How to restart a router [Xfinity, Spectrum, Eero, More]

A router is the key to providing Internet access to multiple devices in your home or office. But sometimes your router connection fails. This can be caused by several things related to the public and private IP addresses you manage.

If you’re having trouble with your router, we’ll show you how to reset it to clear its short-term memory and hopefully provide stronger internet connections once it’s back up and running.

We’ll also show you how to reboot a variety of routers, plus how to reboot them remotely from your computer or phone.

How to reset an Xfinity router

To manually reset your Xfinity router, do the following:

1. Locate the “Reset” button located on the front or back of the router.
   
2. Press and hold the button for at least five seconds.
3. Once you release the button, your router will reboot and reboot.

If you don’t have a “Reset” button, you can reset it as follows:

1. Turn off your router.
2. Unplug the power cord.
   
3. Wait about a minute.
4. Reconnect the cable and wait another 30 seconds or so before turning it on again.

Once the status lights have turned off, confirm if your devices can successfully connect to the Internet.

How to reset a Spectrum router

To manually reset your Spectrum router:

1. Disconnect your router from the power source and remove the batteries.
   
2. Wait approximately one minute before replacing the batteries (if applicable).
3. Reconnect your router to the power source.
4. Wait approximately two minutes while the router reboots.
5. The status lights will confirm the online status of the router.
   
6. Check that your devices can connect to the Internet correctly.

How to reset an AT&T router

To reset your AT&T router:

1. Shut down your PC.
   
2. Look for the “Reset” button, either on the back or next to the power input of the router.
   
3. Press and hold the button for at least five seconds. Do not press for more than nine seconds as this may reset the unit to its factory settings deleting all of your settings.
4. Wait for the solid green LED light to appear confirming that the reset is complete.
5. Confirm that your devices can successfully connect to the Internet.

How to reset an Eero router

To reset your eero router unit, do the following:

1. Locate the “Reset” button and hold it until the LED flashes yellow.
   
2. After about seven seconds, release it.
3. After a few seconds, the eero router’s LED light should return to its solid white color with a green outline.
   
4. Check that your devices can connect to the Internet.

How to reset a Linksys router

To reset your Linksys router:

1. Turn off the unit using the power button.
   
2. Unplug the power cord.
3. Wait approximately one minute before plugging the power cord back in.
4. Turn the router back on by pressing the power button.
5. Check that your devices can connect to the Internet correctly.

How to reboot a router remotely

A router can be rebooted remotely by logging into your router’s interface as an administrator using its IP. That is how:

1. From your computer, open a new web browser window.
2. Type your router’s IP address in the URL.
3. On the login screen, enter your administrator credentials.
4. Once you are logged in, locate the option to restart your router. It is usually found through the “Advanced” section of the router’s menu.
5. Click on the “Restart” option. Your router may display a countdown to shutdown.
6. Once your router has been turned off, it will reboot automatically. The process usually takes between 30 and 60 seconds to complete.

Reboot remotely using Windows Telnet

If your router can be rebooted using the Windows Telnet client, you can reboot it remotely. Once you have enabled the Telnet client in Windows 10:

1. Select “Start” and open the “Telnet Client.”
2. Type “Open” and then press “Enter”, you may be prompted to enter administrator credentials.
3. Once connected, enter “help system” to find the reboot command.
4. Type the reboot command to reboot your router.

Reboot remotely using Smart Plug

Alternatively, you can connect your router to a “Smart Plug”. With this method, whenever you have connection problems and need to restart your router, you can access the “Smart Plug” through its app on your phone.

From the interface simply unplug and reconnect the power to reboot the router.

How to reset a router from your phone

You can reboot a router remotely through your phone by logging into your router as an administrator from a web browser. You will need your router’s IP address and then do the following:

1. Open a new web browser window from your phone.
2. Type your router’s IP address in the address bar.
3. On the login screen, enter your administrator credentials.
4. Once you are logged in, look for the option to restart your router. It is usually found through the “Advanced” section of the router’s menu.
5. Click “Restart” option, your router may display a countdown to shut down.
6. Once your router has been turned off, it will reboot automatically. The entire process usually takes between 30 and 60 seconds.

Additional FAQs

Does unplugging a router restart it?

If it does. Unplugging a router’s power for about 30 seconds before plugging it back in will reboot (reboot) it.

How to give your router a fresh start

Unplugging your router or holding the “Reset” button for a few seconds can do wonders.

This will clear your cache, reset IP assignments, and serve as a great troubleshooting tool. Once your router has rebooted, your Wi-Fi connections should be stronger and the router should continue to function as expected. As a practice, it’s probably a good idea to occasionally restart your router, as you would with your computer.