A router is an immediate choice for people who require internet for multiple devices at the same time. Most of us don’t switch OFF the router when we go to sleep at night or when the router is left unused. In the majority of households or offices, a router remains ON throughout the day for months or years. Is this okay? Will switching OFF the router frequently affect its overall function? What about the electricity cost if the router is ON all the time? Let’s see answers to these questions and know more about what happens if the router is kept ON always.
Is it okay if the router is ON all the time?
Yes, absolutely. The router can be kept ON for months and years. It is manufactured in such a way to function with full efficiency even when it doesn’t take a rest now and then. Many of us wonder if the router should need some break from functioning as it is always ON.
Luckily, unlike people, your router doesn’t need a break to work wonders. It’s okay if you don’t reboot the router or switch it OFF and then switch it ON frequently. It will work with full efficiency when kept ON constantly. Some of you might reboot the router or restart it when the signal strength gets weak or any of the devices gets disconnected. That is very much okay. But, you don’t have to get into the myth that a router needs to be switched OFF once in a while for better functioning.
Should I worry about my electricity costs if the router is ON always?
This is one of the practical reasons why most people do not leave their router ON at night. They fear their electricity costs are going to get high if the router is ON when nobody is even using it. Though the reason is valid, you do not have to worry much as a router will not cost you much even if its runs 24*7. They don’t consume much power to increase your electricity costs. The energy consumption of a router is very less. The convenience and all-time internet accessibility provided by the router will outweigh the minimal electricity costs you receive because of the router.
Why your router doesn’t need to be powered OFF?
Like we already mentioned, every router is designed in such a way to work well when it is constantly powered ON. This article will point out some practical reasons why a router doesn’t need to be powered OFF.
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Inconvenience to access devices
You will experience unwanted inconvenience when you switch OFF the router now and then when it is unused. Some of these devices will need internet for automatic updates, which will get disrupted when you switch OFF the router. With advanced technology, apart from smartphones, laptops, and TVs, much other equipment requires the internet to function. This includes light bulbs, window blinds, plug sockets, etc.
These things need Wi-Fi to operate. When you switch OFF the router, Wi-Fi to these things will get disconnected. Apart from these things, you will also have to reconnect your devices now and then if you switch OFF the router frequently. It is best to keep the router ON even when not in use as this will enable easy access to the internet for you without any delays or inconvenience.
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Designed in such a manner to stay ON
A router is designed by default to be left powered ON for months and years. It does not require rest or breaks to function. You don’t have to switch OFF the router when you go to sleep or when the router is not in use. It can be kept ON throughout the day for years. This makes internet accessibility easy for your devices whenever you want to browse something. Many pieces of equipment such as a smart TV or window blinds that require Wi-Fi will also work efficiently if the router is ON all the time. There is also a myth that switching OFF and then switching ON the router frequently will decrease the lifespan of the router.
A router is manufactured to be left ON all the time, but it doesn’t mean if it is switched OFF now and then; it will reduce its lifespan. This is a wrong idea. Your router will work just fine even when you frequently reboot or restart it. But, the restart or reboot is just not necessary. It will work just well if it’s left powered ON all the time. You can reboot it during weak signal strength or low internet speed. Sometimes that will help reconnect devices that got disconnected for some strange reasons. It might also speed up the internet at times.
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Unstable internet connection
When you frequently switch OFF and switch ON the router now and then, you might experience an unstable internet connection. The devices connected to your router will take time to reconnect again and stabilize the internet connection. The upload and download speeds will also go down as a result of frequent rebooting. Most router users very frequently switch OFF and switch ON the router whenever they face a minor issue with the router. They might not know what had caused the issue, but the only solution they believe would be repeatedly rebooting the router.
This may cause instability in the connection, and your devices will take time to stabilize the connection to get faster internet speed. Even when the reboot is over, you might face slow internet speed. This is because your device is figuring out how to stabilize the connection. Originally, your Internet Service Provider would have dropped the internet speed and you might have rebooted the router thinking it was the router’s fault. You must know, rebooting the router doesn’t have any effect on this.
Does rebooting the router increase internet speed?
This is one of the popular doubts among many. Rebooting is very commonly done by router users when the internet speed goes down. Sometimes, rebooting may help reconnect the disconnected devices. Rarely might it also increase the internet speed. But, at most times rebooting the router doesn’t have any impact on the internet speed. Your ISP might be the reason for slow internet and not your router.
Will switching OFF the router improve internet security?
Switching off the router does improve internet security. You can switch OFF the router when not in use to protect your confidential data, but if you own a router that is updated with security configurations in place, then you need not worry about switching it OFF. Your devices will be well protected if your router has good security configurations that are updated now and then. Buying a router from reputed or trustworthy brands can give you regular firmware updates. Avoid buying routers from cheap brands.
How to automatically switch OFF the router?
Some might want to switch OFF the router at night when they go to sleep. To achieve this, you can do automatic scheduling to switch OFF the router. You will be able to automatically switch OFF the router only if your Wi-Fi router has built-in scheduling software. You should go to Settings and set the schedule for the Wi-Fi to automatically switch OFF at a specified time.
You can also use a smart power plug. By using this you can control the Wi-Fi’s electricity. You can control this power plug using phone apps or laptop apps. Through the app, you can set when the Wi-Fi router can turn ON or OFF. To turn the router OFF at night, you can disable the power plug. The power plug can be enabled in the morning. You should own a smart power plug for this purpose. Smart power plugs are very much affordable and also come with efficient features.
A smartphone application can help you access smart power plugs. Though switching OFF the router is not necessary even when are asleep or when the router is not in use, if you badly want to do it, you can try using these two methods. Both router configuration and smart power plugs can help you turn the Wi-Fi router OFF when not in use.
Conclusion
A router is manufactured in such a way to be left powered ON even when not in use. So, you do not have to worry about switching it OFF when it is not in use or when you go to sleep. You do not have to worry about power consumption as a router won’t consume much power. You will also face instability in the internet connection if you frequently reboot your router. However, you could turn it OFF to protect your security when the router is not in use or to reconnect devices that got disconnected. Apart from these, there are no reasons for frequent rebooting of the router. A router comes with better benefits when it is constantly ON than when it is often being powered OFF.
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