Yes. Your router is designed to stay switched on 24 hours a day, so there’s no need to turn it off when you go to bed or whenever you’re not using the internet.
Keeping it switched on means your broadband and Wi-Fi are ready whenever you need them – whether that’s for your phone, smart TV, security cameras or any other connected devices around your home.
There’s generally no need to.
Even when you’re not actively browsing or streaming, devices around your home may still rely on your internet connection in the background.
Switching your router off will temporarily disconnect anything using your Wi-Fi until it's switched back on and fully connected again.
Your router may also receive software and security updates automatically, so keeping it powered on allows these to happen when required.
You shouldn't need to restart your router regularly just to keep it working.
However, if you're experiencing a connection problem, restarting it can sometimes help.
Switching the router off and back on gives it a chance to reconnect and can clear temporary issues.
If you do need to restart it, switch the router off, wait around 30 seconds, then switch it back on.
Give it a few minutes to fully reconnect before testing your connection again.
If you're only going away for a short time, you can leave your router switched on as normal – particularly if you have devices such as smart security systems, cameras or other connected equipment that you want to remain online.
If you choose to switch it off while you're away, remember that anything relying on your home Wi-Fi will also lose its connection until the router is switched back on.
