Almost everyone has a WiFi router in their home these days. But how often should you reboot it to maintain optimal performance?
It is important to reboot your router at a certain interval and do it more often if you are experiencing issues with connection or range, but why do it? What are the benefits? What can happen if you don’t reboot your WiFi router? In this article, we aim to answer these questions!
Why Reboot Your WiFi Router?
You must reboot your wireless router regularly. If the reboot of your network equipment isn’t done on a regular basis, it can cause some serious problems in terms of internet connectivity and speed as well as computer security issues.
Rebooting a WiFi router is easy and can fix many problems you may be having with it. So let’s dive in a little deeper.
Importance of Rebooting
Clears Cache and Updates Software
- One of the most important benefits of rebooting your WiFi router is that it clears its cache. When a cache is full, it can cause problems with your connection and slow down your internet speed.
Rebooting your router will clear out that cache and help improve your connection.
- Another reason for rebooting your WiFi router is to reboot its firmware. If new firmware has been installed on the hardware of your wireless internet access point, you need to reboot it in order for that update to take effect.
Updating this software can help improve stability and security as well as add some useful features or remove bugs from earlier versions.
Faster Connections
- If you are having trouble connecting to the internet or getting a good connection, rebooting your WiFi router will help.
- If you’re experiencing poor range with your wireless devices, rebooting your router clears out any old data that may be clogging up the system and causing issues with your connection.
- If there have been any changes made to your network, you should reboot the router. This will ensure that all the settings are updated and will take effect.
- When you have a lot of devices on your network, it can create congestion and lead to lower speeds. Rebooting will help clear out the traffic and give each device its own bandwidth again.
Improve Network Security
- When you have a new device added to the network, reboot the router so that it can get an IP address and be recognized by the network.
- A reboot can also help if you’re having problems related to security. If there is unusual traffic on your network that could be causing a problem, reboot the router as it will clear out everything so that no one can access your computer or other devices through the internet anymore.
Prevent Hacking
- Rebooting also ensures that any malware is removed from all of your computers connected to the network.
- If you reboot your router regularly, it will help ensure that everything is working properly and running smoothly. If you have any issues with the internet or computer security, reboot before doing anything else so that there are no problems later down the line.
How Often Should You Reboot Your WiFi Router?
WiFi routers are like computers; they need rebooting. If you reboot your WiFi router once a month, it will likely last longer and perform better.
If you have a business where lots of people connect to the same WiFi network, you may need to reboot your router more often than once every few months.
If you’re not sure how often to reboot your router or what problems could be caused by not rebooting it, contact the manufacturer of your WiFi router. They should be able to help you reboot it properly and get any problems fixed as soon as possible.
If you have a busy home with lots of devices constantly connected to the WiFi network, you may need to reboot your wireless router more often than once every few months. However, for most people, once every few months is plenty.
So reboot your WiFi router and enjoy a smoother, faster internet experience!
Why Does Rebooting Extend Life & Improve Performance?
WiFi routers tend to slow down over time and eventually stop working completely when they’re not rebooted. Rebooting them clears out the cobwebs and gets them running like new again.
If you reboot your WiFi router at the same time every day, it can help get rid of any problems that will be consistent when using your wireless devices, such as streaming videos or playing video games online along with surfing the internet on multiple computers/devices.
What Can Happen If You Don’t Reboot Your WiFi Router Regularly
Rebooting less than once per month will probably cause your WiFi router to stop working completely after about a year or two. But if you reboot it more often than that, say every week or even daily, then most likely nothing bad will happen to the router, and everything will be fine!
If you reboot it less frequently than that, then after about a couple of months or years, it could cause problems such as internet connectivity issues or computer security risks.
When is the Best Time to Reboot A Wireless Router?
There’s no one “right” time to reboot your WiFi router.
However, if you reboot your wireless router at night when most people aren’t using their devices, that will help give it some time to cool off before getting used the next day again. This can help prevent overheating and keep your WiFi router running smoothly all day long.
If you reboot your wireless router at night, try turning it off completely instead of unplugging it or just hitting reboot on the app. Sometimes power cycling a device is easier than rebooting with an app. So turn that WiFi router off at night and reboot it in the morning for a fresh start to your day.
How to Reboot Your Router
If you’re not sure how to reboot your WiFi router, consult the instructions that came with it. Every router is a little different.
But usually, you can just unplug it from the wall for a few seconds and then plug it back in. Wait until all the lights are on, and then you’re good to go. You may need to enter your WiFi password again after rebooting, so have that handy.
Bottom Line
Your WiFi router is important to your home network and the devices that connect to it. So, the next time you see your WiFi start acting up, reboot it. It could be the solution and save you a lot of headaches in the future.
Once you’ve rebooted your WiFi router, it’s important to keep an eye on the connection. If there are any problems or if you notice that people are having difficulty connecting, contact us for help. We’re always happy to lend a hand!
