People reboot the router when Wi‑Fi feels stuck — and sometimes they do it hoping the public IP will flip. That hope is half right: a restart can force a new address from your ISP, but many households come back online with the same number. This post is a practical restart test, not a general tour of why IPs change over weeks. For that broader picture, see Does Your IP Address Stay the Same?.
You can check your public IP on FindMyIP before and after the reboot. That before/after pair is the whole experiment.
Short answer
Maybe. Restarting the modem or router forces a fresh DHCP conversation with your ISP. If the lease is released cleanly and the pool has moved on, you often get a different public IPv4. If the ISP still has your previous lease reserved — or you are behind CGNAT — you may see the same address again. There is no universal “reboot = new IP” rule.
What you are actually restarting
Home gear is usually one of these:
- Combined modem–router (one box from the ISP). Power-cycling it drops both the Wi‑Fi and the ISP link.
- Separate modem + router. Restarting only the Wi‑Fi router may leave the modem’s WAN lease untouched. To renegotiate the public address, power-cycle the modem (or the combo unit).
- Mesh nodes / Wi‑Fi access points. Restarting a node rarely changes the public IP; the ISP link lives on the main gateway.
If your goal is “new public IP,” target the device that talks to the ISP, not every light on the shelf.
Run the restart test (two minutes)
- On the home network with VPN off, open the What Is My IP homepage and write down the address (or screenshot it). Optionally run IP Lookup for network context.
- Unplug the modem or combo unit for 30–60 seconds (some ISPs need a short wait so the old lease can expire on their side).
- Plug it back in and wait until internet is fully up — often 2–5 minutes.
- Check What Is My IP again on the same path (same Wi‑Fi, VPN still off).
| Result | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Different public IP | The ISP handed you a new lease from the pool. |
| Same public IP | Lease was renewed with the same address, or you are on a sticky/static assignment. |
Same public IP, but WAN on the router looks private (100.64…, 10…) |
Likely CGNAT — the shared exit may not move when you reboot. |
Compare apples to apples. Checking on mobile data, at a café, or with a VPN on measures a different exit, not your home reboot.
Why a reboot sometimes changes nothing
The DHCP lease is still valid
On dynamic home internet, the ISP leases you a public address for a period of time. A short power cycle often just renews that lease. The provider’s equipment still associates your line with the previous address, so you get it back. Longer offline time (many minutes to hours, depending on the ISP) makes a change more likely, but even then it is not guaranteed. What Is DHCP on Home Internet? covers leases on the LAN side; the WAN side uses the same idea one hop up.
You have a static or “sticky” public IP
Some plans keep the same public IPv4 on purpose — a paid static option, or a “sticky” dynamic address that rarely moves. Restarting will not invent a new number if the assignment policy says stay put. Static vs Dynamic IP for Home Internet is the plan-choice article; here the point is simply: reboot cannot override the contract.
CGNAT shares the exit
Behind carrier-grade NAT, many customers share one public IPv4. Your reboot may refresh the private WAN address on your router while the public address sites see stays the shared exit. That is why the restart test is also a useful CGNAT clue when the router WAN and the web check disagree.
When people want a new IP on purpose
Common reasons:
- An allowlist or blocklist keyed to the old address
- A game, service, or rate limit tied to the exit IP
- Testing whether a problem follows the address
A reboot is the simplest first try. If the address will not move, options are waiting out the lease, asking the ISP, using a different path (mobile hotspot), or a VPN exit — understanding that a VPN changes the visible IP on purpose and is not the same as a new ISP lease on your line.
Do not expect FindMyIP (or any IP checker) to force a new address. Tools only report what the current request shows.
Safety notes for the reboot ritual
- Prefer the power button or a clean unplug over holding reset pins — reset can wipe Wi‑Fi settings; restart should not.
- After power returns, give the modem time before you assume “no internet forever.”
- If you use VoIP or a work VPN that stays up 24/7, expect a short disconnect — that is normal.
Bottom line
Restarting your router (really: the modem or combo gateway) may change your public IP, but it often does not. Run the before/after check on FindMyIP, keep the path identical, and read a same-address result as normal dynamic or CGNAT behavior — not a failed tool. If you need the number to stay fixed or to move reliably, that is a plan and path question, not something a daily reboot can promise.