NETGEAR Nighthawk RS300 Wi-Fi 7 router restarts, freezes or overheats

The checks in more detail

Power next: use only the adapter that came with the router, since a lookalike with the wrong voltage or current produces heat, noise and reboots under load. Plug it straight into a wall outlet to rule out a weak power strip. If the router restarts when the network is busy, a marginal power supply is the likely cause. Software matters too. The NETGEAR community threads about the RS300 describe restarts and connection loss linked to certain firmware, and heavy features such as Armor, QoS and VPN raise the load, so turn them off for a test and turn them on one at a time.

Check the router's log in the web page for repeated events and note the times. Update the firmware after reading the release notes, or roll back if the problem started after an update. If a particular device causes restarts, disconnect devices one by one to find it. Cables matter: a damaged WAN cable that flaps can cause repeated reconnects that look like restarts. Keep the room cool, since summer heat adds to the problem. If the router restarts with good ventilation, the original adapter and default settings, it may be faulty and NETGEAR support should replace it, which is covered by warranty in the first years.

Keep a note of the date and time of each restart, and check the router's log for the same times. A restart that always follows a particular action, such as turning on a feature, connecting a certain device or a firmware check, has a clear cause. Restarts at the same hour each day can come from a scheduled task in the router, such as an automatic reboot or update, which you can change in the settings. Also check the power outlet's other loads: a router sharing a circuit with a heater or a fridge can see small voltage dips that trigger a reset.