How to reboot your modem

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.

It's also important to reboot your modem after any outage to refresh the network connection.

Anyone can reboot manually, and many customers can also use the My CenturyLink app or website.

Note: All devices connected to your network will lose their internet (or WiFi) connection while the modem restarts. If your devices are configured to remember the WiFi network, they'll reconnect automatically once the modem boots up. Otherwise, you'll need to use device settings to reconnect to WiFi after a reboot.

How to reboot manually

To reboot your modem manually, follow these steps:

Unplug the power cord from the back of the modem. Make sure you have unplugged the correct cord by checking that all the lights on the modem go OFF.
Wait for 1 minute. Be patient and wait the full minute for the best results.
Plug the power cord back in and wait for the power light and internet light to turn green (or the single LED if you have a C4000 model).

You should now be able to get online.

box-style modem showing green connection lights

Green light ring on the C4000 modem shows internet connection

Green power, DSL and internet lights on a tower or box-style modem shows internet connection

Sign in to My CenturyLink to reboot

With some modems, you can reboot from the app or website. If this option hasn't been added for your modem yet, it's coming soon!

Download the My CenturyLink app

Once you sign in, select Services from the bottom menu. The services screen will show you two buttons for rebooting or restarting your modem. There is one button at the top of the screen and another when you scroll down to the "equipment" section.

CenturyLink app services screen showing buttons to reboot and restart modem

After you sign in to My CenturyLink online, select Services from the top menu.

The Services page will have a section for equipment. Click on the button for your modem.

My CenturyLink website "services" page showing the modem in the equipment section

On the Modem page, you'll see a button to "reboot modem."

My CenturyLink modem page showing button to reboot

You'll need to wait for a few minutes 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.

Modem still not working after rebooting?

You may need 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.