Router Refresh solution

[Trader13]

Periodically refreshing your internet router connection is advised by my ISP. Establishing a fresh network connection and giving the ISP an opportunity to push updates to your router is considered good practice.

Like all of us, my router is on 24x7 and the only time I think of refreshing it is when I'm using my computer. Of course, this is the least convenient time to perform a router reboot and interrupt my work.

I recently read a tip which is so simple and easy that I'm almost embarrassed to share it. Connect an AC timer to your router's power cord, the kind of timer you can buy in the hardware store that you use to automatically turn lamps on/off when you're away from home. I set my timer to keep the router powered on all the time except for 3am each morning when it switches off for only 10 minutes. When the timer switches the power back on, the router will reboot, reconnect, and any updates from your ISP will be applied. You can check your router's log the following day if you want to see the restart activity with timestamps matching your timer control.

That's it. Just that simple. I love it when a plan comes together.

 

[Pekelo]

Refreshing your router daily is overdoing it. Once a week should be just fine. Set your timer for Friday after the close, or for Monday before the open and you are fine. Also a quick unplug works well, you don't need a timer.

Keep is simple...

 

[sprstpd]

Keeping it simplest, never reboot your router/modem unless forced to. I don't want ISP pushing crap to me anyway - I want a stable system without any surprises. It is like not upgrading to the latest TWS until IB forces me to. Why screw around with something that is working?

As a side note, whenever I call in to my ISP about internet problems (that are always their fault), the friendly technician always says, "Oh well your modem has been on for 180 days consecutively without power cycling! I'll power cycle it from here and that will probably fix your problem!" And of course the power cycling never fixes the problem.

 

[stevegee58]

It sounds like you're using (i.e. renting) your ISP's cable modem. It's far safer and cheaper to shop around and buy your own to manage yourself. Your ISP should be a vanilla pipe to the internet and nothing more.

 

[destriero]

I have a recent-model Moto/ARRIS Surfboard. It is not the ISP-supplied garbage. The thing gets cludgy every few days. 13's suggestion is genius.

Anyone have a suggestion for a good modem/router combo for cable?

 

[stevegee58]

I have a recent-model Moto/ARRIS Surfboard. It is not the ISP-supplied garbage. The thing gets cludgy every few days. 13's suggestion is genius.

It's not genius, it's kludgy. Instead of cobbling together a Rube Goldberg setup to cope with junky hardware why not just go spends a few $$$ and buy something decent.
Look for good ratings on places like cnet.com and tomsguide.com.

 

[Trader13]

It's VERY difficult to diagnose problems involving your ISP (Internet Service Provider) connection without a comprehensive set of network tools that most people don't have or know how to use. Of course, there are more targeted ways to correct specific problems (e.g., ipconfig to force DHCP to replace a stale IP address, or to clear the DNS cache) than power cycling your router. But you never know with certainty what the problem is, and your router may not be the problem at all.

This recycle of the router will accomplish everything that can be done for both your router as well as on the ISP side. And it's done overnight while you are sleeping so there is nothing you have to remember to do and you're not inconvenienced. If daily seems like overkill, then do it weekly if your timer supports weekly settings.

Now if you are really concerned about your ISP pushing you rogue updates, then maybe a weekly recycle is better performed on a Friday night so you have the opportunity to troubleshoot any problems over the weekend before the next business day on Monday. It's a tradeoff of benefit vs risk and depends on your experience with your ISP.

 

[Karin42]

Lol at all this simply, I clearly do not get anything like that, all you need to do is to go to the website for something like new firmware for updating router or simply can go for something like 192.168.1.1 and see your device out there and here lies updates.