How To Restart Router? [Simplest Methods]

Our guide explains how to restart a router and what you can gain from doing it.

Restarting the internet is good for maintaining the health and speed of your internet connection. This troubleshooting method freshens your internet connection by deleting suspicious and unnecessary files in the router’s data. In addition, a restart will clear the erroneous cache and remove inconsistency in your WiFi connection. Overall, the connection will become faster and more stable.


Key Takeaways

  • You can restart your router in two ways; a simple restart and a hard restart.
  • Restarting your router offers many advantages, like speeding up the internet speed, removing errors, clearing incorrect data, etc.
  • Restart your router once a week to maintain its steady operation.

How To Restart Internet Router?

We will simplify all the steps so you can quickly resort to this troubleshooting method whenever your internet is slowing down. Let’s head on.

Simple Restart

You can do this type of restart by only switching on and off your device. It is a power boost for your router, which may help eliminate temporary bugs and glitches.

  1. Go to your Internet Router.
  2. Make sure you can access the Backside of your device because the Power Button is located at the back of most routers.
  3. Push the Power Button once to Turn Off the router.
    Power Button
    Power Button – Image Credits [Emopulse]
  4. Wait for 2 minutes. Make sure that the WiFi network appears offline on your devices.
  5. Turn On the router by pressing the Power Button. 
  6. Wait for the relevant lights to come on, then restore the internet connection on your devices.

Hard Restart/Power Cycle

You must unplug all the cables from your router for this method to be effective. Power cycling the internet router is our go-to troubleshooting method whenever our team encounters issues with the internet. You can perform it by using the steps below.

  1. Turn Off the router by pressing the Power Button.
    Power Button
    Power Button – Image Credits [Emopulse]
  2. Stop the electrical supply to the router by turning the Switch Off on the electric board.
    Switch Off
    Switch Off – Image Credits [Emopulse]
  3. Detach the Power and Ethernet Cables from the back of your router.
    Disconnect Cables
    Disconnect Cables – Image Credits [Emopulse]
  4. Wait for 2 Minutes.
  5. Reattach the Power and Ethernet Cables to your router.
    how to restart router
    Reconnect Cables – Image Credits [Emopulse]
  6. Resume the electrical supply by turning the Switch On on the electric board.
    how to restart router
    Switch On – Image Credits [Emopulse]
  7. Push the Power Button on your router to Turn It Back On.
  8. Once all the lights are lit, reconnect to the WiFi on your devices.

When Should You Restart Your Router?

Ideally, it is wise to reboot your router once every week to maintain its healthy operation. However, there are other situations where you should consider restarting your router, for instance, when;

  • You face errors in your smart devices or gaming consoles.
  • The internet connection is poor, so you cannot stream online content or games on your device.
  • There is miscommunication between your modem and the router, consequently disrupting the router’s functioning.
  • There are technical problems with the router, like overheating.
  • You cannot connect new devices to the WiFi connection.
  • Downloading new apps takes too long.

What Are The Benefits Of Restarting Your Router?

A long list of advantages will compel you to restart your internet router often. In fact, we solved PS4 Error WS-37469-9, Hulu Error RUNUNK13, and Aragami 2 Private Session Not Working by power cycling our router. Furthermore, restarting your router will;

  • Remove glitches in the connection and the saved data, thus enabling a stable internet speed on all your devices.
  • Erase unnecessary buildup of data in the router’s cache, thereby improving the overall connection speed.
  • Resolve internet connectivity issues on smart devices, like smartphones, gaming consoles, smart TVs, etc.
  • Fix various errors in your console, PC, smartphone, and more.
  • Solve hardware troubles, like overheating.
  • Get rid of any recurring issues with the network’s IP address.
  • Boost the download speed on the connected devices.

Final Words

It is a wrap on how to restart the router to solve different errors and app malfunctions. Just a final note, restarting and resetting are separate processes. Restarting your router will solve common errors and internet issues, while resetting will change the router’s settings to factory mode. Hence, do not get confused between the two.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where Is The Restart Button On A Router?

You can restart your router by pressing the "Power" button, usually located at the backside of your internet router.

How Long Does It Take For A Router To Restart?

It may take up to a minute for a router to shut down completely. However, we recommend waiting 2 minutes before turning on the router so the process effectively resolves your issue.

Why Does Restarting Router Make Internet Faster?

Restarting the router clears the buildup of faulty cache data and removes glitches in the connection. Consequently, making the internet run faster.

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