Nowadays, the Internet is used for a wide variety of areas of life in the home – whether for working in the home office, at a family movie evening or for shopping. But is it worth turning off the router regularly?
That’s why you should turn off the WiFi router regularly
WiFi routers are in constant operation in most households. However, it may also be worthwhile to switch off the device every now and then. Focus lists some of the benefits of regularly unplugging your router. If the router is not in constant use, you can save a lot of electricity, for example. The devices usually consume between six and 20 watts per hour. With an electricity price of around 25 cents per kilowatt hour, you can quickly add up to eleven to 44 euros in electricity costs per year, which are generated by the router. You can also do something for the environment when you turn off the device. “In continuous operation, routers produce 53 kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions from energy consumption every year,” says Focus. And security can also play a role when switching off routers. Even though private households are less likely to fall victim to cybercriminals, there have been a number of cases in the past in which private home networks have been attacked. If you switch off the router regularly, your own network is less likely to be attacked. But it’s not just network security that plays a role. Protecting your own health should also be taken into account when operating the WLAN router. If you switch off the device when it is not in use, you can reduce your body’s exposure to radiation.
At these times the router should be turned off
Of course, you don’t have to turn off the router when it’s in use. However, there are certain times when it makes sense to switch off the router. Since most people don’t usually need the internet at night, it’s worth turning it off before going to bed. The same applies if you are on the move. If no one is at home, internet access is usually not needed and the router can be switched off. If you are leaving your home for a longer period of time, for example on vacation, it is even more worthwhile to turn off the router for this period of time. If you want to withdraw from the internet world and focus more on other things, you can, for example, introduce an “internet-free day” on the weekend, on which you can also turn off the router.
Switching off the router can have these disadvantages
However, turning off a WiFi router regularly can also have some disadvantages, as Focus reports. For example, you can no longer be reached by telephone while the router is switched off, because these days telephony also runs via the router. Devices may also experience update problems. Many devices now update at night, but this is not possible without an internet connection. If there are many smart home devices in your home, they will not work while the router is switched off. Provider problems can also arise. If you regularly switch off the device for a longer period of time, the provider’s diagnostic system could mistakenly assume that there is a problem and therefore reduce the bit rate. Lastly, routers are designed for continuous operation, which could lead to wear and tear problems if they are switched off and on regularly.
E. Schmal / editorial team finanzen.net