Does your home have a ton of smart home devices running it? If you do, there’s a good chance that you’ve been out of the house when your internet has gone down and needed a way to quickly reset your router remotely to keep everything at home running smoothly.
Tom from Carol Stream, Illinois, reached out to us with this same problem: “When I’m out of town and my internet goes down, all of my ‘internet of things’ goes down too. Yes, I’m supposed to turn off my router and turn it on again, but if I’m not at home, is there anything I can do when I’m out of town? Any help? It’s very frustrating!”
Tom, we understand your frustration. It can be inconvenient when your internet goes down, especially when you’re not at home to reset your router. However, there are ways to reset your router remotely. Here are the general steps to resetting your router remotely using a web browser.
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How to reset your router with a web browser
Before we start, though, it’s important to note that you will need administrator access to your router. Luckily, this is simple if it’s your own home router. Unless you’ve changed the settings, your router uses the default username and password for its model, which you can find by a simple web search. Once you have your router’s login information, follow these steps.
- Open your browser: Open any web browser with a good Internet connection.
- Have login details prepared: Have your router’s login information handy, including the public IP address, the network name and the password.
- Login to router: Open any web browser and input: http://192.168.1.1. This will lead to your router login page, where you will sign in before adjusting settings.
- Reset router: Look for a setting devoted to resetting or restoring a router to its factory settings. You can enable this process by pressing enter. The settings page should let you know when the reset has been completed. Depending on your ISP, you might have to use their dedicated app. For example, as you can see in the screenshot below, I have Spectrum at home and can only edit the router’s settings via the Spectrum mobile app. Typing in the router address will launch the same page, but Spectrum has a note redirecting you to their app to change your settings or reset your router.
The exact steps may vary depending on your router’s make and model. Also, ensure that your router has no power issues and a stable connection, as interruptions can affect the reset process.
Most of the major ISPs in North America now allow you to reset your networking equipment remotely via a smartphone app, making it even easier to reset your router. This assumes you are using their router and not one you purchased for yourself. If you use a third-party router, you’ll need to follow the steps above to reset it.
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What if my router doesn’t allow remote restarting?
If your router doesn’t support remote rebooting, you might consider investing in a smart plug that can be controlled remotely. This would allow you to power cycle your router from anywhere by turning the smart plug off and on. Remember, it’s always important to secure your router and any remote access with strong, unique passwords to prevent unauthorized access.
Smart plugs come with smartphone apps that will allow you to set schedules and remotely turn and off plugs around your house, including the plug you plug your router into. All you need to reset your router with a smart plug is a high-quality smart plug.
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Kurt’s key takeaways
With this handy guide, you can easily reset your router. All you need is a web browser and a solid connection to the internet, along with your ISP and router login information. We also highlighted buying a smart plug as a simpler way to reset your router, and I recommend picking up a few smart plugs to automate parts of your home to keep electric costs down.
Have you ever experienced internet outages while away from home? How did you handle your smart home devices during that time? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.
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