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 private and public IP addresses it manages.

If you’re experiencing problems with your router, we’ll show you how to restart it to flush its short-term memory and hopefully provides stronger internet connections once it’s back up and running.

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

How to Restart an Xfinity Router

To manually restart your Xfinity router, do the following:

1. Locate the “Reset” button found either at the front or back of the router.
   
2. Hold down the button for at least five seconds.
3. Once you release the button, your router is reset and will restart.

If you don’t have a “Reset” button you can restart it by:

1. Turning off your router.
2. Disconnect the power cable.
   
3. Wait for a minute or so.
4. Re-connect the cable and wait another 30 seconds or so before powering it back up.

Once the status lights have settled, confirm whether your devices can connect successfully to the internet.

How to Restart a Spectrum Router

To manually restart your Spectrum router:

1. Disconnect your router from the power source and remove any batteries.
   
2. Wait for a minute or so before putting the batteries back ­(if any).
3. Re-connect your router to the power source.
4. Wait for two minutes or so while the router restarts.
5. The status lights will confirm the router’s online status.
   
6. Check that your devices can successfully connect to the internet.

How to Restart an AT&T Router

To restart your AT&T router:

1. Shut down your PC.
   
2. Find the “Reset” button, either at the back or next to the power input on the router.
   
3. Long-press 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 removing all your settings.
4. Wait for the solid green LED light to display confirming the restart is complete.
5. Confirm that your devices can successfully connect to the internet.

How to Restart an Eero Router

To restart your eero router unit, do the following:

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

How to Restart a Linksys Router

To restart your Linksys router:

1. Power off the unit via the power button.
   
2. Disconnect the power cable.
3. Wait for a minute or so before reconnecting the power cable.
4. Turn the router back on by pressing the power button.
5. Verify that your devices can connect successfully to the internet.

How to Restart a Router Remotely

Restarting a router remotely can be done by logging into your router’s interface as an administrator using your IP. Here’s how:

1. From your computer, launch a new web browser window.
2. Type your router’s IP address into the URL.
3. At the sign-in screen, enter your admin credentials.
4. Once logged in, locate the option to restart your router. It’s typically found via the “Advanced” section of the router’s menu.
5. Click the “Reboot” option. Your router may then display a countdown to power down.
6. Once your router has shut down, it will restart automatically. The process usually takes 30 to 60 seconds to complete.

Restart Remotely Using Windows Telnet

If your router can restart using the Windows Telnet client, you can restart it remotely. Once you’ve enabled the Telnet client on Windows 10:

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

Restart Remotely Using Smart Plug

Alternatively, you could plug your router into a “Smart Plug.” With this method, whenever you’re experiencing connection issues and need to restart your router, you can access the “Smart Plug” via its app on your phone.

From the interface simply disconnect then re-connect the power to restart the router.

How to Restart a Router From Your Phone

Restarting a router remotely via your phone can be done by logging into your router as an administrator from a web browser. You’ll need your router’s IP address then do the following:

1. Open a new web browser window from your phone.
2. Type your router’s IP address into the address bar.
3. At the sign-in screen, enter your admin credentials.
4. Once logged in, find the option to restart your router. It’s usually found via the “Advanced” section of the router’s menu.
5. Click on the “Reboot” option, your router may then display a countdown for powering down.
6. Once your router has powered off, it will restart automatically. The whole process usually takes 30 to 60 seconds.

Additional FAQ

Does Unplugging a Router Reset It?

Yes, it does. Disconnecting the power from a router for 30 seconds or so before re-connecting will soft reset it (restart).

Giving Your Router a Fresh Start

Disconnecting your router or holding down the “Reset” button for a few seconds can work wonders.

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

Did restarting your router help? Let us know in the comments section below.