{"id":16155,"date":"2021-09-23T15:12:38","date_gmt":"2021-09-23T15:12:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fastestvpn.com\/resources\/?p=16155"},"modified":"2025-05-21T15:27:48","modified_gmt":"2025-05-21T15:27:48","slug":"reboot-a-router","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fastestvpn.com\/resources\/reboot-a-router\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Reboot a Router","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"

Your router may be one of the most uninteresting objects in your space. Yet, it\u2019s one of the most important ones. It connects every device in your home and grants you a gateway to the internet. It\u2019s an important device, and gaining access to the router\u2019s settings gives you much control over the device, including an option to reboot the router.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

While that may be a trivial task, but even something as simple as that can leave people, who are not tech-savvy, confused. There may be a concern that rebooting the router would erase the settings preconfigured by the Internet Service Provider (ISP). Let\u2019s discuss all the things you can do in the settings menu and how to reboot a router.<\/span><\/p>\n

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How to Reboot a Router<\/h2>\n

The first thing you need to have to reboot a router is to gain access to the router. You can find the router\u2019s IP address and the username and password you will need to log in to the router. Refer to the router\u2019s back or the product manual for the information.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Log in to the router\u2019s admin panel.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Look for the router\u2019s management menu; the option to reboot should be there.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Click on the reboot button. It will take a minute or two for the router to come back online with internet connectivity.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    All routers have a power switch. You don\u2019t even need to get into the settings, just turn it off for ten seconds, then turn it back on.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Why Rebooting a Router Might Help<\/h3>\n

    Routers are little computers with a processor and some amount of memory. It runs firmware that dictates its behavior and makes everything from device management to its core functionality possible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Just like a computer, your router may get overwhelmed after some time. All the connection requests, incoming and outgoing traffic, firewall management — it may be because of some issues that arise due to the device\u2019s inability to handle too much traffic or its firmware. Rebooting a router refreshes the device.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Your ISP may be limiting your bandwidth. It\u2019s not uncommon to see internet service providers <\/span>throttle bandwidth<\/span><\/a> when high bandwidth usage has been detected. The repeal of Net Neutrality made matters worse by making things in favor of service providers. Rebooting the router releases the IP address assigned to you by the ISP and fetches a new one.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    More often than not, your slow internet speed concerns might get fixed by a simple restart of the router.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Difference Between Reboot and Reset on Router<\/h3>\n

    Although the words reboot and reset are used interchangeably, they are different when it comes to computers. A reboot simply boots up a device, waking up its functions from zero. A reset is more advanced; it erases user-defined settings and brings the device back to its stock settings. It is also known as a factory reset because it brought the device to its state when it was put in the box at the factory.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    If it\u2019s a DSL modem\/router that the ISP has configured, resetting will erase those settings, thus leaving you without internet access. Unless you know those settings, you\u2019ll be offline until you get assistance from the ISP.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    How to Reset Router<\/h3>\n

    As we discussed, resetting the router will bring it to stock settings, thereby erasing the settings you have saved. This includes, but is not limited to, ISP\u2019s WAN configuration, IP address and bandwidth allocation, port forwarding, Wi-Fi <\/span>SSID and password<\/span><\/a>, and the admin panel\u2019s username and password.\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n