Cable WIFI routers and modems are seen in almost any household, and they allow people to access the internet while they are within range of the devices. Sometimes, the WIFI router and the modem need to be rebooted. But how do you reboot a cable modem and router?
To reboot cable WIFI routers and modems, unplug the router or modem. Wait 15-30 seconds, then plug it back in. Then, turn on the device if it doesn’t automatically turn on. Wait two minutes, then test the internet connection. The process of rebooting a cable WIFI router and modem are the same.
Below, the process of how to reboot a cable router and modem will be explained in detail, and the reasons why they sometimes need to be rebooted will be explained.
How to Reboot Cable Modems and Routers
It is easy to reboot cable routers and modems. It only takes 2-10 minutes to reboot a router or modem, depending on the device.
How to Reboot Cable Router or Modem
- Unplug the router or modem from power source
- Wait 30-60 seconds or more
- Plug router or modem back in
- Press power button to turn on device (if necessary)
- Wait 2 minutes, then attempt to use the internet.
Do not use the reset button to restart a cable modem or router. If you use the restart button to reboot a modem or router, the devices will go through the factory reset process and you may have to input your information again before using the device.
Sometimes all you need to do to reboot a cable router or modem is hold the power button until it turns off, but if that doesn’t work then you will need to unplug the device instead.
Why Modems and Routers Need to Reboot
There are two main reasons why a cable router or modem needs to be rebooted: the internet isn’t working or it is working slower than normal for no known reason. For example, if you are watching Netflix and it is taking a long time to load, but the internet is working in other areas, the router or modem may need to be rebooted.
If the router or modem is the cause of slow internet, rebooting the device should fix it because when a cable router or modem is rebooted, it has time to cool off and get rid of the information stored in the device’s short-term memory (cache).
If you reboot your cable router and modem and the internet is still slow, contact your internet provider, as they may be having trouble or their system may be overloaded with the number of people who are accessing the internet through their system, which is causing your internet to be slow.
How Often Should Routers and Modems be Rebooted?
Cable routers and modems need to be rebooted about once a month. If your router or modem are new, then you only have to reboot it once every 2-3 months or so. However, if your router or modem are old, they need to be rebooted more often.
Your cable router or modem needs to be reset when your internet connection becomes spotty or you are having trouble connecting your devices to the system.
It is easy to reboot your cable router or modem, and it helps both of the devices work well. Rebooting the router or modem helps keep them working well and clear of unnecessary information in memory, and it gives them a chance to resolve system issues without any outside interference.
How to Reboot Routers and Modems By Company
Every company that provides internet access to its customers seem to have their own cable router and modem. Most of the time the process of rebooting the router and modem are the same, but the exact process can vary by company.
Xfinity
Below are the instructions for how to reboot the Xfinity Gateway, but if you have a different Xfinity router or modem follow the instructions in the first section.
- Open the Xfinity app and sign in or go to the xFi website.
- On the xFi website, go to Troubleshooting. On the app, go to Connection Trouble
- On the website, click Restart. On the app, click Restart Gateway.
If you have the Xfinity My Account app instead of the Xfinity app, below are the instructions for how to restart your Xfinity Gateway.
- Open the Xfinity My Account app.
- Select Internet Tile
- Click on the modem name.
- Click Restart this Device
If you don’t want to use an app to restart your modem or router, below are the instructions on how to do so.
- Log in to Xfinity account
- Click on Manage Internet
- Click on Restart Modem
- Click on Start Troubleshooting, and it will reboot.
Verizon
To reboot a Verizon router or modem:
- Unplug the router or modem
- Wait for 1 minute
- Plug the router or modem back in
- Wait for 1-3 minutes
- Try to connect your devices to the internet.
AT&T
Before you start the process of rebooting your AT&T modem or router, make sure you have one of the following modems or routers, as if you don’t this process won’t work.
- Arris NVG599
- BGW210
- BGW320
- Motorola NVG589
- Pace 5031NV
- Pace 5168
- Pace 5268AC
- 2Wire 3600HGV
- 2Wire 3801HGV
- 2Wire 3800HGV-B
How to reboot AT&T Router or Modem
- Open Smart Home Manager
- Click on Network
- Click Home Network Hardware
- Click WIFI Gateway
- Click Restart twice
- Wait until router or modem turns back on, then test the internet connection
If you don’t want to use Smart Home Manager or your device doesn’t support it, reboot your AT&T router or modem by unplugging it.
Spectrum
The video below tells you how to reboot your Spectrum modem:
RCN
To reboot your RCN router and modem:
- Turn off all computers or unplug the router.
- Unplug the modem through the plug in the wall, not the plug that is connected to the modem itself.
- Wait 1 minute
- Plug the modem back into the wall.
- Plug the router back in or turn the computers back on.
How to hard reset your RCN router or modem:
- Find the small pinhole that is on the back of the device. It should say “Restart.”
- Find a pen or paperclip.
- Insert the pen or paperclip into the pinhole.
- Hold item in pinhole for 5 seconds
- Take item out of pinhole and wait for device to turn on again.
COX
To reboot your COX router or modem, follow these instructions:
- Unplug the router or modem from the wall.
- Keep device unplugged for 15-30 seconds
- Plug device back into the wall.
- Wait until it reboots completely. This will take up to 10 minutes.
- Check your other device internet connections, but you should be able to connect to the internet now.
How to reboot Cox Panoramic WIFI Gateway through the app:
- Sign in to the Cox Panoramic WIFI app using the primary user ID
- Go to Overview tab
- Click on Connection Trouble
- Click on Restart Gateway
- When the pop-up window appears, click on Restart
- Wait until device stops rebooting.
Mediacom
All you need to do to reboot a Mediacom router or modem is unplug the device, wait for 15-30 seconds, then plug it back into the power outlet.
However, if you want to have your Mediacom router or modem go through a factory reset, you need to:
- Find the recessed Reset button on the back of the device
- Hold reset buttom for 45 seconds
- Release Reset button
- Wait for the device to turn back on.
Frontier
How to reboot Frontier router or modem:
- Unplug router or modem or hold the power button until the lights turn off.
- Turn it back in or plug the device back into power outlet.
- Wait 30 seconds
How to factory reset Frontier router or modem:
- FInd the reset button that is on the back of the router or modem.
- Use a pen or paper clip to press the Reset button
- Hold the Reset button for 10 seconds
- Wait until the globe light glows to test out internet connection on other devices.
CenturyLink
How to reboot CenturyLink modem or router:
- Unplug the router or modem. All of the lights on the device will turn off.
- Wait for 1 minute.
- Plug device back into the power source.
- Wait for the internet and power lights to turn green.
- Test internet connection on other devices.
How to reboot CenturyLink cable modem or router through the app:
- Open and log in to the CenturyLink app
- Click on My Products. It will be on the bottom of your phone’s screen.
- Click on Reboot My Modem.
- Click on Reboot Now or schedule a modem reboot for a later time that you select.
- Click OK and then exit the app.
- Wait for a few minutes until the Internet light turns green
- Test the internet connection of your other devices.
Although most internet provider companies have their own internet routers and modems, the process of rebooting these devices is almost always the same. Nowadays, most companies allow you to reboot your router or modem through your phone, although that may be difficult to do when you don’t have access to the internet.
Routers and modems are different, although they do work hand-in-hand to provide you access to the internet. WIFI routers send the signal to the devices that are in our home so you can access the internet through your phone or tablet. Without the WIFI router, you would have to plug your devices into the modem to access the internet, and that is a hassle at times.
Modems translate the codes that they receive and translate them so the WIFI router can provide you with internet access. They are an important device that you need in order to have access to the internet.
Some companies have devices that are modems and routers combined, but if many people use the internet at once while connected to the WIFI network that is in your home, you will want to have a separate modem and router device so both devices can work properly. Modem/router combination devices tend to overheat easily and may need to be rebooted more often than separate cable modem and router devices.
If you reboot your WIFI router or modem and you are still having trouble accessing the internet, then there may be something wrong with the device itself. If you suspect that your WIFI router or modem are malfunctioning in some way, contact the company that provides your internet and have someone come to your home. You will likely be able to schedule a time for them to come within the week depending on how busy they are.
If the company that provides you with internet access is having an outage of some kind, information about that outage will be on their website, most likely their homepage. You can view the homepage by using data on your phone rather than the internet, as the data will still work.
Luckily, you don’t need to reboot your cable router or modem often. Most of the time, you only need to reboot it once every 2-3 months.
You will know that you need to reboot your cable router or modem when you are not able to access the internet, even though you should be able to. Before you call your internet provider, reboot the router and modem and see if you are able to access the internet a few minutes after the reboot is complete.
Try not to use the Reset button that can be found on the back of your cable modem or router, as pressing this button will cause the modem or router to factory reset.
Factor resets take longer than device reboots, but they shouldn’t take more than 10-15 minutes. If you factory reset your cable router or modem, you may have to go into the device management section of your internet provider’s website and change the settings back to what your preferences are.
Overall, it is easy to reboot your cable WIFI router and modem, and it is something that you can do when you are having trouble accessing the internet.