I have been using Draytek routers for a while, once thing that has always bugged me is why they request to be restarted when a minor change is made, eg if I change a default gateway on a DHCP server an a LAN interface. This is still the case even on current models.

This configuration change does happen immediately, but the router still requests it is restarted, surely the Draytek OS could just restart the DHCP server daemon on the router, rather than request a full restart? Is this just lazy design, or a valid reason it requests to be restarted?

Actually, it doesn't necessarily. After saving some changes, when it invites you to click OK to reboots, don't
click it but click back on another main menu item instead. I'm not sure if the setting then actually takes
effect - it may do, and maybe there are other side effects. Not all settings require a reboot, but once
which fundamentally affect the IP stack seem to - presumably because there are cascaded dependencies
and things could go wrong if adjacent layers are operating on boot-time assumptions which have now changed.
This is not an official answer; I don't know the actual architecture.

Thanks. I know some settings don't require a restart, and take immediate effect, eg add VPN user.

Often I make a minor change, and the Draytek requests I restart, so I assume someone has coded that specific change to request a reboot at Draytek HQ?

Another example I found is on the 'System Maintenance' > 'Management' page, where I want to restrict access to PING from certain IP address 'Access from the Internet', I add IP Network Object, OK. Add this to the mgmt page, and it requests a restart, even though the filter has taken effect.

Does anyone else find this annoying, or just me?

Another one that does not make sense is changing a description of a WAN interface.

This is the main reason that I moved to having a separate modem rather than one built in to the router. No more worries about interleaving kicking in.

Yes, that helps if you use DSL, but you still have to restart router that will disconnect users.

If its a residential router or 'soho' class, then fine restart. But a small change on a business router should not require all users to be forced to be disconnected.