Does Restarting Your Modem Actually Work?

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But have you tried turning it off and on again?

If you've ever called technical support about one of your devices not working, you'll likely have heard the question, "Have you tried turning it off and on again?" This common request is one of the easiest ways to fix a problem with devices like your Internet modem and router, and it's typically one of the first things that technical support agents ask you to do in the troubleshooting process. While it may seem too simple of a solution, it is one of the most effective ways to get your device working again. How does a simple restart do anything, though? Let's get into why resetting your Internet modem or router should always be your first step when facing network issues.  

Your Internet modem runs many processes to keep your Internet connection working consistently across your devices, but the most important is establishing connections between your devices and the Internet. Sometimes these connections can stop working, seemingly without reason. This can happen for a myriad of reasons, but thankfully restarting can help address these disconnections. By restarting your equipment, you are clearing its memory and ending all tasks running into problems. This allows your equipment to start its processes fresh, free of any problems it had been running into before the reboot. Think of restarting your equipment like making a recipe for... let's say, cookies. If your dough is turning into a kitchen nightmare halfway through the recipe, something clearly went wrong in one of the recipe's steps. Rather than continuing and hoping the cookie dough will get better, the best thing to do is start the process again and follow the instructions from a fresh state. It's the same process with your modem, albeit without the tasty cookie dough that you definitely should not eat (wink).  

So, restarting is all well and good, but why do technical support agents ask you to keep it unplugged for 30 seconds? Shouldn't the process work when the device has no power? Well, yes. However, just because you unplug something like your modem doesn't mean it's entirely without power. Have you noticed that device lights will stay on even after disconnecting the power supply? This is due to a component in many devices called a capacitor. These capacitors provide a small amount of power to keep your memory chips running even after the device is unplugged, if only temporarily. Manufacturers include this to ensure that if your power supply cuts out suddenly, the device can run for a short time to ensure that shutdown processes can be completed or files can be autosaved. So, in terms of restarting your modem, by giving the capacitor enough time to drain power, you are ensuring that the memory is wiped of any problems it was running into before resetting the device. The modem can start from a fresh state with completely cleared memory chips.  

The process of "turning it off and on again" is a common solution because it is easy to do and is fairly effective against typical hardware problems. Restarting your equipment should always be your first step when troubleshooting your network issues. It isn't a miracle solution. Sometimes some problems require professional solutions. That's where we come in. If you still have problems after a restart, we'd love to help! WCG provides technical support 365 days a year. Contact us between 7:00 A.M. to midnight at 204-717-2800 or toll-free at 1-888-759-2225. We also have a support site with guides to walk you through troubleshooting.  

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