Regularly restarting your home router is a simple, often-overlooked habit that can significantly improve internet speed, connection stability and network security. Routers are essentially small computers that run continuously without a break, and over time accumulated memory usage and temporary files can degrade their performance, so periodic reboots help maintain a fast, reliable connection for all household devices.

Experts recommend rebooting your router about once a month, a process that takes roughly two minutes and clears memory, refreshes the connection with your internet provider, and allows the router to switch to less congested Wi-Fi channels. Both the NSA and FBI endorse regular reboots as a basic security measure, since restarting can disrupt malware and clear suspicious temporary connections; the FBI advises doing so when anything seems suspicious, while the NSA suggests weekly reboots for all networked devices. Signs that a reboot is overdue include slow speeds, dropped connections and frequent buffering, and the simplest method is unplugging the router (and modem, if separate) for 30 to 60 seconds before powering it back on — note this is different from a full factory reset, which wipes all settings.