How Often Should You Reboot Your Router?
Updated: Sep. 26, 2022
Giving your router a break can do more than just speed up your Internet connection.
The Internet: Can’t live with it, can’t live without it. Whether you’re using it to pay your bills online, watch your favorite streaming service or connect with friends via social media, a strong Internet connection is crucial in many households. You might already know that shutting down your computer every so often can improve its performance. But did you know that rebooting your router does the same for your connection?
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How Often Should You Reboot Your Router?
“There is no perfect or scientific answer to this question,” says Rob Rohrman, head of IT at CompTIA. “In general, it’s a great idea to reboot the main internet router every couple of months.
A router reboot can fix certain Internet connectivity issues, from no Internet connectivity to slow wireless connections, and should be one of your first troubleshooting steps in a home or consumer environment. It’s also a good security practice to reboot the router every once in a while.”
While you may not need to restart your router daily, having a regular routine will help keep you and your family safe.
The Benefits of Rebooting Your Router
There are many benefits to rebooting your router. If you want a faster connection, you should be regularly turning your router on and off. According to Consumer Reports, your Internet provider assigns a temporary IP address to each of your devices. These temporary addresses can change at any time. If your router doesn’t catch the change, your connection may slow.
“From a performance perspective, restarting your router every so often (once every one or two months) can help maintain the reliability of your home network,” explains Nick Merrill, founder of cybersecurity consultancy Broad Daylight.
Rebooting and Hacking
But restarting your router isn’t only to help your online shopping. It also prevents hacking.
The FBI recommended all home and small business routers were rebooted in 2018 after foreign hackers compromised thousands of networks worldwide. Using malware called VPNFilter, the hackers collected information and blocked network traffic, rendering the routers inoperable. Shutting off the device would temporarily disrupt the malware.
Merrill also recommends updating your firmware, which provides network protocols, security and administrative controls, regularly. Then, restart the router after every update to prevent further security threats. Watch out for clear signs you’re about to be hacked.
