Pushing your router’s power button isn't a real reboot

Restarting the router is often the best and most straightforward way to solve a ton of network-related issues. In many cases, the router is working fine; it just needs a quick power cycle to get back on its feet. But there's a catch.

If you restart your router using the power button, you should start unplugging it from power instead. While using the power button is usually fine, unplugging the router and waiting a bit before plugging it back in makes sure it fully shuts down and properly reboots. Here's why this is better than using the power button, and how you should actually reset your network.

Some devices don't actually shut down when you press the power button

A low-power standby state is not a proper shutdown

While some devices switch off when you press the power button, others enter a low-power standby state instead. This means their power supply continues working, and their software doesn't fully reset when you turn them off and back on again. If your router only enters a standby state when you press the power button, its memory may not fully clear, and its software might not fully reboot when you turn it back on, which is often what's needed to solve software-related issues.

Even if your router fully shuts down after you press the power button, unplugging it from the wall and waiting a bit before powering it back on ensures the capacitors inside its power supply fully drain. Those capacitors are basically tiny batteries and can continue powering certain components for a short time after you power down the router, so there's a chance it didn't actually power off completely between the two presses of the power button.

Reboot your router the proper way

And modem, if you've got one

If you only have a router, all you need to do is unplug the power cable from the wall socket, then wait a bit for the capacitors in the power supply to discharge, allowing the router to fully power down. This will clear its memory and properly reboot its software. In general, waiting 10–30 seconds should do the trick, but waiting a minute or two is safer.

Once you've waited, plug the router back in and press the power button if needed (some routers don't automatically turn back on when you plug them back into a power socket).

The router will now go through its usual boot process and reestablish the connection to your ISP. Its lights will start blinking. Wait until they stop blinking and stay steadily lit. Once that happens, you can test the connection with an Ethernet cable or connect to the router's Wi-Fi network. This procedure works for both standalone routers and modem/router combo devices.

If you have a separate modem and router , you should reset both. It doesn't really matter which one you unplug first, but it does matter which one you turn on first. It should always be the modem because it needs to reestablish the connection to your ISP before passing it to the router.

Wait for the modem to fully power back on, then power on the router. As with a standalone router, wait a minute or two before plugging them back in. Once both are fully up and running, test the connection.

If the lights on your router (or modem, if you have one) don't stop blinking even after 5 or 10 minutes, there's a good chance the issue is on your ISP's end and that your modem and router aren't the source of the problem.

If all else fails, you can factory reset your router

Talk about drastic measures

If you've rebooted both the modem and the router, are sure the issue isn't with your ISP, and still can't connect to the internet on any of your devices (both via Ethernet and wirelessly), you should consider factory resetting your router. This is a drastic measure that deletes all custom settings on your router, wipes any changes you've made, and returns it to its default factory state.

If you have both a modem and a router, you should first figure out which one is causing the issue before resetting anything. I recommend connecting an Ethernet cable from the modem directly to a PC. You should be able to access the internet this way. If you can't, I'd recommend contacting your ISP instead of factory resetting the modem.

The same applies if your ISP provided your router. But if you bought it yourself and the router is definitely the problem, it's time for a factory reset.

You may be able to reset it from its web settings page. Just type its IP address into your browser (it's usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1), log in, and look for the "Factory Reset" option or something similar. If you can't find the IP address, open Command Prompt on a Windows PC, typeipconfig, and look for "Default Gateway."

Alternatively, you can reset the router by locating the small pinhole button that usually has a Reset label next to it. Press it with a paperclip, wait about 30 seconds, and once the lights turn off and start blinking again, you're good to go.

Rebooting your router and modem can fix a surprisingly large number of issues

Turning a device off and on again is one of the most common and effective fixes there is.

A lot can go wrong with a modem or router, and simply power cycling them clears temporary memory and restarts the software, which can fix issues caused by temporary bugs or glitches that happen from time to time with most electronic devices. Just think about how many times you've fixed problems with your PC simply by rebooting it.

Now, if your router keeps acting up and rebooting it only solves the problem temporarily, you might want to update its firmware or make sure it's not overheating by placing it on an open, well-ventilated surface. If none of these fixes help, it's probably time for an upgrade.