It’s one of today’s worst nightmares: the Internet doesn’t work. The connection drops, you can’t connect, you can’t surf the Internet and nothing works. Why happens? How to fix it? We collect some of the most interesting tips or tricks that you can follow if you want to solve your problems with the Internet or if you do not know what to do when the Internet connection does not work.
It may not work on a specific device, such as a computer. Or it may not work on either. Let it be the cable, let it be the WiFi, let it be everything at once… In any case, this is what you can do to solve it.
Check where the problem is
Before we go into specifically checking what we do to check the connection, there are some basic things or steps we can take to find where the problem is. There are steps we always follow to check why the internet is crashing or what the problem is. Some steps to follow are the following and it will only take you a few minutes, general tips to check it. Thanks to these steps we will be able to find the problem: is it the WiFi or is it the Internet in general? Is it just on my computer or is it happening on all connected devices? Is it the operator or is it the PC configuration?
Try on another device
Maybe your computer has run out of Internet but it’s a temporary problem. Before proceeding to restart the router, call the company … Just check if you have Internet on your mobile phone or tablet if it does not work on your computer. Or vice versa: test on your computer if what is not working is the mobile.
Check data and WiFi
If the problem is with your mobile phone, try connecting the data. That is, if you were using the WiFi and it does not work, try setting the data rate (if you have it) to find out if it is a problem with the operator or a problem with the wireless connection, for example.
Cable and wireless connection
Another of the most recommended and fastest checks that we can do is to check if the wireless connection works or not, the cable or not. If you have a network cable at hand (there is always one in every house and it barely costs a few euros) you can plug it into your computer to see if there is no Internet in general or it is simply a problem with the WiFi or wireless connection. You can also try another location in case it is a global problem in the WiFi or simply a coverage problem that causes it to not reach some point correctly.
Check the router
It may seem obvious but check that the router is turned on, that it is plugged in, that the lights are on and in particular that there is the light that you are interested in to have Internet. Someone may have unintentionally unplugged it, moved around while cleaning, the vacuum cleaner unplugged it, or simply turned off due to a power outage of a few seconds or some other problem. Check that the router is turned on and working.
To check the status of the connection, it is recommended to connect by cable to the router, since this will rule out possible problems with the WiFi connection. In case we suspect problems with the router, we can return its default configuration with the installation CD, or by accessing its configuration through the IP (192.168.1.1).
General problems with the operator
The first thing we have to check is if the problem is a global problem with the operator. You may have suffered a temporary fall. In that case, we can resort to web pages dedicated to recording bugs, such as downdetector. Downdetector.es registers in real time the problems and drops of services and operators. It is useful if you wonder if WhatsApp works but you can also check if Movistar, Vodafone, Jazztel, Orange … It is enough to go to the website and touch on the operator you have. You will see a live crash map and a timeline with the number of bugs per hour. If you see that the number is high or that it is increasing, it is probably due to a general fall. Another option is to check it on Twitter: we usually go to Twitter to say thatInternet does not work for us , that it has fallen, that we do not have Internet at home, etc.
Of course, we can only do this if we have a connection to a device. If you do not have Internet at home and neither on your mobile phone you will not be able to check what they say on Twitter or if there are drops in Downdetector but we do not always have the same operator at home or on the phone, at work or on your personal mobile. Or it may simply be that the error does not affect both services.
There is no Internet: possible solutions
If the connection doesn’t work, what can we do?
Restart the router
It is one of the first steps that they will always advise you when you call your operator, so you can save a few seconds of waiting music if you do it before they tell you. Restarting the router can often be the solution if there is no Internet, even if it seems absurd and obvious. Many times it works. Some processes will restart and it may fix the error but keep in mind that you will have to leave it for a few seconds so that it shuts down completely and all the circuits stop working. Although you usually press the button and then press it again a second to turn on, it is not the best way to restart.
You can restart the router with the physical button on the device itself. You press the on and off button and it is recommended that, once you have done so, you unplug or disconnect all cables. After twenty seconds, you can plug the router back in and turn on the button. Allow at least twenty to thirty seconds to pass between disconnection.
We can also restart it from the computer by accessing its configuration and, in almost all models, it can be restarted remotely: simply go to 192.168.1.1 and access with the username and password. From configuration or settings you will see a reset button.
Change the cable you are using
It may seem almost as obvious as the previous case, but try another network cable that you have at home or try another device with the same network cable if you have another computer, for example. This will help us to rule out or know if the problem is in the network cable we are using. You can also check the router cables to see if they are damaged, etc.
Diagnosis from the computer
Another function that the computer allows us is to find the problem in the wireless network. If you have a WiFi failure that is affecting your computer, it may be the solution. We recommend this tool or function simply when you do not have WiFi on your computer but it does work on other devices (if the Internet does not work throughout the house, you will not be able to find the problem by following this step) and you cannot find where the error is.
- Go to the start bar in the lower left corner
- Find the Control Panel
- Go to Networks and Internet
- Open the Network and Sharing Center
Once here, you will see the active networks and the type of access and connection you have. In this section is where we must look for our adapter as Local Area Connection or Wireless Network Connection and, on it, we will choose the option Diagnose . With this tool, Windows will restart the adapter, refresh the IP address, and clear the connection cache. If this first method does not work, the problem is not due to the Internet access settings of our PC, so we will continue looking for how to solve our Internet connection problems.
Check the APN of your mobile
If you are having internet problems on your mobile phone, the problem may be with the APN. What is it? APN stands for Access Point Name, a kind of “internet address” for which the mobile phone itself can connect to a data network. The APN configuration can be changed from the settings and it is very easy, a simple modification may make the Internet work correctly again on your phone.
In Android, open the settings of your mobile phone, go to the wireless networks section and search for mobile networks. Once here, search for “access point names.” Although the route may vary depending on the phone model you have or the brand and you may also find it within “mobile data” or in the SIM details of your phone. In any case, you can search for APN and edit it from the settings of your smartphone.
Also on iOS, just go to Settings and from there open Mobile data and ” Mobile data network” . You can edit or configure APN from the phone.
Contact your operator
One of the first options when it comes to seeing that the Internet is not working is to contact the operator. We can contact the company’s customer service by phone so they can check if there are any problems in the area or specifically if there is a problem with your line. They can usually check everything remotely with one call so it won’t take long for you to have a solution or a possible diagnosis. Another advantage is that all operators have a customer service number that works 24 hours a day and every day of the year, a specific number designed for breakdowns so you will not have to wait until it is working or you will not have to wait the next day if you are in a hurry to fix it.
Pin an IP address
Pinging an IP address helps us to check if the Internet really works and we can do it from the console or the CMD of your computer and it will only take a few seconds. Just open “cmd” by searching for the acronym in the Start search bar. Once you have opened the command prompt type ping Google.es and you will have a result that will tell you how long it takes and if it has arrived or not. If you see that the test comes out as negative, there is a problem that makes it impossible to connect.
Activate and deactivate the antivirus
It is not usually common but there may be a virus or malware that is spoiling your Internet connection. Try downloading an antivirus on your computer and do a complete analysis of all the files on it.
It may also be the opposite effect, that the antivirus is causing that there is no Internet connection. Try disabling or uninstalling it temporarily and try connecting again to see if the problems have been fixed. In case deactivating it does not work, reactivate it as soon as possible to be protected.
Update
It is usually the most common option in any problem: update. We always recommend that your computer, mobile phone or tablet is up to date. Update with the operating system security patches, update the programs or applications that you have installed, update the drivers. Keep everything updated to avoid problems. In this case, make sure that the router has the firmware updated to its latest version in case there is a problem that has been solved with a current version that you have not downloaded and installed.
Change DNS
Our network configuration may have to do with Internet connection problems that affect us. Modifying the configuration of the DNS servers can avoid overloads and drops that are making it difficult for us to send and receive data packets. Therefore, we recommend that you make use of the OpenDNS service, which offers wide availability and an extra level of security, since it blocks malware and phishing .
To change the DNS servers we will go to Start> Control Panel> Network and Internet> Network and Sharing Center> Change adapter settings. From here, by accessing the Properties , we can modify the TCP / IP configuration by inserting the DNS servers manually.
Why is the Internet sometimes cut off?
Sometimes the problem may not be serious and it is only a micro cut in the Internet connection that lasts a few seconds and comes back without us almost noticing. Those small drops can be very annoying and it sure has happened to you at some time … just when you are playing, when you are watching an important football game live streaming and the line drops and it takes time to work again. Why is it happening? There are several reasons or factors that influence these small cuts.
WiFi coverage
If you are using a wireless connection, the signal may not get well.
Ethernet cable problems
It is usually rare but if it is old or deteriorated it can also cause micro cuts. Especially if it is bent, worn, etc.
Firewall activated
The firewall settings may also cause some outages.
Infrastructure
It will depend on the operator and the installation may not be the most correct
Saturation
If there are many computers or devices connected to the same network, it may be too slow or even experience some drops in the connection.
