How to restart your router the right way

Before you start

• You know where your router is. It is the box from your broadband provider, often near the main phone socket or where the cable enters your home.
• You know your Wi-Fi name and password. They are usually printed on a card or sticker on the router.
• Nobody at home is in the middle of a video call, an online exam or a large download.
• You have saved anything you are working on online.

0 of 4 done. Ticking just helps you keep track; nothing is saved or sent.

Restart or reset: what is the difference?

Steps

1. 1

   Find the right box

   Your router usually has lights on the front and your provider's logo. If you also have a separate small box on the wall connected to a fibre cable (often called an ONT or modem), leave it alone unless your provider tells you otherwise.

2. 2

   Switch it off at the wall

   Use the power button on the router if it has one, or switch it off at the plug socket. Do not press the small recessed reset button.

3. 3

   Wait about 30 seconds

   This gives the router time to fully power down.

4. 4

   Switch it back on

   Watch the lights. They will flash and change colour as the router starts up. This can take a few minutes. Most routers show a steady light (often white, blue or green, depending on the brand) when they are connected.

5. 5

   Reconnect your devices

   Phones, tablets and laptops usually reconnect on their own. If one does not, turn its Wi-Fi off and on again.

6. 6

   Test your connection

   Open a website you use often, or play a short video. If it works, you are done.

If this happens, try this

• If the router light stays red or orange

  There may be a problem with the line or your provider's network. Check your provider's service status page or app from your mobile data, or call them.

• If only one device has no internet

  Restart that device. The router is probably fine.

• If Wi-Fi is weak in some rooms

  Move the router somewhere central and off the floor, away from thick walls, mirrors and other electronics. Restarting will not fix distance.

• If you need to restart often

  The router may be old or overheating. Make sure it has space around it for air. Ask your provider whether a replacement is available.

Things to be careful about

• Do not press the reset button. Unless your provider asks you to. A reset can leave you without internet until you set the router up again.

• Do not unplug cables from the back of the router or from the wall socket unless you have taken a photo first, so you can put them back exactly.

• Never open the router case. There are no user-serviceable parts inside.

• If the router or its power plug is hot, damaged or smells of burning, switch it off at the wall and contact your provider for a replacement.