These days, there's probably no one left who doesn't know the purpose of a home router. A small box in the hallway allows us to use the Internet literally over the air, and today it is no surprise. However, many users mistakenly believe that the router does not require any special attention from the user and can work in a non-stop mode. In this article we will tell you why a router sometimes needs to be restarted.
Despite its small size, a router is a complex technical device that is not much different from an ordinary computer. It also, like any computer, has a analogue of a motherboard on which all its major nodes and components are mounted:
Power supply;
RAM which stores temporary batch data;
The processor, which is responsible for the proper distribution of incoming packets;
Flash memory, which stores all important settings and routing tables.
And, just like any computer, a router can't function for an uninterrupted period of time without rebooting. After a long run, its RAM will gradually fill up and performance will start to degrade. This can manifest itself as a decrease in the speed of sending data, as well as failures or unexplained glitches in the router, up to complete loss of connection.
It is also not uncommon for problems to arise on the ISP side. The router continues to work properly and even responds to the commands from the admin panel, but the Internet may be unavailable. Such session hiccups are also often solved by simply rebooting the router.
How to Reboot a Router
Standard way
There are several ways to reboot your router. The easiest of these is to simply unplug the device from the network by pressing its power button or unplugging the cord from the outlet. Typically, the router power button is located on the back of the router next to the connection port block.
Once you've unplugged your router, you'll need to wait 10 seconds for it to completely reboot, and then you can plug it back in.
Reboot via the admin panel
This method is undoubtedly the longest, but will be convenient if access to your router is difficult or you are just too lazy to get up from the couch to perform a reboot:)
Some router models can be rebooted by the software method through the admin panel. To do this, type 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1 into the address bar of your browser, and then enter the login and password (usually admin/admin) that is specified in the contract with your operator (not to be confused with your network login and password).
Most often this data is also indicated on the router itself. Then in the "admin" interface you need to find the option "System Tools" → "Restart".
Restart on schedule
Another interesting way to reboot on a schedule allows for a smart outlet. With these devices, you can set up a script to shut down and turn on the router on time. For example, you can set up the outlet so that the router turns itself off at night and on early in the morning.
But there's a tricky part. It's logical to assume that in order for the smart outlet to turn back on after being turned off, it must be connected to the Wi-Fi network. But what if it also turns off the router, which essentially runs this scenario? This problem can be solved by a clever way of spoofing the home network via a mobile hotspot.
Among other things, some modern models of routers allow you to configure a reset on a schedule and without "dancing with diamonds". This can also be done via the administrator panel. The availability of this function depends on the specific model of the device.
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