What is the 30-30-30 hard reset rule for routers?

Turning off your Wi-Fi can really ruin your day, especially if you have essential smart home gadgets that need to be connected to work. You can often resolve the problem by simply restarting your router. We’ve all heard the joke “Have you tried unplugging it and plugging it back in?”, but it really does apply in many cases. However, if rebooting doesn’t work, the next step is to perform a hard reset. It is also known as the 30-30-30 reset rule, a reference to the actual process.

A 30-30-30 hard reset involves holding down the reset button on a router for 30 seconds, unplugging the device for 30 seconds while holding the button, and plugging the router back in while leaving your finger on the button for another 30 seconds. While a reboot keeps your settings saved and simply reboots the device, a hard reset will restore your router to its factory settings.

It’s a simple and easy rule to remember, but unfortunately, it only applies to older routers and can cause problems with AC (Wi-Fi 5) and newer routers, sometimes even corrupting bootloaders or firmware. These days, Wi-Fi 5 is obsolete, Wi-Fi 6 is widespread, and Wi-Fi 7 is available for a small (but growing) number of devices – to the point where you may be wondering whether or not you should upgrade to a Wi-Fi 7 router. Whatever your decision regarding Wi-Fi 7, you probably don’t have a router that can be reset with the 30-30-30 rule.

It’s possible that you still have a Wi-Fi 4 router, because the technology is still working in 2026. Given that more than a decade has passed since its successor was introduced, you should probably replace your router anyway. Using the 30-30-30 rule on a newer router doesn’t guarantee that it will cause problems, but it won’t necessarily solve your problem either. Newer models don’t manage memory the same way as older ones, so the old way won’t benefit the new device.

If you are unsure whether your router can be safely restored to factory settings using the 30-30-30 rule, exercise caution. A Reddit user says he bricked a Netgear Nighthawk R7000, at the time a popular and reliable Wi-Fi 5 router, by trying to reset it this way.

The best thing to do is to consult your manual, but if you’re in a hurry, holding down the reset button on your router while leaving it connected to a power source throughout the process is usually a safe option. For Netgear routers, you just need to hold it down for about seven seconds. There may not be a catchy name to remember it by, but resetting routers today is significantly easier than before.