How to Restart Your Router (Properly)
Restarting your router clears its memory, drops stuck connections, and often picks a cleaner Wi-Fi channel. It's the single most effective first step for a flaky connection.
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The right way to do it
- Unplug the router from power. If your modem is a separate box, unplug that too.
- Wait a full 30 seconds. This lets the hardware fully reset and your ISP release the old connection.
- Plug the modem back in first and wait for its lights to settle.
- Plug the router back in and wait a minute or two for Wi-Fi to come back.
- Reconnect a device and test your connection.
Restart, don't reset
A restart just power-cycles the device and keeps all your settings. A factory reset (the pinhole button) wipes everything, including your Wi-Fi name and password. Stick to a restart unless you truly mean to start over.