot of benefits to restarting your router. Restarting your WiFi router will often solve all connectivity issues, from low bandwidth to connection errors.

Restarting your router is also beneficial because it will help refresh any settings and improve the performance and range of your device.

  1. WiFi is a necessity for most of us.
  2. Restarting your router can help solve many issues, such as slow connections or too much interference.
  3. There are many benefits to restarting your router, including being more productive and getting more done in less time!

How to restart a router Xfinity

  • Unplug the router.
  • Wait five minutes
  • Plug it back in and power it on

This is the best, most effective way to restart your router. Unplugging and then plugging back from your modem helps clear out any interference or anything that might have been preventing you from getting a solid connection.

This should solve any issues that you might be experiencing with your WiFi and at the same time, ensure that your router is running at its best.

How to restart a router Spectrum

When you’re connected to your WiFi, it’s important to make sure you stay on a reliable connection. To do this, it’s good to know how long you should stay logged into the network and how often you should restart your WiFi router.

If you’re not using a WiFi extender or repeater, then we recommend that you log out of the Spectrum WiFi router within 3 hours of being on the network.

This will help keep your connection as fast and reliable as possible. If you are using a repeater or extender, then we recommend logging out within 1 hour to ensure speedy connections for all devices.

How to restart a router Verizon

To restart your router, you’ll need to follow these steps:

  • Step 1: Press and hold the reset button on your router for about 15 seconds.
  • Step 2: Once you have held the reset button for 15 seconds, release it and wait for a few seconds before pressing and holding the power button.
  • Step 3: Now that you’ve released the power button, wait another 30 seconds before releasing the reset button. This will ensure that all of the settings are cleared from your router’s memory.

Once you’ve completed these steps, try to reconnect to your WiFi network again. If this doesn’t work, try restarting your modem as well. Be sure to wait at least five minutes after restarting before trying to reconnect again in order to give everything time to register.

How to restart a router Netgear

The first step to restarting your router is finding out what type of router you have. You can find the information on the box or on the bottom of your router. To restart a Netgear router, you’ll need to turn it off and on again.

First, unplug the power cord from the back of your router then wait about 10 seconds before plugging it back in.

Next, unplug your wireless adapter (this is typically a USB device) from your computer and wait another 10 seconds before plugging it back in.

How to restart a router without touching it

First, try unplugging your router and then plugging it back in. It sounds silly, but it’s often the easiest way to restart a router without actually touching it. If that doesn’t work, I would recommend trying the manual restart. It’s extremely easy!

  1. Unplug your modem from the power outlet
  2. Wait 10-15 seconds
  3. Plug your modem back in and wait for all of the lights on the modem to turn on
  4. Turn on your WiFi router
  5. Give your modem about 10 minutes to connect before connecting any devices
  6. Once everything is connected, try using your internet connection again

How to restart a router remotely

Some routers allow you to restart them remotely. You can find the instructions for how to do this by visiting the manufacturer’s website.

Other times, you may need to unplug your router and plug it back in. Regardless of how you restart your router, be sure to check the instructions for your specific model before doing so.

Conclusion: How to restart a router

In most devices, restarting the device may resolve most of the device problems. This is also true for routers and modems.

Therefore, you can safely reboot your router and modem to ensure that you get excellent internet connections by following the easy steps above. Learning how to restart WiFi routers for Spectrum, Xfinity, AT&T, and other ISPs is important since it solves most connection problems.

Restarting the router FAQs

Should I restart my wifi router?

Yes, you should reboot the router at least every couple of months. This helps the router to cool off, and also update any firmware updates. This will thus give your connection a boost since it solves a wide range of issues with speed and connectivity. Moreover, there are no negative actions or reactions that you can get by rebooting the router.

How do I restart my wifi connection?

You can restart your WIFi connection by either plugging off the router from the power supply or using the power off button for routers that have the power off-on button. Thus it is referred to as “power-cycle.” You need to give your router some time to cool off (that is at least 15-30 seconds). Then afterward use the power button or plug the router into the power supply to start the router.

What is the difference between rebooting and resetting a router?

Rebooting a router is not the same as resetting it. Rebooting or restarting or “power-cycle” is the mere act of turning off a router and turning back it on after a short period of time (up to 30 seconds) while resetting removes the router settings changes and thus returns the firmware to the original configuration. Rebooting should be done once in a while, resetting should only be done when necessary. Finally, we use the power off button to reboot the router while we use the reset button to reset.

What does rebooting my router do?

Restarting the router clears the cache or cleans the router’s short-term memory in other words. This helps the router to run more smoothly since it also selects the least crowded channel for your devices thus speeding up the connection. A least crowded channel also means a better WiFi signal.

Does rebooting the router improve speed?

Somehow yes! Rebooting the router helps it to cool off and also enables the router to choose the least crowded channel. This way your devices get better signals and also faster internet speeds. However, restarting does not guarantee a better bandwidth for your devices.

How to restart your WiFi router

You’ve probably restarted your computer before and the same holds true for a WiFi router. Restarting it can help fix minor issues that might be happening with your WiFi.

If you’re experiencing slow speeds or interference, try restarting your WiFi router. This should solve the issue if it’s a temporary issue like network congestion. If not, then you might have another problem on your hands that could require professional assistance.

To reboot your router, you’ll need to unplug it from its power source and then plug it back in after about 30 seconds or so.

If this doesn’t work, try using a different power outlet for the router to make sure that there isn’t anything wrong with the outlet itself.

After following these steps and still not having any luck with your WiFi, contact customer service for further assistance.