How to restart your modem and router

A restart fixes most home internet problems, but only if you do it in the right order. Here are the steps, how to restart from your provider's app, and what to try if it doesn't work.

How to restart your modem and router

1. Unplug the power from the modem and the router, or from the gateway if you have one box. Leave the other cables connected.
2. Wait 30 seconds. This clears the devices' memory.
3. Plug in the modem first. Wait until the online or internet light is solid, usually 2 to 5 minutes.
4. Plug in the router. Wait 1 to 2 minutes for the Wi-Fi light.
5. Test a device. Load a website or run a speed test.

Restart from your provider's app

Fiber: restarting the ONT

On fiber, the ONT (the box where the fiber line enters) does the modem's job. Restart it the same way: unplug its power, or its battery backup unit, for 30 seconds, plug it back in, wait for a solid light, then restart the router. Don't unplug or bend the fiber cable itself; it's fragile and only the provider should handle it.

Mesh systems and extenders

1. Restart the modem first and wait for a solid online light.
2. Restart the main mesh unit (the one wired to the modem) and wait for it to come online.
3. Then restart the satellite units or extenders, one at a time.

Restarting satellites before the main unit can leave them unable to reconnect until you restart them again.

Restart from a browser or on a schedule

• From a browser: on a device connected to your Wi-Fi, go to your router's address (often 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1, printed on the router's label), sign in, and find Restart or Reboot, usually under System or Maintenance.
• Scheduled reboot: many routers, including TP-Link, Asus and Netgear models, can restart automatically at a set time, such as 4 a.m. weekly. It's a workaround; frequent problems usually point to failing equipment.
• Avoid smart plugs on the modem if you rely on the internet to turn them back on; if the restart fails, you can't reach the plug remotely.

What the lights mean

• Solid white, green or blue: connected. If the internet still doesn't work, restart the router, then your device.
• Blinking: still connecting. Give it up to 5 minutes after a restart.
• Orange, amber or red: no connection to the provider. Check for an outage, then the cables.
• No lights: no power. Check the outlet and power adapter.

Colors vary by brand; your provider's support page lists what each light means on your model.

If a restart doesn't fix it

• Check for an outage. See is my internet down?, or Xfinity and Verizon outage checks.
• Check the cables. The coax, fiber or phone line should be screwed or clicked in firmly at both ends.
• Plug a computer into the modem with Ethernet. If it works wired but not on Wi-Fi, the problem is the router.
• Try another device. If only one device can't connect, restart that device or forget and rejoin the Wi-Fi.
• Contact your provider if the modem never shows a solid online light. See Xfinity, Spectrum and AT&T customer service.

Restart vs. reset

A restart turns the equipment off and on and keeps every setting. A factory reset, done by holding the small recessed reset button for 10 seconds or more, erases your Wi-Fi name, password and custom settings, and on rented equipment it may need your provider to reconnect it. Only reset if a restart doesn't help and support tells you to.

If you have to restart often

• Overheating: move the equipment out of cabinets and away from other electronics.
• Old equipment: modems and routers more than five years old often struggle with current plans. See stop renting your modem and the best router for streaming.
• Power problems: brief power dips can knock equipment offline; a small UPS keeps it running. See the best UPS for a modem and router.
• Line problems: if drops keep happening, ask your provider to check signal levels at your address.

Questions