Troubleshooting internet problems

• Posted by:
• Rachel Charles
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We use the internet for pretty much every aspect of our lives these days. So when you can’t get access to it, it becomes a big problem. A wide variety of problems can block internet (and local network) connections. Your first job is to find the cause. This post will give some useful tips on what to look for when trying to fix the connection problem. You could try the standard IT response…restart. Try turning off your device and router for a few seconds and then turn back on and wait for it to reboot. Once you have turned your device back on try to reconnect. If this does not work try the following:

So first of all is it just the website you are trying to access? What may seem to be a network problem connecting to the internet is sometimes simply a web site being temporarily offline. Try searching for a commonly used website, such as google? If it still cannot connect to the internet then you can use our checklist below to see if you can find and resolve the issue:

• Is there a problem with the actual phone line? Check for any obvious damage, for example, if you have had bad weather, has the wind damaged anything? If there is no obvious damage you can always phone your telephone company to get them to run a line test and check the service status in the area.

If that is all ok then the next thing to check is the broadband. Unplugged or loose network cables are easy to miss yet one of the most common reasons you might suddenly find yourself unable to connect to the Internet. On home networks, it’s also possible someone unplugged the router.

• Is the router plugged in?
• Is it plugged in to the phone line?
• Are the wires plugged in to the back of the router? (a child or cleaner could have knocked it)
• Are the lights flashing on the router? If green lights are flashing on it, that’s normal and indicates network traffic. If you see a steady, blinking orange light, that generally indicates the problem.
• Is it just your computer or is it other computers in the house or on site?
• Has anyone reset the router?
• Is anything plugged in to another phone socket? check around the house or office

If these have been checked and it all seems ok, give the telephone company another call and see if they can check the status of the broadband connection and dial in to the router (if they can) to check the settings.

If it is just one PC check to see if the Wifi is connected, are there any error messages such as a yellow exclamation mark or red cross? These could mean there is a problem with the network settings.

If you are using a cable rather than Wifi check the cable for any damage, for example, has it been trapped in a door? Check the cable is connected to the computer and the router.

Another thing would be to check if your device is in range? The performance of Wifi network connections depends on distance between the device and the wireless access point. The further away a Wifi device, the slower the local connection generally runs, until it breaks altogether. Wireless signal interference in the area can also limit the effective range of a Wifi connection.

If, after these checks, you still have no luck please don’t hesitate to give us a call on (+44) 01773 570028