Reset your Wi-Fi router……..You ever have one of those mornings where the universe just decides you’re a character in a sitcom? Because that was me last Tuesday. I was sitting in my living room in Queens — you know the tiny ones, where the couch, the “office,” and the place where packages get dumped are all basically the same square footage — trying to finish a Zoom call that kept freezing like it owed me money.
Somebody on the call goes, “Niraj, your internet’s lagging again.” And I swear, you’d think they personally attacked my ancestors. The disrespect.
Anyway, this whole how to reset your Wi-Fi router for faster speeds thing became my personal mission of the morning. Not because I’m a tech genius (you should see the number of cables I have stuffed in a shoebox like a squirrel hiding nuts), but because sometimes the simplest fix is the one we avoid the longest.
So yeah — I reset the router. And honestly?
My Wi-Fi came back like it had been on a yoga retreat.
Let me walk you through it, but like… in the way I’d explain it to my cousin who once tried to microwave leftover fries still in the McDonald’s paper bag.
Why Your Wi-Fi Gets Slow in the First Place (Or: The Router Is Tired, Bro)
Here’s the thing — your router is basically a small overworked employee trapped in a plastic shell. It gets tired. It overheats. It starts giving up even though it’s technically “on.”
Kind of like me on Mondays before coffee.
Sometimes it’s not your ISP. Sometimes it’s not the weather, Mercury retrograde, or your neighbor stealing your internet (though honestly, check your password). Sometimes the router just needs a reset.
Not a soft reset.
Not a spiritual reset.
A literal, pull-the-plug-and-wait kind of reset.
The “Official” Step-by-Step for Resetting — But With Real-Person Commentary
Step 1: Find Your Router
This sounds obvious, but listen — I once lost mine for two months because it fell behind a bookshelf. If your home looks anything like my Queens apartment, it’s probably under a pile of mail, behind the TV, or pretending to be modern art with those blinking little lights.
And no, the cable box isn’t the router. Stop touching that.
Step 2: Unplug It
Not from the wall, not half-out, not “just jiggle the cord.”
Fully unplug that thing like you’re breaking up with it.
There’s always that mini panic — “Wait… will everything break?”
Nah. You’re fine.
Step 3: Wait 20–30 Seconds
This is the part no one respects. You ever watch someone unplug a router and immediately plug it back in like they’re slapping a bandaid on a bullet wound?
No.
Let it rest.
Let it marinate.
Let it think about its choices.
30 seconds is enough for the internal memory to clear and for the router to stop side-eyeing you.
Step 4: Plug It Back In
You should see lights blink back on like it just woke up from a nap and realized it overslept.
Give it about a minute or two. This is a great time to stretch, drink water, or question your life choices.
Step 5: Check Your Wi-Fi
Your phone might try to reconnect to that random guest network from when your cousin visited and typed in “wifi123,” so make sure it’s actually connected to your network.
If everything loads smoothly and your internet doesn’t sound like a dial-up modem from 1998, congrats — you did it.
When Resetting Actually Makes Your Speed Faster
I used to think this was nonsense, like putting your phone in Airplane Mode does anything besides make you feel tech-savvy. But no — resetting really does speed things up.
Your router:
- clears out memory
- refreshes its IP connection
- drops useless processes
- reconnects cleanly to your ISP
Basically it does what a vacation in the Poconos does for burnt-out New Yorkers.
One time I reset mine and my Netflix went from blurry potato quality to crisp enough to see pores. I didn’t even know characters on TV had that much skin texture.
A Story Because You Know I Can’t Stay on Topic
Okay, so picture this. I’m helping my aunt reset her Wi-Fi because she said her “Facebook was loading like molasses.” First mistake: saying yes. Second mistake: assuming she knew where her router was.
We searched the apartment for 15 minutes before she goes, “Oh! You mean the little spaceship thing?”
The spaceship thing was under a stack of newspapers and a plastic bag filled with more plastic bags. You know the one.
Then when I told her to unplug it, she literally unplugged her lamp.
I stared at her.
She stared at me.
The router continued to blink in the corner like, “Y’all done?”
We eventually reset it. Her Facebook loaded instantly. She looked at me like I performed witchcraft.
“Do it again,” she said.
No, Auntie. No.
If Resetting Doesn’t Work… Options That Don’t Involve Crying
Sometimes resetting doesn’t magically fix everything. (Sad, I know.) But here’s where I usually check next:
✔️ Move the router
If it’s hiding behind a TV or wedged between metal shelves — yeah, it’s struggling.
✔️ Check your cables
Half-plugged Ethernet cables will betray you faster than a flimsy phone charger.
✔️ Update the router firmware
This sounds technical but it’s basically the router equivalent of installing updates you’ve been ignoring for three months.
✔️ Check your device, not just your Wi-Fi
One time my phone was so overloaded with apps that I blamed the Wi-Fi. Had nothing to do with the router. Just me being chaotic again.
✔️ Call your ISP
I know… nobody wants to. But sometimes Spectrum or Verizon is truly wilding out.
Some Random Tips I Learned the Hard Way about reset your Wi-Fi router
Because honestly, this is the stuff I wish someone told me before I spent an hour yelling “WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS?!” at my router.
- Don’t stick your router in a cabinet. It’s not a vampire. It needs air.
- Don’t stack other electronics on top of it. Yes, that includes your scented candle.
- Don’t use the same Wi-Fi password for five years. Especially if it’s “password123.”
- If the router is more than 5–6 years old, it might just be old. Like… respectfully.
Wrapping This Up But Not Like a Robot
Honestly, learning how to reset your Wi-Fi router for faster speeds is one of those life skills nobody teaches you, but somehow we’re all expected to just… know.
Like filing taxes. Or folding a fitted sheet.
But once you do it a couple of times, it becomes this weird little ritual you don’t think about. My router acts up? Cool, unplug, wait, replug, boom. It’s the closest I’ll ever get to feeling like a tech genius.
And hey — if your Wi-Fi is still being slow after all this…
Come over. We’ll troubleshoot together. I’ll even make chai.
Outbound Link Suggestions
- A funny personal tech blog: https://www.technicallyfunny.com
- A nostalgic article about early internet frustrations: https://www.retronewsroom.net/modems-screaming-at-us
