Reviewed by Router Setup Editorial Team Last reviewed:

A power interruption can leave the modem, ONT and router starting in the wrong order, or expose damage to an adapter, cable or surge-protection device.

First checks

  1. Check whether the modem or ONT reaches its normal online state before the router starts.
  2. Inspect the router's power adapter and status lights rather than repeatedly pressing reset.
  3. Restart the upstream device first, wait until it is ready, and then restart the router.

How to interpret the result

If the router powers on and local management works but the WAN stays offline, the upstream service or DHCP lease may not have recovered. If there are no lights at all, test the power outlet and correct adapter. If the router restarts repeatedly, disconnect nonessential USB or Ethernet devices and check for heat or power instability.

What this symptom usually does not prove

Do not factory-reset the router before recording ISP credentials or confirming that the upstream modem has recovered.

Escalate with useful evidence

Record which devices are affected, whether Ethernet and Wi‑Fi behave differently, the router or gateway status, and the exact time of the fault. This evidence helps distinguish a local client issue, radio problem, routing policy, upstream service fault or failing hardware.

Before a factory reset

Restart the relevant device first and save any ISP, Wi‑Fi, reservation, port-forwarding or mesh information needed to rebuild the network. A factory reset is a configuration-recovery action, not a universal diagnostic test.

Related troubleshooting

Safety: Do not share router passwords or remote-control codes to diagnose this symptom.