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How Often You Should Reboot Your Router
Router & WiFiIntermediate5 minutes

How Often You Should Reboot Your Router

Difficulty
Intermediate
Time
5 minutes
Category
Router & WiFi

Wondering how often to restart your router? Learn the best schedule to keep your internet running smoothly and when reboots actually help.

💡What's Happening

You've heard that rebooting your router can fix internet problems, but you're not sure how often you should actually do it. Maybe your internet has been slower lately, or you're trying to prevent issues before they start. The good news is that there's a simple answer based on how you use your network.

✓Quick Checks (Do These First)

  • Is your internet actually slow right now? Run a speed test at fast.com to check.
  • When did you last reboot? If it's been months, a reboot right now might help immediately.
  • Are devices disconnecting randomly? This is a sign your router needs a restart soon.
  • Is your router hot to the touch? Overheating routers definitely need more frequent reboots.

🔧Step-by-Step Fixes

Fix 1: Follow the Standard Monthly Reboot Schedule

For most home users, rebooting your router once a month is the sweet spot. Here's how to make it a habit:

  1. Pick a specific day each month (like the first Sunday)
  2. Set a recurring calendar reminder on your phone
  3. Unplug the router's power cable, wait 30 seconds, then plug it back in
  4. Wait 2-3 minutes for everything to reconnect before testing your devices

This clears the router's memory, refreshes connections, and prevents small issues from building up.

Fix 2: Reboot Weekly for Heavy Usage Homes

If you have 5+ devices connected, stream 4K video, game online, or work from home with constant video calls, weekly reboots work better:

  1. Choose a low-traffic time (like Sunday morning)
  2. Notify anyone working from home about the brief outage
  3. Unplug both your modem and router
  4. Wait 30 seconds
  5. Plug in the modem first, wait for all lights to stabilize
  6. Then plug in the router and wait for it to fully boot

Heavy network traffic fills up the router's memory faster, so more frequent resets keep things running smoothly.

Fix 3: Reboot Immediately When You Notice Problems

Don't wait for your schedule if you're experiencing issues right now:

  1. Slow speeds or buffering videos? Reboot immediately.
  2. Devices can't connect? Reboot immediately.
  3. Web pages timing out? Reboot immediately.
  4. After rebooting, test your connection on multiple devices

Think of this as the "emergency reboot" - it often fixes problems instantly.

Fix 4: Reboot After Firmware Updates

Even if your router updates automatically, a manual reboot helps:

  1. Check your router admin page for recent updates
  2. If an update happened in the last 24 hours, reboot manually
  3. Unplug the power for 30 seconds
  4. This ensures all new settings take effect properly

⚠️If Nothing Worked

If you're rebooting daily just to keep things working, something else is wrong. Your router might be overheating, failing, or unable to handle your network load. Check if your router is in a well-ventilated spot and not surrounded by other electronics. Consider that routers typically last 3-5 years before they need replacement.

📞When to Call a Pro

If you need to reboot more than once a week to maintain stable internet, or if reboots stop helping entirely, it's time to investigate deeper issues. The problem might be your ISP, faulty equipment, or network configuration.

Need Professional Help?

If you're in the Tampa Bay area and your router issues won't go away, Geeks in Sneaks provides friendly, on-site tech support in Clearwater, Clearwater Beach, and Dunedin.

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Related Topics

routerrebootmaintenanceperformanceschedule

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