Summary

18 items · 15–40 minutes

Why a systematic approach matters

When your internet goes out, the instinct is to either restart everything immediately or call your ISP right away. Neither approach is wrong, but working through a logical sequence first saves you time — and often resolves the problem before you ever need to pick up the phone.

Home internet problems fall into three categories: something wrong with your equipment, something wrong with the wiring inside or entering your home, or something wrong on your provider's network. The checklist below is structured to move through those categories in order, from the most common and most fixable to the least common and least controllable. For a broader understanding of how residential internet works end to end, see our complete home internet primer.

Don't reset — restart

There's an important difference between restarting your modem (unplugging it briefly) and performing a factory reset (holding a recessed button). A factory reset wipes your router's configuration, including your Wi-Fi network name and password, and may require you to reconfigure everything from scratch. Unless a support agent specifically instructs you to factory reset, only do a power cycle — unplug, wait, replug.

Fiber and fixed-wireless require extra care

If your service uses fiber optics, the optical network terminal (ONT) — typically a white box mounted on a wall — should not be tampered with or power-cycled without guidance from your provider. Similarly, fixed-wireless equipment on your roof or exterior may need a provider technician to re-align or reset. Consult your ISP before touching these components.

Equipment and tools you'll need

You won't need anything specialized for most of these steps. An Ethernet cable is the single most important item — it lets you rule out Wi-Fi as the source of the problem with one quick test. A smartphone on mobile data is equally critical once you move into checking for provider outages.

Required

Ethernet cable

Connects a device directly to your modem to test whether the issue is Wi-Fi-specific or affects the whole connection.

Required

Smartphone with mobile data

Lets you access your ISP's outage map and online resources without relying on your home connection.

Required

Modem/router manual or model number

Helps you interpret status lights correctly and provides the information ISP support agents will request.

Optional

Flashlight

Useful for inspecting cable connections behind furniture or in low-light utility areas.

Work through the checklist

Start at the top and stop as soon as you find the problem. Each group builds on the previous one. If restarting your equipment in the correct sequence restores your connection, there's no need to continue — you're done.

ISP outage vs. your equipment: know the difference

If your modem shows no downstream signal light at all — meaning it cannot detect any signal from the provider's network — the problem is almost certainly outside your home and no amount of equipment-swapping will fix it. In this case, skip directly to confirming an outage with your ISP. Spending time on internal troubleshooting when a provider outage is the cause only delays resolution.

Confirm the scope of the outage

Check whether all devices in your home have lost internet, or just one — this tells you if the problem is network-wide or device-specific. Must
Try loading a website and a separate app (e.g., a streaming service) on an affected device to confirm it's not a single-site issue. Must
If only one device is affected, restart that device and check its Wi-Fi or Ethernet settings before proceeding. Must

Restart your equipment

Power off your modem first by unplugging it from the wall, then power off your router if it's a separate device. Must
Wait a full 60 seconds before plugging the modem back in — this allows it to fully clear its memory and re-establish a signal. Must
Once the modem's online indicator light is steady, power the router back on and wait another 60 seconds before testing. Must
If you use a gateway (a combined modem/router unit), simply unplug it, wait 60 seconds, and reconnect. Must

Isolate the connection type

Connect a laptop or desktop directly to your modem or gateway using an Ethernet cable to bypass Wi-Fi entirely. Must
If the wired connection works, the problem is with your Wi-Fi network — check router placement, interference, or router settings. Must
If the wired connection also fails, the issue is upstream of your router — continue to equipment and line checks. Must

Inspect equipment and physical connections

Check all coaxial, phone-line, or fiber cables running into your modem for visible damage, loose connectors, or sharp bends. Must
Confirm the modem's power adapter is fully seated in both the device and the outlet, and that the outlet itself has power. Must
Review the status lights on your modem — most devices use a "downstream" or "internet" light that will be off or red when there's no signal from the provider. Should
If your connection uses a DSL or phone line, check that a microfilter (a small inline adapter that separates voice and data signals) is installed on every phone jack in use. Should

Check for a provider-side outage

Use a mobile data connection to check your ISP's outage map or status page — provider outages are often visible there within minutes of being detected. Must
Call your ISP's automated support line; many providers offer a recorded outage status message before connecting to an agent. Should
Check community forums or a service like Downdetector to see if other customers in your area are reporting the same issue. Nice to have

Prepare before contacting support

Note your modem's model number, the status lights showing at the time, and every step you've already tried — support agents will ask for this. Must
Have your account number or the phone number on your account ready to speed up authentication with the support team. Should
Ask the agent to run a remote line test and, if no outage is detected on their end, request a technician visit rather than repeating the same self-service steps. Should

If the wired Ethernet test reveals the connection is fine but Wi-Fi is the culprit, the issue is separate from an outage entirely. Our article on why Wi-Fi slows down covers those causes in detail. For readers on cable, DSL, fiber, or fixed wireless, the physical behavior of your connection — including how outages typically present — differs by technology; our guide to internet delivery technologies explains those differences clearly.

After the outage is resolved

Once service is restored, take five minutes to note what fixed it. If a simple power cycle solved the problem, your equipment may be due for a firmware update — check your router's admin interface (typically accessed via a browser at 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1) for available updates. If a technician visit was required, ask the technician to explain what was found; understanding whether the fault was at the street-side connection point, inside your home, or with your modem helps you recognize the pattern if it recurs.

Persistent or recurring outages may indicate aging equipment, a deteriorating line, or a larger infrastructure issue in your area. Documenting the dates and durations of outages gives you a factual basis for that conversation with your provider. For a full overview of everything that influences your home internet experience — from equipment to contracts — visit our end-to-end home internet guide.

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