Is there a certain order for rebooting modem, router, and switch?

Question

My ISP's tech support once told me a certain order for rebooting a modem, router, and switch, but I can't find/didn't make any notes for this. Does the reboot order matter? If it does, is there one universal rule, or does the order depend on the brand/type/vintage of the devices? If the order does matter, should I first reboot device A, wait until it finishes starting up, and then reboot B (and then C)? Or should all devices be off, and then power up one after the other? I'm a little skeptical of this bit of tech support because I've never experienced/heard about any problems caused by a power outage (i.e. everything powers up all at once).

Answer 1

"From the outside, inwards" is the simplest way to remember it.

Power everything off first, then start nearest the 'outside world' & work in towards your computer.

Give everything 2 minutes before powering up the next item. That gives everything time to establish itself & its relationship to the devices further out, which will be supplying necessary information.

Over-simplified explanation...
The modem* needs to establish connectivity to your ISP.
The router* needs to establish connectivity with the modem, get its IP address from your ISP etc.
Any switches/hubs/WiFi* access points have somewhere to find their info for the next step.
Your computer needs access to some/all the above to establish its IP address using DHCP, & discover its route to the internet.

*If they are in a single box, they are designed to know which order to do these tasks in.

As you say, after a power outage these things usually manage to figure it out for themselves - but not always & this way is much more certain.

Answer 2

Modem, router, devices.

In most instances your router gets an IP address from the modem and your devices get IP addresses from the router (DHCP). Even if you are using static IPs on router and devices this is the best order.

Your modem pulls ISP info that is necessary for your router to establish a connection to the internet (WAN). Your devices need this information with any additional instructions for addressing/routing your devices on the internal network (LAN).

Answer 3

The order is correct, but neither of the above answers clearly specifies the internet hookup detail. You power up the modem first, but do not plug in the DSL cable until after the router has been established. Otherwise, you are vulnerable during that booting time, and your router could even become compromised in the process.

Answer 4

My only partially educated opinion thinks the accessory client-nodes ( computers, TVs, receivers, etc. - not switches bridges and routers down the chain) on the network are better left powered on during LAN/WAN reboot, unless there is a local problem with one in which case depending on what kind of node (computer, printer, TV receiver) if computer connected to a cascading router via Ethernet, I’d shut it off first and power it back on before the gateway/modem is started with and as mentioned every two minutes move away to access points and said routers... in my house I have 4 levels of routing, if u count the security system access point as a level, I do as it Controlls several of its own nodes (cameras / user devices).... if that doesn’t work or it was a printer or TV receiver I might power it down first and then Power it back up last after all connections and IPs are established... I may be way off here, but it seems like having the DHCP clients powered on when it’s router / access point is Power cycling and accessing the DHCP server