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Maxim aka WisH
Higher education with a degree in Information Systems. Experience as a system administrator - 5 years.
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When an Internet provider client calls technical support, he is given universal advice - to restart the router. Most often, bugs occur due to failures in the software or hardware of the device. Restarting solves most of these problems. We'll tell you how to reboot the router and what methods exist for this.
Why do you need a reboot?
Rebooting the router solves most “easy” problems. In principle, the router is designed for long-term operation. It is capable of functioning around the clock, seven days a week for many months. Manufacturers took this into account and even removed the restart button from most models.
But although a router only performs a few functions, it is a complex device. Many additional options have been added to it, which are useful for the user, but complicate the work. With long and continuous use, a critical mass of problems can accumulate that will lead to the failure of the router.
In this case, the user calls the provider’s technical support and is immediately asked to reboot the modem or router. This eliminates about half of the possible failures. When restarted, the router restarts all services, programs and hardware. Reloads the firmware from memory. Work is being restored.
Do not confuse a normal reboot and a factory reset. The latter completely resets the router. This should be done only in the most extreme cases, or in case of errors in the device settings.
Let's look at all the ways to restart the router and restart the Internet.
Xiaomi
Step-by-step instructions for soft restarting a Xiaomi router via the web interface:
- We go from the computer to the browser and enter the device’s IP (indicated on the case) in the address bar at the top, then enter the login and password found there.
- In the main settings window, at the top left, expand the item that indicates the name of our device. In the context menu that pops up, select the penultimate line “restart” and confirm your choice.
- The Xiaomi WiFi router will restart.
Method 1: Power button
Sometimes the device has a button that is responsible for turning the device on and off from power.
It is usually located near where the power cord plugs in, but can be located on any other part of the device. Just look for this button and click on it. After that, wait about a minute and press again. The indicators on the router should light up again. That's it, the device has rebooted.
D-Link
The simplest way is, as in the previous case, you can disconnect the device from the power supply (by pressing the corresponding power button or unplugging the cord from the outlet) and turn it on again after a minute. But the same can be done programmatically: reboot via a computer connected to the router via a LAN cable or wireless connection. We find a label on the case with the address of the device and the input data for authorization in the web settings panel (as a rule, this is admin/admin, but in some cases they may be different, it is better to make sure). Step-by-step instructions on how to restart D-Link through the settings panel:
- Open a browser on your computer and enter the IP address found on the label into the address bar at the top of the window.
- When the authorization window appears, enter your login and password there.
- On the D-Link settings menu there is a "System" button. Click on it to expand the menu and select “Restart” or “Save.” and Reboot" if there has been a change in settings that need to be saved.
- The device will restart.
Method 2: Disconnect from power
Rebooting the router will not be so easy if there is no power button. On the other hand, you can simply unplug the plug. This is not as gentle a method as the others, but you won’t have to struggle for a long time with settings, applications, and logging into the panel.
Just keep track of which wire goes to the outlet and turn it off. Wait about a minute and plug it back in. Make sure all lights are on and check if the problem persists. You can also pull out the part of the wire that is plugged into the router itself.
You shouldn’t pull too hard; some manufacturers still produce models with a non-removable power cord.
Huawei
The simplest way to reboot is to manually turn off the power (using the POWER button or unplugging the cable from the power supply) and turn it back on after a minute (you cannot turn it on immediately). If it is impossible to manually reboot, you need to do this through the router interface from a connected PC (via wire or wireless connection). Step-by-step instruction:
- Launch the browser on your computer to open the web interface. We enter the IP address of the router (indicated on the label on the bottom or back of the case), as well as authorization data - login and password (listed there, but most often the standard combination admin/admin is found).
- In the window, we need to select the “Settings” button in the top panel, then select the “System” section in the left menu, expand it and find the “Reboot” item.
- Click on the button of the same name. The device will then turn off and turn on on its own.
Method 3: in the admin panel via a computer or laptop
If you don’t want to turn off the power (after all, this is not a method provided by the manufacturer), then you can remotely reboot any device from your computer. You just need to be connected to the network on which it operates. If the wifi router does not respond to connections at all and does not distribute a wireless network, then this method will not work. Then it is better to simply turn off the power from the outlet.
Different manufacturers have different algorithms of actions; here we will describe ways to remotely reboot routers of different models. The general algorithm is to go to the administrative panel and find the “Reboot” or “Restart” section there.
To enter the panel, you need to launch any browser and enter the router address in the address bar (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1). If you haven't changed the main settings, you can find them on the shortcut on the bottom of your device. The address and standard login and password are written there (often admin in both fields). If you changed them, you will have to remember the data that you entered.
Tp-link
To reboot the TP Link router via a computer, you need to go to the administrative panel and find the “System Tools” section. In it, click on the “Reboot” tab, a large window will open with a single “Reboot” button. Click on it and wait for the result. The router will turn off for a while, that's how it should be, don't worry.
Asus
It will be easiest to reboot the Asus router, no matter how new the model you have installed. The button is always located on the main page, which opens immediately after entering your login and password. So on the main page, look for the “Reboot” button, it can be at the top or right side of the screen.
D-link
Rebooting D-link is also easy. Log in to the admin panel and look at the top line. There is a “System” section, click on it, after which a small menu will appear. It contains the lines “Save and reload” and simply “Reload”. The first is used if some changes have been made to the settings, and the second allows you to simply reboot the wi-fi router.
Keenetic
There are several ways to reboot the Kinetic router. Most models have a power button, so you can press it and wait a while. In other cases, you will have to go to the menu. There, click on the gear icon located in the left column, at the bottom. A settings tab will open. Click on "Reboot".
Tenda
In most Tenda router models, a reboot is combined with a reset. In general, this is not the most convenient solution, so it’s worth restarting the router by turning off the power. If setting up a router from scratch doesn’t scare you, then go to the “System Settings” section and select “Reboot and Reset.”
Netgear
Go to “Advanced settings”, go to the “Router status” section, in the window that opens, click on the “Reboot” button.
Router Rostelecom
To reboot a Rostelecom router, you will first have to determine its model. The provider does not produce its own routers; it simply buys them from different companies, applies its logo and installs its own firmware.
So the “Rostelecom router” model does not exist. Reboot methods may also differ. So if you don't want to figure out the model, just unplug the power cord. Although in most cases the following algorithm of actions is suitable:
- go to the administrative panel;
- find the “Management” or “Maintenance” section;
- in the left column, select the “Reboot” section;
- click on the button.
#1. Using the router itself
The easiest way to reboot the modem is to do it directly through the device. For this:
- Carefully remove the power supply from the outlet;
- Wait 30 seconds;
- Reconnect to power.
This method has the only drawback - some models do not save settings. Therefore, when the power is turned off, they are reset to factory settings and you have to reconfigure the modem again. Although this is not difficult, it will still take you at least 5 minutes.
There is another option to restart the modem - do it using the button on the device.
- Every modern model has an “On/Off” or “Power” button. It may look different, but that doesn’t change the essence;
- Press it and hold it for a few seconds;
- The indicators will go out - this signals a successful result;
- Wait half a minute and click on the icon again.
Some router manufacturers assume that the device should operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Therefore, on some units you will not find such a button. Therefore, we will either have to do it the old fashioned way, disconnecting it from the power supply, or we will learn how to restart the Wi-Fi router remotely, including from a computer.
Method 4: remotely via phone
Remotely rebooting the router is possible if the manufacturer has released a special application. You can usually download it from the official website or directly from the app store.
The applications only work with newer router models, so this method may not be suitable for everyone.
You need to install the application on your smartphone, after which you will be able to connect to the control panel remotely. After opening the application, you need to find the desired section; the path usually coincides with the route for the computer.
If there is no application, then you can simply open the browser on your phone and perform the same actions there as on your computer. In this case, you must be connected to the router's wireless network.
Restoring an ASUS router after unsuccessful firmware or DD-WRT
I decided to prepare instructions for emergency firmware recovery on ASUS routers. When, after an unsuccessful firmware update or some other action, the router does not turn on, all the indicators blink, are constantly on, or only the power indicator blinks. Also, when the firmware fails, it is impossible to enter the settings of the ASUS router. Simply put, if after turning on the power of the router it does not work, there is no ping and you cannot open the control panel, then there is a chance to restore it.
I thought it would be wrong to write instructions without checking everything from my own experience. Fortunately, I didn’t have an ASUS router with broken firmware. But unfortunately, I ended up with a practically new ASUS RT-N12+, which I decided to turn into a brick and restore. Everything for the purity of the experiment