How Often Should You Reboot Your Router?

There’s no definitive rule for how often you should reboot your router or wireless gateway. Ideally, you should reboot them at least once a month to clear out the memory and refresh your connections.

But don’t confuse the term “reboot” with “reset”—they’re not the same. A “reboot” simply restarts your wireless router, while a “reset” restores your router to its default factory settings. You’ll want to perform a reset only if you’re troubleshooting and reboots don’t work.

We’ll explain how to reboot your router and why you should. We’ll also explain how to perform a factory reset if your troubleshooting comes to that point.

How to reboot your router

Rebooting your router or wireless gateway (a router/modem combo) is easy and often necessary if you’re experiencing internet slowdowns, especially on Wi-Fi connections.

There are three options for rebooting your router:

• Power cycle your router
• Use the router’s mobile app
• Use the router’s web interface

Option 1: Power cycle your router

One way to reboot your router is to pull the plug. You won’t hurt it—in fact, power cycling is a better, faster solution than using the app or web-based backend. Why? Because you’re allowing the router’s motherboard to drain any remaining electricity and release data stored in the system memory. This method generally solves your connection issue.

Step 1: Unplug the power cord from the electrical socket.

Step 2: Wait 30 seconds.

Step 3: Plug the power cord back into the electrical socket.

Option 2: Use the router’s mobile app

Many modern routers and wireless gateways now provide mobile apps to manage your wireless network, create a guest Wi-Fi network, and change a few settings. These apps also typically include a button somewhere within the settings that you can tap to reboot the device.

Example: Use the Linksys app

From the home screen, do the following:

Step 1: Tap the “hamburger” Menu icon located in the top left corner.

Step 2: Tap Network Administration.

Step 3: Tap the Restart Router button.

Option 3: Use the router’s web interface

Standalone routers and wireless gateways provide a web interface you can access using any browser. Simply log in and reboot the device from within the settings.

However, router manufacturers use different web interfaces, so the instructions for one router may not apply to a different one. But after testing dozens of routers, we can safely say you can find the reboot option listed under Advanced or Administration, depending on the model.

Example: Reboot a Linksys router

Step 1: Open a web browser, and enter the router’s web or IP address. Linksys prints the web address on a label stuck to the bottom of its routers.

Step 2: Enter the username and password to log in. 

Step 3: Click Troubleshooting listed under Router Settings displayed on the left.

Step 4: Click the Diagnostics tab.

Step 5: Click the Restart Router link displayed under Restart.

6 reasons why you should reboot your router

A router is a miniature computer with a processor, system memory, and enough storage to house the operating system. Its job is to assign addresses to all devices and route internet traffic to those addresses. It’s the only public-facing device in your home network while all your computers, tablets, consoles, and other internet-capable devices “hide” behind it.

That said, there are many reasons why you should reboot your router from time to time.

Reason #1: Your router is low on system memory

When your router boots, the processor throws everything that it needs into the system memory. Think of system memory as a temporary holding cell and scratch pad. At some point, all that data juggling not only wears down the processor but also fills the memory’s capacity. 

With no working room, the processor slows, as do your wired and wireless connections. A reboot clears the memory so the processor can work optimally.

Reason #2: Your modem and router aren’t communicating properly

Your modem is nothing more than a translator. It takes signals sent by your internet provider and converts them into signals the router can understand and distribute. Miscommunication can happen over time, requiring you to reboot both devices to clear up the confusion. 

This requirement is especially relevant when the modem desynchronizes with your internet provider’s operator—a device that communicates with multiple consumer-side modems.

Reason #3: You have an IP address conflict

Your router has a public IP address assigned by your internet provider. It also has a private IP address not assigned by your provider that interfaces with your devices. It uses this private IP address to assign an individual address to each device so it knows where to route internet traffic.

An IP address conflict happens when two devices have the same address. Conflicts should never occur, as the router assigns addresses based on each device’s wired and wireless networking hardware.

However, conflicts can eventually appear, especially if you assigned a static IP address—one that never changes—to a device. In this scenario, the router assigned the same address to another device. Restarting the router and the devices with conflicting addresses will clear the issue.

Reason #4: Your router is overheating

Components like processors, system memory, and transistors generate heat and need ventilation to dissipate that heat. These components can’t function optimally when hot, and excessive heat can cause damage and device failure over time. Overheating translates to slow speeds and dropped signals.

Power cycling your router for a few moments allows these components to cool down, so they return to optimal performance. However, if you have an old router and more connected devices than it can handle, the high traffic can stress the processor to the point that it grows too hot to function normally. A new router may be in order or moving it to a location with better ventilation.

Reason #5: Reboots thwart hackers

Your internet provider assigns a public, dynamic IP address to your router or wireless gateway. When you reboot either device, it receives a new IP address from your internet provider. 

With that in mind, you can reduce your chances of a cyber attack by acquiring a new public IP address each time you reboot. That way, a hacker can’t use one of your old public IP addresses to gain control of your router.

Reason #6: Reboots change the frequency channel

The 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands divide into numerous channels, most of which overlap. Your router or wireless gateway automatically selects the best channel. However, those channels can become crowded over time from other networks using the same airwaves and the devices you and everyone else use.

While you can open the router’s settings and manually switch channels, you’ll need to know which channels to use before making the change. Rebooting your router or wireless gateway allows the device to rescan the area and select the channels you need for the best wireless performance.

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How to schedule a reboot

Some modern routers and wireless gateways provide the means to schedule a reboot from within a compatible app or web-based interface.

For example, TP-Link routers have a tool that allows you to set the day, time, and interval. You could then schedule a monthly reboot at 3:00 a.m. every Sunday, so you’re not disrupting everyone’s connection during regular hours.

If you can’t schedule a reboot, you can purchase a smart plug that cuts power to the router on a specific day, time, and duration. Xiaomi’s Mi Smart Plug is a good example, as you can create a schedule within the Mi Home app (Android/iOS) using the Set Time feature (not the Schedule component).

Example: Set a schedule on a Mi Smart Plug

Step 1: With Mi Home open, tap on a smart plug that’s already connected to your wireless network and paired with your Mi Home account.

Step 2: Tap Set Time.

Step 3: Tap Start Time and select a time when you want the plug to cut power.

Step 4: Tap Repeat followed by Custom on the pop-up menu to set a specific day.

Step 5: Tap the check mark in the top right corner to save your settings.

Step 6: Tap End Time and select a time and day when the plug resumes power to the router.

Should you reboot or reset your router?

A router reboot or reset depends on the situation. These terms have different meanings, although they’re used synonymously when referring to network troubleshooting.

A router reboot does the following:

• Clears out the memory
• Resolves conflicts with the modem
• Resolves conflicts with IP addresses
• Changes your public IP address
• Rediscovers the best channels

A router reset does the following:

• Reverts all settings back to their factory defaults

A router reset is similar to resetting a PC or a mobile device to its factory defaults. It restores the operating system, reverts all settings to their out-of-the-box state, and deletes everything you downloaded to the device.

When you should reset your router

Resets are ideal for fixing bad software installations, clearing out unseen junk, and removing malware. It’s your last-ditch option before tossing your router out the window and purchasing a new model.

Reset your router if you experience one of these scenarios:

• It’s infected with malware.
• It refuses a password you can’t recover.
• It stops functioning correctly after a firmware update.
• You want to sell it, give it away, or toss it in the trash.

But keep in mind that a reset reverts everything back to their out-of-the-box states: the firmware, the network’s name, the login credentials, the Wi-Fi password, and any customizations you made before the reset, like port forwards and static IP addresses. You’ll need to go through the setup process again.

How to reset your router or wireless gateway

Most routers and wireless gateways provide a button on the back that you press to revert them to their factory defaults. Manufacturers provide this button in two ways:

• Surface-mounted: Just press and hold for 10 seconds.
• Recessed-mounted: The button is inside a hole. Use a paper clip to reach in and press and hold the button for 10 seconds.

Once you release the button, you should see LEDs on the device indicating that it’s performing a hard reset and booting up with the refreshed settings.

If you’re having issues with the button, you can log in to the web interface and reset the router from there. The option is usually found under Advanced or Administration, depending on the model.

More home networking tips

• How to Forget a Wi-Fi Network on Your Device: iOS, Android, and More
• Can I Install Internet by Myself?
• Is My Wi-Fi Slow Because of My Router or My ISP?
• No Internet Connection? How to Troubleshoot Internet Issues