Why You Should Restart Your Wi-Fi Router Regularly
Slow Wi-Fi? Dropped connections? Before calling your broadband provider, one of the simplest fixes could be restarting your router.
Your broadband router quietly works 24 hours a day, connecting everything from computers and smartphones to TVs, printers, security cameras and smart home devices.
Like any other piece of technology, routers can occasionally benefit from a fresh start. Restarting your router can clear temporary issues and re-establish connections, helping to keep your home or office network running smoothly.
What happens when you restart your router?
A router is effectively a small computer. It has a processor, memory and software that continuously manages traffic between your devices and the internet.
Over time, temporary processes or connection problems can develop. Restarting the router shuts these processes down and starts them again from scratch.
This can help with problems such as:
- Slow or inconsistent internet speeds
- Wi-Fi connections regularly dropping
- Devices refusing to connect
- Websites taking unusually long to load
- Streaming services buffering
- Video calls freezing or becoming unstable
- Smart devices unexpectedly going offline
It won’t fix every broadband or Wi-Fi problem, but it is one of the quickest troubleshooting steps to try.
How often should you restart your router?
There isn’t a universal rule requiring routers to be restarted on a particular schedule. However, occasionally rebooting your router is harmless and can help clear temporary problems.
If your broadband is normally reliable, you don’t necessarily need to keep restarting it. But if you notice your Wi-Fi becoming slower or less stable than usual, a restart is a sensible first step.
If you find yourself restarting the router every few days just to keep the internet working, there is probably an underlying problem that needs investigating.
How to restart your router properly
Restarting doesn’t mean pressing the small RESET button on the back.
Instead
- Switch the router off or disconnect its power.
- Wait around 30–60 seconds.
- Reconnect the power.
- Allow a few minutes for the router and broadband connection to come back online.
- Reconnect your devices and check the connection.
If you have a separate modem or fibre connection device and router, the equipment may need to be restarted in the correct order. Google, for example, recommends allowing its Wi-Fi equipment one to two minutes to fully restart. Google Help
Restart vs reset – don’t get them confused
Restarting simply switches the router off and back on. Your Wi-Fi name, password and configuration remain unchanged.
A factory reset is very different. It can erase the router’s configuration and return it to its original settings.
Don’t press and hold the recessed RESET button without speaking to Optima.
A restart can help – but it isn’t a cure for bad Wi-Fi
If restarting improves things temporarily but the problems keep returning, the router might not actually be the cause.
Poor Wi-Fi can also result from the position of your router, interference from neighbouring networks, thick walls or floors, an outdated router, insufficient Wi-Fi coverage, broadband line problems or simply having more connected devices than your existing network was designed to handle.
In larger homes and offices, the answer may be improved Wi-Fi coverage or a properly designed wireless network rather than repeatedly rebooting the router.
Still having Wi-Fi problems?
If your internet connection is slow, unreliable or doesn’t reach every part of your home or office, Optima can help identify where the problem actually lies.
We can check your broadband connection, router, Wi-Fi coverage and network setup and recommend the most appropriate solution.
Need help with your Wi-Fi or broadband?
Call Optima on 020 8445 6700 or contact our team.
on the bottom right of your screen.