Devices that Reboot Your Broadband Router to Improve WiFi are BAD

An American firm called MultiNet has built a new device called the ResetPlug, which describes itself as a “smart plug” that monitors your WiFi router and “resets power if WiFi fails“. On the surface this might seem a good idea, but not if you’re on a DSL (ADSL) based broadband line like most of us.

Digging deeper the description states that ResetPlug, which costs $59.99 (£41.37 at today’s exchange rate, excluding UK shipping), “will act as a WiFi client to test the Internet connection” and “if the Internet fails to work, the ResetPlug will cycle power to the WiFi equipment to reset the Internet connection.”

Apparently it gets even better because the device then “continues to cycle power [reset the router] every five minutes until the Internet works again” 🙄 . Generally speaking if you have to reset the router a lot to get your WiFi working then it’s probably time to get a better router or at least change its position and network setup / settings.

Most WiFi drops don’t tend to be the fault of the router itself and are usually caused by other factors, such as a fault with your receiving device, a loss of signal as you move through your home or they can be mistaken for your broadband connection going down. See our article – 10 Top Tips for Boosting Your Home Wi-Fi Wireless Network Speeds – for some useful advice on that aspect.

The other BIG problem here is that most DSL based broadband lines don’t like to be disconnected repeatedly and indeed doing so can cause your sync speed to fall, which is due to how such lines are automatically managed and monitored in order to deliver the best stability. Not only that but you might lose work, especially if you’re in the middle of transferring some data between different devices on the same network. Too many disconnections might also look like a line fault to the ISP.

Most of the time if your Internet connection does drop then the router will usually resolve the issue automatically (give it time) or you can try a manual reset every 30 mins or so, but make sure that the DSL connection is definitely dead first so as not to risk negatively affecting your service performance (most routers will reflect this status via a front facing LED).

Otherwise the ResetPlug seems like a waste of money and you’d probably be better off putting the cash to more productive use, such as by purchasing a new router, WiFi extender or several bottles of wine. The latter will at least help you to forget about the sucky WiFi.