Router Overload – What It Is & How to Fix It - StartupGuys.net (2023)

If you are experiencing low internet speeds in your home office or have any other trouble with your internet connection, the cause could be router overload.

Routers can overload just like the rest of our electronics, but what happens with router overload is a little different. It can really be a big inconvenience, especially when you have to meet deadlines. You might find yourself stuck with a bad connection. Such a situation can negatively affect your productivity.

This article will discuss what router overload is and why it happens, along with some key solutions to assist you if it does.

What is Router Overload?

Router overload is essentially when your router is handling way too many tasks at once. For example, let’s say you’ve got your computer streaming something and downloading some large files. This can occur with multiple devices, and from all of this, it generates heat. It’s basically handling too many processes, and your router can’t take it.

Small Routers usually are strong enough, but they often may be handling too much on one little device. You may also have the software, hardware, and connectivity issues that follow this, so understanding why it’s happening and looking at the devices and how they connect, you’ll be able to tackle router overload easily.

The Signs of Router Overload

The signs of router overload usually show themselves in the form of slower internet speeds, and your downloads are taking forever. This affects the entire connection that you have as well, not just the websites you’re downloading from. Usually, this is a sign of either software or hardware issues too. Still, if you notice that when you’re visiting the homepage or even doing something high-bandwidth and you can’t do it on multiple devices, then this is definitely a sign that your router is overloaded.

Some people might also notice that the router behaves unpredictably, especially shutting down randomlyor even disconnecting the local devices.You definitely may notice that it comes with the overheating rather than just overloading too, since this kind of goes hand in hand.

Sometimes, you may notice login issueswhere you can’t log in today, and the lights aren’t working.

If you’re also noticing that you can’t seem to get anything done today, from navigating a homepage to downloading a large file, without the connection dropping off and reconnecting, then chances are your router is overloaded, and you’ll definitely need something. Plus, that’s super annoying to deal with, and we don’t’ want to deal with going just a few hours before the wireless signal poops out.

So yes, if you notice these symptoms, then you’ll want to make sure that you’re getting a fix, and we’ll list these solutions below on how to fix router overload.

Solution 1: Getting a New Router

This is usually the first solution. Your router may have too much going on, and you might notice that it keeps shutting off again and again. You may need a new router, and that’s not a huge problem. You can try to power cycle, as we’ve touched on before and will go into the next section, but sometimes your router can’t handle these extra devices. If you’re downloading a lot, chances are they’re just making things harder on you, so the solution to this is to get a router that can handle everything you need to be done, and from there, try to connect this again.

Solution 2: Shutting down the Router

This is more of a temporary solution, but over time, sometimes this might work. It works well if you’re dealing with overheated routers. What you do is you power cycle by taking it out of the outlet, wait about half a minute, and then plug it back in. If that doesn’t’ work, try hard resetting it, and hold it for a few seconds to push it into factory settings.

If it’s not running in an area that’s ventilated, move it somewhere else, and if it’s not hot to the touch, you should be fine. But if it is, you should just shut it off for a bit.

Try unplugging and reattaching the ethernet cables and use spare ones to test whether it’s the router or even the modem.If you haven’t, you should also check for firmware updates.

Alright, so if you’ve tried this and still nothing, you’ll need a new router.

Solution 3: Adding a Second Router

Finally, if you are using more than 10 items to connect, you should consider adding a second router.Usually, a router at home doesn’t really need to have a secondary router, but if you notice that the home devices are actively using the network too much, this can happen. Sometimes, you may not even have issues with the overheating, but instead, it can cause outages in the network. That’s why sometimes the best solution is to add a second router.

It’s quite easy to do, and often, you can connect this same router to the modem. Suppose you lie in a big place that often has a lot of devices connected to it. In that case, chances are you’ll want to put a second router in place to help with this, and it will make it much easier for you to deal with. It will help with any connectivity issues that come about from this, and you’d be surprised at the difference it makes in your home devices and connections.

Preventing Router Overload in the Future

Overall, you should now know the basics when it comes to fixing router overload. But, you shouldn’t leave here without knowing the right measures to take to prevent router overload in the future. So, let’s go over a couple of key preventative measures.

In general, you should develop a few good habits that will naturally prevent your router from becoming overwhelmed. One of these habits is to regularly check your Activity Monitor or Task Manager to make sure your CPU isn’t using too much power. If you have too many connections to your client open, you risk entering the danger zone. If you suspect that your router might be having trouble or if you haven’t checked in a while, open the Activity Monitor and you’ll be able to see how many tasks are being carried out.

The second set of habits we briefly mentioned before. The first is to keep your router ventilated. If your router is supporting multiple connections, it’s only natural that it will heat up in response to the energy demand. So, there’s no escaping a little bit of heat, but you can mitigate this by storing your router in a cool, dry place. If nothing else, this will slow down the progression of router overload. The second habit is to consistently update the firmware. This is easy—if you have any questions, just call your internet service provider (ISP).

The Bottom Line

When it comes to your router, sometimes you might just be working with far too much on there for the device. When that happens, it’s best if you take your time, and actually work to ensure that you have the best results possible with your device, and you can do that with the different solutions like following instructions at the online manual that can be foundhere. It’s best if you learn to understand router overload so you can fix the solution and do it fast so your business efficiency remains on track.

So, we hope that this article helped you understand what’s happening with your router, how to fix it, and how to prevent it. In the comments, you can let us know if you are still having problems and we can try to help you find where to go from there. Thanks for reading, and we will see you back here next week having problems and we can try to help you find where to go from there. Thanks for reading, and we will see you back here next week!