It's a running joke, but "restart your router" is real advice — and it's the single best first step for a slow or flaky connection. A proper power cycle clears your modem's and router's memory, forces them to re-establish a clean connection to your ISP, and resolves a large share of everyday slowdowns. Best of all, it's free and takes about two minutes.
Why restarting actually works
Routers and modems are small computers that run for weeks or months at a time. Over that stretch they accumulate memory leaks, stalled connections, and confused network states. Power cycling flushes all of that: the devices clear their memory, renegotiate with your ISP, and often land on a less-congested channel. It won't fix a genuinely bad line or an undersized plan, but it clears the temporary cruft that causes many "slow for no reason" complaints.
How to power cycle the right way
- Unplug both the modem and the router from power. (If they're one combined box, just unplug that.)
- Wait at least 30–60 seconds. This is the step people skip — it lets capacitors drain and the ISP's session fully drop.
- Plug the modem in first and wait until its lights settle (usually 1–2 minutes) so it's fully online.
- Plug the router back in and give it another minute or two to broadcast Wi-Fi.
- Re-test. Run a speed test and compare to before.
When a power cycle won't help
If restarting gives only a brief improvement or none at all, the cause is elsewhere: Wi-Fi placement, too many devices, peak-hour congestion, or a plan that doesn't fit your household. Work through how to fix slow internet for the full checklist, or why it's slow at night if the problem is time-based. For a deeper look at your whole network, see our network diagnostic guide.
This is part of our complete guide to testing and fixing your internet speed.
Frequently Asked Questions
At least 30–60 seconds. That pause lets the devices fully power down and the ISP's session drop, which is what makes the restart effective. A quick unplug often doesn't do it.
It clears the device's memory, drops stalled connections, and forces a clean renegotiation with your ISP — clearing the temporary issues behind many unexplained slowdowns.
There's no need on a schedule. Restart when things feel slow or flaky, or every few months as basic maintenance. If you have to restart constantly to stay online, something else is wrong.