04/02/2020
Is your internet running at it's optimal speed? Use google to test now, and reboot your router or modem if you suspect that your network isn't working as it should. Maybe web pages aren't loading, or Netflix freezes halfway through a movie, or your smart speaker suddenly stops playing music.
Whatever the case may be, restarting the router gives it time to cool off and flush out its memory. Sometimes, especially with older hardware, having the router on and working in overdrive for too long is enough to demand a restart.
**Steps to Reboot a Router and Modem**
Follow the short process below for the best possible chance of improving the situation. Rebooting this way works with most makes and models of routers and modems.
The following process is not the same as resetting a router or modem. See Resetting vs. Rebooting at the bottom of this page for more information.
Unplug the router and the modem. If you have other managed network hardware, such as network switches, unplug that hardware. Unmanaged devices can be left powered on, but use your judgment if you think these might be part of the problem.
Don't use a button labeled Reset or Restart, since these likely start the factory reset or restore process. A clearly labeled power button is probably fine to use, but unplugging removes any doubt.
Wait at least 30 seconds. This time lets the devices cool down and indicates to your ISP, computers, and other devices that the router and modem are offline.
This step may not be necessary if you know what the problem is with the connection. Restart the router and modem when you don't know what's wrong.
Plug in the modem. If it doesn't power on in the first few seconds, press the Power button.
The modem is the device that your connection to the internet attaches to. For example, with cable-based internet service, the modem attaches to the coax cable from outside the home.
Wait at least 60 seconds. During this time, the modem authenticates with your ISP and is assigned a public IP address.
Most modems have four lights: a power light, a received light, a send light, and an activity light. When the first three lights are stable, the modem is fully powered on. If there's an internet light, wait for it to turn on to confirm that the modem is getting internet from your ISP.
Plug in the router. Some routers may require that you press a Power button. On a combination modem-router, skip this and the next step. The software in that device initiates things in the proper order.
The router is physically connected to the modem, so the device next to the modem is probably the router. Not all routers have an antenna, but many do, so if you see one or more of those, that's probably the router.
Wait at least 2 minutes. This gives the router time to boot up. It also gives computers, smartphones, and other devices that use the network time to get new private IP addresses assigned by the DHCP service in the router.
If you turned off the power for switches or other network hardware, power those back on. Then, wait a minute. If you have several devices, power them on from the outside-in, based on your network map.
When the router and modem restart, test to see if the problem went away.
It's not necessary to restart computers and other wireless devices, but you may need to if some of the devices are online and others aren't. Restart the computer the right way. If restarting isn't an option, renew your IP address by entering ipconfig /renew in Command Prompt.
If rebooting the router and modem didn't fix the problem, follow more specific troubleshooting methods for the network or internet issue. If the modem has trouble getting a signal from your ISP (the first three lights aren't solid), contact your ISP for help. Otherwise, look closer at the network setup inside your home.
