How to Power-Cycle a Modem and Router
Power-Cycling my Modem and Router is something I always have to do from from time to time when my internet connection gets slow or doesn’t work at all, especially when I know the problem is not my computer. Another reason for people to power-cycle their modem and router is after bringing your newly repaired computer home from the computer shop and getting the dreaded “Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage” message. You immediately wonder if you hooked up something wrong, if it wasn’t repaired properly, or if there might be an internet service outage in your area.
If your computer was repaired in a shop, and you just got home and hooked it up just to discover that you couldn’t open a webpage, don’t freak out and call HawaiianTel or RoadRunner just yet. And if possible, hold-off on getting mad at us as well, as there is usually a very good explanation as to why this might happen. Your network card tends to remember the last IP Address it was assigned, which in this case would be an IP Address from our shop. Our IP Address will not be valid with your Internet Service Provider at your location so you’ll need to renew it. This usually happens automatically, especially with newer versions of Windows, but not always.
Anyway, the fix is quite easy, so don’t worry to much if your web browser can’t display a webpage yet. But before you go any further, try refreshing the webpage or typing in a different webpage address such as msn.com, yahoo.com, or google.com because they are rarely if ever down. If that doesn’t work, power-cycling your modem and router will usually correct a misbehaving internet connection.
First: Power-Off Modem, Router and Computer
AC Adapter
Most of the time, all you need to do is power-cycle your modem, router and computer. While you can turn everything “Off” in any order, the order you turn everything back “On” does matter. It also matters how long each item remains off before you turn it back on again. You should already know how to shutdown your computer. But as for the Modem and Router, they usually don’t have a power switch and will need to be unplugged. You can unplug either the AC or DC end of the AC Adapter cable, it doesn’t matter.
For best results, make sure the equipment is off for a “full minute” before turning anything back on again. Its true that 30 sec is probably good enough, but occasionally I have seen where I needed to wait a full-minute as recommended once by a Tech at HawaiianTel some time ago.
Ethernet Cable
You don’t need to disconnect any of the other cables such as the phone line (DSL), Coax (Cable), Ethernet, or USB cables, although it doesn’t hurt to reseat them to make sure they are connected properly.
Next: Power-On Modem, Router and Computer
- Turn-on the Modem
- Wait until the Cable, Online, or DSL light comes on “steady”, depending on which kind of Modem you have (Cable or DSL).
- At first you will see several of the lights blinking during the self-test, but the appropriate Cable, Online, or DSL light should come on steady once the Modem has acquired an IP Address. This process might take about 30 seconds.
- Once the Cable, Online, or DSL light is on steady, you can turn-on the Router. (Skip this step if yo have no Router).
- About 30 seconds after turning on the Router, turn-on the PC. Then Log-on to Windows and wait until the Network icon in the lower-right of your screen appears, and try opening a webpage again.
The Modem and Router pictures below are common examples to help you see the lights and power connections we have been talking about.
RoadRunner Cable Modem
I know there are many lights on the front panel of the modem. The “Power” light is a no-brainer, but the only other light I am concerned about for this procedure is the “Cable” light. If this light is blinking or off, you either have a cable connection problem, a bad modem, or a problem with the service itself. Your Modem probably doesn’t have a power switch, so you will either have to disconnect the cable from the Power jack on back of the Modem or pull the plug from the power outlet.
HawaiianTel DSL Modem
Again, I know there are many lights on the front panel of the modem, but the only other light I am concerned about for this procedure is the “DSL” light. If this light is blinking or off, you either have a cable connection problem, a bad modem, or a problem with the service itself. There is also no power switch, so you will either have to disconnect the cable from the Power jack on back of the Modem or pull the plug from the power outlet.
Linksys Router
There are many brands and models of Routers, but when it comes to power-cycling one, they are pretty much the same. Also, just like the Modem, your Router probably doesn’t have a power switch, so you will either have to disconnect the cable from the Power jack on back of the Modem or pull the plug from the power outlet. Once your Modem is ready, you can turn on your Router. I won’t be getting into the light patterns here, but just wait about 30 seconds before turning on the PC. If you don’t have a Router, just go ahead and turn on your PC.
This process should automatically reestablish the connection between your Modem, Router and PC, providing your computer with a new IP Address which should take care of the Internet problem. You might also notice that there is a Reset button on the rear of some Modems and all Routers. Momentarily pressing this button will restart the device, but will not affect any of your custom settings. As for most Routers, if you hold the Reset button in for 10 seconds while it is powered on, it will reset the Router back to the Factory Default settings. This usually won’t affect internet connections for your wired connections, but will reset your WiFi settings back to the unsecured default configuration.
If power-cycling your equipment doesn’t get you back on the internet, there are a few more things to check, such as Device Manager, IP Configuration, Web Browser Proxy Settings, Firewall, etc. For help, Call us at:
