How Often Should You Reboot Your Router? (And Why You Should)

Your wireless router acts as the central hub connecting all your smart devices and computers to the internet. But like any computer, a router‘s performance will degrade over time. Rebooting your router provides an easy way to "hit the reset button" and restore optimal connectivity.

But how often should you be power cycling your router? Does your router even need occasional reboots? This guide will walk through when and why you should reboot your home router, using tips from my decade of experience as a cloud infrastructure security analyst.

How Often is a Router Reboot Needed?

There‘s no universal rule for exactly how frequently to reboot your specific router. The need depends on several key factors:

• Router age – Older routers may need more frequent rebooting to clear memory bugs. Newer routers can often go longer without needing resets.
• Number of connected devices – More devices on your network means more potential for congestion. Aim for router reboots at least every 3-6 months if you have 5+ devices.
• Firmware update frequency – Major firmware updates require a reboot to install. If your router brand pushes frequent firmware updates, monthly reboots may be warranted.
• Internet usage habits – Large downloads and streaming can tax a router‘s capabilities over time. Frequent 4K video streaming may necessitate more reboots.

As a general guideline based on typical home usage, aim to fully reboot your wireless router at least every 1-2 months. Watch for any signs of degraded performance like lag, congestion, or random disconnections. Those are cues a reboot will likely help troubleshoot.

Compare that to the more intensive process of factory resetting your router to default settings. Resets are only needed when you upgrade internet plans, swap routers, or have an advanced configuration issue. Stick to simple reboots for periodic maintenance.

When Should You Upgrade Your Router?

Rebooting provides a handy band-aid for reviving a sluggish router, but it’s not a permanent fix. If you find your router needs rebooting more than once a week on average, it may be time for an upgrade.

Consumer-grade wireless routers realistically last 3-5 years under moderate usage before reaching EOL (end of life). Heavy users may get only 2 years before frequent reboots become necessary.

Other signs your faithful router may need retirement:

• Overheating even after reboots
• Unable to support modern WiFi standards like WiFi 6
• Lacking critical security patches
• No VPN server integration

Upgrading provides the latest speed, range and device capacity. Just as importantly, it gives you a reboot-free honeymoon period of a few years before performance gradually declines again.

Step-by-Step Guide to Reboot Your Router

Now let‘s dive into the quickest way to reboot your router and revitalize your WiFi network:

1. Identify the Power Source

First, locate where to cut electrical power to your wireless router hardware. You‘ll either:

• Unplug the wall power cord – Ideal if the wall outlet is conveniently accessible.
• Press a power button – Some routers have a physical button for power cycling.

Make absolutely sure you are rebooting just the router itself and not another device like the cable modem.

2. Wait at Least 20 Seconds

Next, leave the router powered off for at least 20-30 seconds. This gives time for the voltage stored in capacitors to fully discharge.

Rushing this step won’t properly clear the router’s temporary operational memory and cached DNS records. Slow down and be patient!

3. Restore Power

Next, plug the electrical cord back in or press the router‘s power button again to fire it back up. Give your router 2-3 minutes to fully come back online after a reboot.

4. Verify Connectivity

The final step is confirming your devices can once again connect to the WiFi network and internet. Run a speed test, browse the web, and stream video to check performance.

If issues persist after the reboot, it’s time to start considering other potential causes like firmware, congestion, or even ISP problems. But many basic connectivity hiccups can be fixed with a simple reboot.

Why Periodically Rebooting Your Router is Crucial

Beyond resolving specific problems, regularly rebooting your router provides other valuable performance and security benefits:

Clears Out Temporary Memory

Like any computer operating system, routers store data in temporary RAM memory as they run. This includes DNS records, device connection status, and even fragments of unsent network packets. Over time, this caching bogs down performance.

Rebooting wipes the RAM completely to restore optimal networking speeds. It’s like getting a fresh start.

Cycles All Power States

Routers rely on maintaining proper electrical power states for all components to operate reliably. But the complex circuitry can sometimes get electrically "stuck" over months of continuous uptime.

Power cycling the router resets every transistor and IC chip back to zero. This clears any stuck power states that may be causing quirky behavior.

Updates Outdated DNS Records

One of your router‘s key jobs is translating DNS hostnames like example.com into IP addresses for routing traffic. But these DNS records can become outdated which leads to connectivity issues.

Rebooting your router forces it to request fresh, up-to-date DNS data from your ISP’s recursive servers. This improves connectivity and speeds.

Patches Firmware Security Issues

Wireless routers rely on firmware – a low-level software controlling the device. Vendors periodically release firmware updates to patch bugs and security vulnerabilities.

When you reboot your router, it checks for and automatically installs any new firmware updates waiting. This keeps your network protected against emerging threats.

Kicks Off Unauthorized Devices

In public spaces or shared living situations, unauthorized users may connect to your WiFi without permission to steal bandwidth.

Rebooting disconnects all wireless sessions. It forces devices to re-authenticate, kicking off any unapproved connections.

Renews Dynamic IP Addresses

Home routers typically use dynamic IP addresses assigned by your ISP. The IP lease eventually expires which can cause conflicts.

Rebooting your router releases the old IP address and requests a fresh one from your ISP. This prevent conflicts from stale leases.

Buys Breathing Room During Overloads

If your router is constantly overheating or overwhelmed by demand, a reboot can provide temporary relief. It buys you time to upgrade your internet plan or router model.

Based on these benefits, it’s clear why proactively rebooting your router at least every 1-2 months is a wise precaution.

When Should You Reset Your Router to Factory Settings?

Rebooting and factory resetting a router are very different processes:

• Reboot – Power cycles the router, refreshing operation and connectivity.
• Reset – Erases all settings and restores factory defaults.

Reset your router only when you:

• Upgrade internet plans requiring new settings
• Replace the router with a new model
• Are unable to access the admin console
• Suspect a malware infection or security breach
• Prepare to sell or gift your used router

Resetting to factory settings erases your WiFi network names, passwords, port forwards, and all other custom config. It’s like getting a brand new router. Only use resetting as a last resort when rebooting does not resolve an issue.

Router Reboot vs. Modem Reboot

When you have internet problems, should you be rebooting your wireless router, your cable/DSL modem, or both?

In most cases, just rebooting the router itself is sufficient. Unlike routers, modems do not maintain much temporary user connection data or DNS records that would benefit from rebooting.

Plus, modems tend to be more durable and reliable than the embedded software inside consumer routers. Leave your modem running at all times for a persistent connection, and periodically reboot only the router when needed.

However, if you recently had service work done on your internet lines, go ahead and reboot both the modem and router to ensure everything re-syncs properly.

Can I Automate Rebooting My Router?

Manually power cycling your router works fine, but does require periodically remembering to do it. For convenience, you can automate router reboots using a smart plug.

Smart plugs connect to your WiFi and offer scheduling options via a mobile app. Here‘s how to use a smart plug for automated router reboots:

1. Connect your router‘s power cord to the smart plug instead of directly to the wall.
2. Use the smart plug app to set a reboot schedule, like every 2 weeks on Sunday morning.
3. The smart plug will now automatically power cycle your router on the set schedule!

This approach works for any router and eliminates having to manually reboot it. Just make sure to set a conservative schedule that avoids too many unnecessary reboots.

Is Regular Rebooting Right for My Router?

While most routers will benefit from occasional reboots, factors like your internet usage levels and router model should dictate your optimal rebooting cadence.

Homes with lots of heavy downloading and streaming may require reboots closer to every 2-3 weeks versus once a month with lighter usage. If your router supports emerging standards like WiFi 6, longer durations between reboots may be feasible.

Newer high-end consumer routers marketed as "gaming" routers promise increased stability. Their reboot frequency can be stretched to 2-3 months for an average household.

Ultimately you need to balance convenience against performance. Reboot too rarely and speed suffers. But constant reboots can become tiresome. Adjust based on your router model age, firmware update schedule, and usage demands.

And if frequent reboots become necessary, shop for a robust new router so you can return to "set it and forget it" networking.

FAQ About Router Maintenance

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions from homeowners about the best practices for maintaining their primary wireless router:

Should I unplug my router when not using the internet?

There is no benefit to physically unplugging your router for the night or other periods of inactivity. Routers are designed to remain powered on at all times. Turning off power needlessly allows capacitors to fully discharge, potentially resulting in lost settings.

Can too many reboots damage my router?

Occasionally over-rebooting your router won‘t cause any permanent damage. The only downside is temporarily network outage during the reboot cycle itself. As long as you allow the router to fully boot back up, frequent reboots are harmless.

Do I also need to reboot my modem when I reboot my router?

In most cases, just rebooting your wireless router itself is sufficient, without having to also reboot the modem. Routers perform the bulk of background connectivity like DNS that benefits from periodic reboots. Leave your modem powered on at all times for a persistent connection.

How often should I update my router‘s firmware?

Check your router brand‘s firmware site monthly to see if any new updates are available. But don‘t blindly update the firmware without reason. If your router is currently stable, only upgrade firmware proactively every 6-12 months, or when needed to patch a serious reported vulnerability.

Can I damage my router firmware if I reboot during a firmware update?

Yes, you should never intentionally cut power to the router during a firmware update, as this can corrupt the firmware. Wait at least 3 minutes after a firmware upgrade before rebooting to ensure the write process finishes.

The Bottom Line

Like a personal computer, your wireless router‘s performance will gradually decline over time without occasional maintenance. Simply rebooting the router completely power cycles the components and restores speedy connectivity.

Aim to make router reboots part of your periodic home network maintenance routine, about every 1-2 months for average usage. More frequent reboots may be warranted if you have lots of connected devices, an aging router, or very heavy internet demands.

Combine reboots with keeping your router firmware updated and monitoring internet speeds. Proactive router maintenance will keep your network running optimally and minimize frustrating downtime.