The more we rely on the internet for our day-to-day lives, from work to school to entertainment, the more connectivity blends seamlessly into the background of our lives. And when it stops working, it’s really annoying.
Sometimes it’s just a blip, but when it goes in and out for minutes, hours or even days, you might be wondering if there’s a bigger issue at hand. Here are some basic reasons your internet is down and what you can do about it.
What causes internet outages — big reasons
Internet outages can be caused by many things, like storms, network maintenance and damage to internet cables.
Weather
Weather events can knock out internet infrastructure, causing havoc for not just internet but also the entire power supply. Internet lines attached to utility poles are susceptible to trees falling on them. Lightning can zap out transformers. Snow and ice can cause damage, not to mention larger-scale disasters like hurricanes and earthquakes. Fiber-optic internet is more durable and less susceptible to inclement weather, but it’s not above Mother Nature.
Network maintenance
One common outage explanation is network maintenance, where a network needs to go offline for a few minutes or a few hours for the company to upgrade or fix a problem. You should be alerted to these outages in advance, and they usually happen in the middle of the night when most people are offline.
Network damage
Sometimes internet lines go down due to human error. Drivers can run off the road and crash into hubs, those utility boxes containing the wires that connect the internet to a neighborhood. Landscapers or people casually digging in the ground without getting utility locates first can cut through delicate fiber-optic lines running just a foot or two underground. And sometimes malevolent actors damage internet lines on purpose, usually to steal and sell the copper cables bound up inside overhead lines.
Read more: Why is my internet out?
Cyberattacks
Although rare, cyberattacks targeting infrastructure can disrupt internet service on a larger scale. Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks can flood networks with excessive traffic, causing slowdowns or outages.
ISP issues
Occasionally, issues within the ISP’s network infrastructure can cause connectivity problems. Network equipment malfunctions, software bugs or data center disruptions at the provider’s end can impact your service.
In most of these cases, you should get a notification from your internet service provider or be able to access an outage map on your ISP’s website, app or social media account. How do you find this information on the internet if your internet is down? You’ll have to use cellular data, if you have it, to access this information via your phone.
Read more: Can I use my cell phone for home internet service?
What causes internet outages — smaller reasons
The above reasons are the big troublemakers. But what about when your internet goes down and nothing on the network or ISP level seems to be wrong? This is common, and it’s frustrating.
Router issues
Sometimes routers just don’t do their jobs. After doing the obvious things, like turning it off and on or resetting it, if your internet is still spotty then the router could be the culprit.
A problem at the central office
Your modem or ONT is connected to your ISP’s network, which is housed in a building full of wires called a central office probably not too far from your home. Sometimes the network connection at the source needs a reset.
Firmware updates
Your router, modem, ONT or WiFi extenders could be glitching and need a firmware update. This can usually be handled by the ISP by resetting things on their end.
Read more: What equipment is needed for fiber?
How to fix an internet outage
If you don’t know the cause of your outage and your ISP isn’t alerting you to anything wrong, then chances are it’s a localized problem or an issue with your equipment. Sometimes it’s a you problem — it’s best to figure out user error before getting the pros involved.
First things first:
- Scream into the void. (Just kidding, but sometimes it helps.)
- Make sure your internet is actually out. Check that you’re not in a “dead zone” or that it’s not one service (like a streaming platform or a website) that’s down.
- Make sure that everything that needs to be plugged in and turned on is plugged in and turned on.
- Restart your router by unplugging it for 30 seconds to a minute and plugging it back in.
- Make sure you’re connected to the correct WiFi network. It doesn’t hurt to turn devices off and on, too.
- If you connect to a WiFi extender, make sure your extenders are working properly and in the right locations to get the best speed.
- Run a speed test — if your speeds are incredibly slow then something probably needs fixing. (Speeds are always slower once they enter the house, so some slowdown compared to the speed you pay for is normal. If you don’t know what speed you have, you can find that on your bill or by calling your ISP.)
Read more: How fiber internet gets to your home: the fiber internet installation process
If you’ve exhausted all the options and things are not improving, it’s probably an issue that’s out of your control. Don’t hesitate to contact your ISP’s support team by chat or phone. They’ll probably ask you some basic questions about your service and what you’ve tried, and then they might reset your connection from the source or remotely update firmware. If this doesn’t fix the problem, the next step is to “roll a truck” – to send a tech out to your home to see what’s going on. They’ll run some tests and replace any faulty equipment.
Hopefully, after that you’ll be on your way to problem-free internet access for good.
