When your internet is down, your business grinds to a halt. It can take hours to get help from your internet provider’s faceless customer support. If you decide to troubleshoot the problem yourself, it’s important to start in the right place. You can begin by diagnosing what’s wrong with your internet connection.
Slow Connection vs Outage
Is it taking a long time to load web pages? Impossible to stream high-definition video? A slow connection can make it nearly as difficult to get any work done as a full outage. Generally these issues are caused by inadequate bandwidth. If you limit the number of devices on your network and the speed and connectivity improves, you likely need to upgrade to a higher bandwidth internet plan in order to connect all of your devices at optimal speeds.
If nothing is loading on your devices and your internet connection is fully down, it’s more likely that there is some kind of issue with a device on your network. Narrowing down which device is your first step.
- Is the problem only happening on one workstation? This is likely either an issue with that device’s OS or with its WiFi receiver or ethernet port.
- Internet down in just one wing of the office? Your current WiFi modem or router may not have enough range, or it may be malfunctioning.
- Is everything down? This could be a modem / router issue as well, or if it’s affecting your entire building or area, there could be a cut line nearby.
Once you’ve figured out how big the problem is, there are a few easy fixes you can try before you call up your ISP.
Power Cycling
“Have you tried turning it off and on again?”
While this is the most common and perhaps annoying phrase uttered by any IT specialist, there is a reason behind it. Power cycling is a surefire way to reset most devices, including routers. A router that has been on and running for a long time is more likely to encounter some kind of error in its memory or programming. Power cycling resets the router to a known, stable state from before the error occurred. This is why turning your router off for at least 30 seconds and restarting can re-establish your network connection. If your problem is isolated to a single workstation, rebooting it might help as well.
Check Connections
Your most likely point of failure is the internet connection itself, wired or wireless. Check all of your cables to make sure they are plugged in properly. If your office uses WiFi, check your modem, router, and devices to make sure the signal is being sent and received. Running an internet speed test in different parts of your office can help you assess whether it’s an issue with your WiFi range.
With the Right ISP, Internet Down = Instant Support
Once you’ve gotten as far as you can with troubleshooting your internet outage, it’s time to call in the experts. Getting stuck on hold with a big-box ISP is almost as frustrating as the internet outage itself. For instant, at-the-elbow support, you want an ISP that understands your business. Digital Agent staffs its 24/7 helpdesk with experienced technicians. All it takes is one phone call and you will have all the support you need to get your internet back up and running.
Kate Lewis
Technical Writer & Content Strategist
Digital Agent
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