It is essential that you switch off your router regularly!
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In many households, the router should be in operation around the clock. He provides us with WiFi 24 hours a day, although this is usually not necessary. There are three key advantages to giving him frequent breaks.te
We turn off the TV and lights before bed and maybe even put the smartphone on airplane mode. You should consider including the router in this daily routine. That could be good for your safety, your wallet and your health!
Contents
1. Protection against abuse
The router runs around the clock, but we cannot permanently monitor its activities. However, this can have fatal consequences, because routers are repeatedly the victims of criminals. In 2018, almost one million Telekom customers were disconnected from the Internet. The cause was very likely a hacker attack that paralyzed the customers’ routers. In February 2019, the alleged perpetrator was caught, but such threats are possible at any time – even if not to the same extent. As soon as the router is switched off, however, criminals cannot wreak havoc.
The same naturally also applies to minor attacks on your own home network. Make sure to check regularly who is in your WiFi network. You can find out how to do this in our article: Does the neighbor secretly use your WLAN?
2. Save electricity
If the router is in continuous operation, this will also be reflected in the electricity bill. Even when you are not using the WLAN – for example at night – the device draws power. Turning off the router is especially worthwhile when you are on vacation. The router consumes between 5 and 20 watts. At around 25 cents per kilowatt hour, continuous operation of the router costs the user around eleven to 44 euros a year. Pretty unnecessary, isn’t it? So switch off the router and save money – it’s good for the environment and your wallet!
3. Potentially harmful radiation
As technology advances, so does the electromagnetic radiation to which we are exposed every day. The WLAN signal can also have an impact on our health, even if no health consequences have been scientifically proven if the guide values are adhered to. “ The Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS) generally recommends minimizing personal radiation exposure in order to keep possible but previously unrecognized health risks low, ” says a BfS leaflet on WLAN. The Federal Office therefore advises avoiding wireless technology whenever possible, avoiding setting up WLAN access points in the immediate and permanent vicinity of people and activating the range limitation on the router in order to reduce radiation.
To switch off the router, simply press the switch-off button on the device. Some models already have a timer that can be used to determine exactly when the device will automatically turn itself off.
Also interesting: Do not take your smartphone into the bathroom!
These steps will help if the router malfunctions
If you ever have a WiFi problem, follow these tips:
- Check all indicator lights on the router.
- Restart your router by turning the device off for a few minutes and then turning it back on.
- Pay attention to the location of your router: doors and walls reduce the signal strength. The higher the device is, the greater the range.
- Inquire via your mobile internet on your smartphone whether other households are also affected by the problem. In isolated cases, a fault on the part of the provider can be the cause of the problem, such as maintenance work by the network operator.
What you should be aware of
Many users have a contract that links the Internet and telephony, which in reality then results in so-called Voice-over-IP telephony, which is guaranteed via the router . It follows that the phone will also stop working when the router is switched off. Thus, the user can neither call nor be called during that time. Emergency calls cannot be made when the device is switched off.
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