How to Reset Your Wi-Fi Router
By the Super Simple Digital Tools Team · Updated June 2026 · Easy · 10 minutes
When the internet drops or crawls, restarting your router clears its memory and re-establishes the connection — fixing a surprising share of problems. There's an important difference between a restart (safe) and a factory reset (wipes your settings).
⚠ Safety: A factory reset removes your custom Wi-Fi name and password — make sure you can set it up again before doing it.
Steps
- Restart first. Unplug the router (and separate modem) from power, wait a full 30 seconds, plug the modem back in, let it settle, then the router.
- Wait for the lights. Give it 2–5 minutes until the power, internet and Wi-Fi lights are solid before testing a device.
- Check the connection. Reconnect a device and load a couple of sites. Many slowdowns are resolved at this point.
- Factory reset only if needed. If problems persist, hold the recessed RESET button with a pin for ~10 seconds. This wipes all custom settings back to default.
- Reconfigure. After a factory reset, set up your Wi-Fi name and password again using the label on the router or the provider's app.
Tips
- Place the router central and high, away from thick walls and microwaves.
- A restart keeps your settings; a factory reset erases them — try restart first.