Rebooting your modem is the first thing to try when something's going wrong with your internet connection. It is often the simplest way to improve slow or spotty connections and resolve wireless issues. And it's easy to do!
Watch the video or read the instructions below to reboot manually, through the app, or using Service Troubleshooter. The modem style in the video may not match your own modem, but the steps are the same no matter what model you have.
It's important to note that all devices connected to your modem (or your modem’s wireless network) will lose their internet connection while the modem reboots. If your devices are configured to remember that wireless (WiFi) connection, they will automatically reconnect when the modem has fully restarted. Otherwise, you will need to manually reconnect those devices to WiFi after rebooting.
To reboot your modem manually, follow these steps:
Did you know you can actually reboot your modem from anywhere with the CenturyLink mobile app?
Once you log in, select My Products at the bottom of the screen. If you have internet service, you'll see a menu of options for internet. Tap on Reboot My Modem. Then, continue following the steps below.
You'll need to wait for a few mintues while the reboot completes. If you are near your modem, you'll see the lights go off, and then start lighting up again as it boots up. Once the INTERNET light turns green, you know you're back online.
Another way to know when the reboot is done is to watch your phone’s WiFi connection. You will lose your WiFi connection when the modem shuts down. Then, once it boots back up and starts sending out the wireless signal again, your phone will either auto-connect OR you'll be able to see your WiFi network show up in the list of available networks.
For a more comprehensive process, you can run the Service Troubleshooter tool to test your internet service for issues, and then reboot your modem from within the tool if you want. This may diagnose outages or other causes of your internet connectivity problems.
1. Start by going to the Service Troubleshooter login screen as shown here, then enter your account or billing phone number as well as your billing zip code. Then click "Run Test."
2. Wait as the test runs. If any problems are found, you will be advised on what to do next. If no known issues are discovered, you'll see the screen below. From here, you can click Internet Problems to go to a specific menu of options related to your internet service.
3. At this point, you can click on the "Sign in to My CenturyLink" link above the button if you'd like to run an internet diagnostic test. After signing in, click the Run Data Line Test button and wait while the system completes testing. This can take a few minutes.
4. Finally, you will be shown several options for automated troubleshooting for your service and for your modem. One of the modem choices is Reboot my modem. You can try this or any of the options shown here to get further help. If you aren't able to resolve your internet problem by rebooting or other self-help tools, you will also be given the option within Service Troubleshooter to chat with an agent for more help or to open a repair ticket.
You may want to try a full modem reset, which returns the modem to its original (factory default) settings.
Or you can check for firmware updates, as outdated firmware can also cause performance issues.