Order matters more than anything
Everyone restarts the router; almost everyone does it in the wrong order and wonders why it took three tries. Here is the sequence, and the reasons.
Unplug BOTH modem and router
Power cords out of both boxes (one combined gateway from your ISP? Just that one). Not the reset button — the power cord.
Wait 30–60 seconds
This is not superstition: the wait drains residual power so everything truly restarts, and lets your ISP drop the old connection so the modem negotiates a fresh one on the way back.
Modem first — then be patient
Plug the modem in and do nothing until its lights settle. That can take 2–5 minutes, occasionally ten. Blinking during this window is normal; it is the modem finding its channels and logging in to the ISP.
Router second, devices last
Once the modem’s online light is solid, power the router. Give it a couple of minutes, then let your devices rejoin. Total time to fully normal can be 5–20 minutes depending on the ISP — judge nothing before that.
Reboot is not reset — never the paperclip
The recessed pinhole on the back marked Reset is a factory reset: hold it and the router erases your Wi-Fi name, password, and every setting, and nothing in the house reconnects until the network is rebuilt from scratch. It does not fix speed problems and it is never step one. Unless support explicitly walks you through it — leave the paperclip in the drawer.
Reading the modem’s lights is worth thirty seconds: blinking downstream/upstream lights mean it is still searching; solid means locked; an online light that never goes solid after ten minutes means the problem is between you and the ISP — no amount of router restarting will touch it, and it is time to call them (or us, and we will translate).
How often is rebooting normal?
A reboot every month or two as maintenance: harmless, even healthy. Needing one every few days to stay online is not a routine — it is a symptom: an overheating or aging router (five-plus years is old for one that runs a modern house), a failing modem, or an ISP-side fault. If your household’s fix for everything has quietly become “go unplug the box”, that is precisely the point where one visit — better placement, modern hardware, maybe a mesh — ends the ritual for good.
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Bring it to the people who do this daily
No shame in it — some faults are hardware, and some setups fight back. Call or text us a photo of the setup and we will tell you in one minute whether it is a five-minute fix or worth a visit.
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More guides: TV won’t connect to Wi-Fi · Video doorbell offline · TV says No Signal
Quick answers
Where should the router actually live?
Central, elevated, in the open — not the floor of a closet at the far end of the house. Every wall costs signal; concrete, brick and metal cost the most. Even moving it from the floor to a shelf measurably helps.
Does unplugging it damage anything?
No. Modems and routers are designed to lose power. The only thing to avoid is interrupting a firmware update — if the lights are flashing in an unusual pattern (often amber), give it a few minutes before pulling power.
Restarting fixes it, but only for a few hours.
That pattern points at failing hardware or an ISP line problem, not settings. Note the times it fails, check whether it correlates with heat (afternoon sun on the equipment shelf is real), and get the line checked. We can test whether it's inside-the-house or street-side.
Should I put it on a smart plug that reboots it nightly?
You can, and for a chronically flaky setup it's a decent bandage — but it is a bandage. A healthy network doesn't need scheduled amputation. Spend the smart-plug money on diagnosing the actual fault.
My ISP gave me one combined box — does the order still matter?
With a single gateway there's no order to get wrong: unplug it, wait 30 seconds, plug it back, and allow a couple of minutes to fully reconnect. The patience part still applies.