NETGEAR's list for a router that keeps rebooting is short and ordered: upgrade the firmware, try a different power outlet, use an uninterruptible power supply against outages, make sure you use the adapter that came in the box, and if all else fails reset to factory settings. The Power LED helps: solid amber means powering on, blinking amber means a firmware upgrade or Reset press, and blinking white means corrupted firmware. NETGEAR's power LED article says to check the adapter is firmly connected to the router and a working outlet,
The checks in more detail
and that a slowly blinking Power LED means corrupted firmware, from an interrupted update or a detected fault; a persistent error points to hardware. On start-up the Power LED is amber for about 20 seconds and then white, and if it is still amber a minute later, turn power off and on, then hold Reset. Keep the router in the open at table height, away from heat, sun and stacked equipment, so it does not overheat. A factory reset needs the Reset button held seven seconds and erases your settings.
A router that is very hot, swollen or smells of burning should be unplugged and taken out of use. Heat builds where air cannot move: shelves behind a television, cupboards and sunny window sills. Moving an Orbi to an open shelf costs nothing and is the first test, and a log of when restarts occur makes the pattern visible. A unit that only reboots at particular times may share a circuit with a heavy appliance, and plugging it into another circuit is a free test that often ends the problem.
A router that is warm to the touch is normal, but one you cannot hold your hand on for ten seconds deserves better airflow, and possibly replacement if it stays that hot in the open. Stacking a router on a warm set-top box or modem is a common cause of heat, so give it its own shelf and check whether the restarts stop once it has air around it. If the restarts began after a thunderstorm, suspect a surge that damaged the power supply and replace the adapter first.
Differential
Likely causes of “NETGEAR Nighthawk routers restarts, freezes or overheats”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
Old firmware
What separates it The router restarts at random because its firmware is out of date
How to confirm Update the firmware first, since NETGEAR advises that as the first step for reboots
- 2
A poor outlet
What separates it The router reboots whenever there is a power event because the outlet is poor
How to confirm Use another outlet, or an uninterruptible power supply, to protect against power problems
- 3
The wrong adapter
What separates it The power is unstable because the wrong power adapter is being used
How to confirm Use the supplied adapter that came in the box with the router
- 4
Corrupted firmware
What separates it The Power light is blinking white because the firmware is corrupted
How to confirm Follow the recovery route that NETGEAR describes for corrupted firmware
- 5
A failing router
What separates it It reboots in every location, so the unit itself is failing
How to confirm Replace it under warranty; a failing unit keeps rebooting
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- What the Power light does while the router starts up and runs
- The outlet and power adapter in use
- How warm the router feels
- When the restarts happen and what was going on then
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedUpdate firmware
ReversibleUpdate the firmware first, since that is the first step that NETGEAR gives for reboots.
Change the outlet
ReversibleChange the outlet, or use a UPS, to protect the router from power outages and surges.
Use the supplied adapter
ReversibleUse the supplied adapter that came in the box, and not a different one from another device.
Move it to the open
ReversibleStand the router in the open, away from heat sources, with air moving around it.
Read the Power LED
ReversibleRead the Power light, which shows amber or white depending on what state the router is in.
Factory reset
ReversibleIf it comes to that, factory reset the router by holding the Reset button for seven seconds.
Replace if it persists
ReversibleIf the fault survives all these steps, replace the router under warranty.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Adapters
- Each model has its own adapter, so match it to the model.
- Cable models
- On the CAX80 a modem fault can also look like a restart.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit the Nighthawk RAXE500 router, Nighthawk RAX50 router, Nighthawk CAX80 cable modem router.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !Restarts that continue after a firmware update, a new outlet and the supplied adapter mean replacing the router under warranty
- !If the Power LED blinks white, contact NETGEAR support for recovery
- !A router that is hot, swollen or smelly should be taken out of use
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Firmware, outlet, adapter and reset.
Adapter and corrupted firmware.
Amber for 20 seconds then white.
Seven-second reset and default login.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
Why does my router reboot?+
Firmware, power or a failing unit.
What does NETGEAR suggest first?+
NETGEAR suggests that you update the firmware first, since it can fix random restarts.
How long is the Power LED amber at start?+
The Power light is amber for about twenty seconds at startup, and then it changes.
How long do I hold Reset?+
Hold the Reset button for seven seconds, with a paper clip, to reset the router.
Should I try a different outlet before a UPS, or the other way round?+
Try the outlet first — it is free and takes a minute, while a UPS is a purchase, so it only makes sense to buy one once a different outlet has been ruled out as the fix, not as the first thing tried.
Can a router restart itself just from being stacked on a warm box, with no other cause?+
Yes, if the stacked heat pushes it hot enough to trigger thermal protection; moving it to open air with nothing stacked on top is the single cheapest test to run before assuming the unit itself has failed.