There are a number of things in life as annoying as an “Address Not Found” alert in your browser. A small red X in the network connection logo, timed-out connections, or an error screen on the web browser all sum up to the similar miserable issue—something’s is not right with your Internet connectivity.
Finding and solving the issue is never simple, majorly because there are number of places where something can go south. We are going to take you through some relatively simple actions that will resolve the majority of problems related to broadband Internet connection, no matter what type of Internet service you employ. We will have your connection up and running in no time.
Check The Wires
It might seem palpable, but one of the simplest troubleshooting measures you can take yourself is to verify all the connections and cables involved in your Internet connectivity. This is factual no matter what type of connection you are equipped with. Even if you are certain nothing has modified, it only consumes a minute to make certain.
Begin where your Internet service makes an entry in your home. This may be line drop of your cable company, a phone line, or a satellite dish antenna. Make certain the cable is attached securely, and any cabling that goes outside the house has not been chewed on by bugs, birds, or squirrels, or broken by weather. Just be cautious if there are any electrical lines surrounding the cables. And if you see broken lines of any sort, do not touch them. All you need to is call the phone or cable company.
Next, follow the cables all over your house, checking connectivities at each suitable point. If you employ a router, check those connections, as well, and make certain the right cable is going to the right place. If your router feeds various different gaming systems or computers, it can get puzzling to keep track of which wire connects with what.
If the connections and cabling appear to be perfect you might need to check the next action.
Power Cycling
Power cycling may sound thrilling, but it just hints at switching your modem off, hanging around for a few seconds, then switching it on back. This works irrespective of type of your connection, whether you get your Internet through DSL, cable, or satellite. The simplest method to switch it off is to cut off the power cord where it connects into the modem itself (they do not always have switches for on/off, but if yours does that must work, as well). Wait for almost 30 seconds, and then connect it in back. Sometimes, that is all you need to do. As soon as the modem has cycled via its normal boot-up sequence, you might find your connectivity working again.
If this does not do the trick, a more complicated power cycling series may help. You will have to switch off every system on your network and switch them on back in a specific order.
First, turn off your PC, then disconnect the power cords from your router, modem, hub, and access point. When you switch things on back, follow the signal toward the computer from the modem. In other words, first turn on the modem, then turn on your hub or router, and then power up your PC last. As you power up every device, wait for it to go through its boot-up process before turning on the next system in queue. You can decide the status by observing the lights on the systems.
If the issue still persists, you need to have a look at the next solution.
Weathering Storms With Satellite Internet Connections
If you get the connectivity using a satellite service, you have your own set of problems to solve. The first possible problem is line of sight. Satellite Internet connectivities employ a particular 2-way dish and the dish has to be directed squarely at the satellite at an extremely specific angle. The issues begin when anything gets in middle of the satellite and your antenna.
Dense snow, greenery, and ice or leaves and other wreckage can be jamming your dish, so you will have to reach the dish to clear them off. This can be particularly hard if it is fitted on the roof.
Strange as it might appear, weather thousands of miles away can also impact your satellite connectivity. Since the satellite is further than the equator, your dish faces south. The more issue you will face, the more distant you are from the equator. Your dish has to receive and send signals to the south via a long stretch of atmosphere, so southerly storms at distance can still lead to interference.
If there is nothing in between and the weather is plain from your roof, then your dish might be misplaced. If it is not directing in the correct direction, your connectivity will be unsuccessful. Dish antennas of the satellite need much more accurate adjustment as compared to TV dish antennas. It’s possibly a good idea to contact your Internet service supplier for assistance, instead of you trying to place it yourself.
And above all that, the issue may be beyond everybody’s control. Sunspots are huge flares on the Sun’s surface that emit extreme blasts of energy to the planet. That energy can harshly disturb satellite connectivity.
Now that you have had a look at these issues, let us have a look at some common issue faced by users.
Wireless Router Outages
If you employ a wireless router or wireless access point to use the Internet using a laptop, then the wireless connectivity may be the cause of your issue. You might have to employ a wired connectivity to your network till the wireless issue is resolved. You will also need to have a copy of user manual for your wireless router or access point close to you.
There are 2 major possible problems with wireless connections: security issues and configuration issues. Check the user manual to verify how to use the wireless device. This is normally performed by typing the IP address of the device into a browser. From here, you will require checking the manual to get the correct settings. You will possibly have to contact your ISP (Internet service provider) for help since the required configuration will differ extremely relying on the type of connection offered by your ISP and the kind of network you have.
The security settings of the wireless device can also be causing issues. You can get to these settings the same manner you got to the configuration. If you have enabled a wireless security protocol, you will not be capable of accessing the wireless device without employing the correct password. You can reset and set the password the same manner you can alter the other settings.
If none of these measures have resolved your connectivity issue, there are still a handful of final solutions you can try.
More Cable And Configuration Issues
Odds are high for your home network to have cat5e or cat5 Ethernet cables. If you are employing the incorrect type of cable, it can defeat your Internet connectivity efforts. Crossover cable must only be employed to link two devices directly. If you are linking devices using a router or hub, straight-through cables must be employed. How can you know the discrepancy? Most of the time crossover cables are tagged by the makers. If not, it is a bit technological to understand (it comprises verifying a couple of wires at the connectors). If feasible, just try a separate cable to see if that assists.
The issue may be with the PC you are attempting to link to the web. Troubleshooting network configuration relies on connection type, operating system, and other factors. If your PC has a network logo, it may show error message or a red X if there is an issue. If there is no error warning and your connectivity is still not working, some operating systems have the capability of self-diagnosing to decide if there is another problem.
If everything else appears to be operating fine, then the issue may be with your ISP. Call its help line and tell the problem. If the ISP is not suffering any issue (they do, frequently), representatives at technical support may walk you through some of the measures you already have seen, and they might even be capable of resetting your modem or testing your connection.
Try the above-mentioned solutions in order to troubleshoot your broadband internet connection. If you feel that this article was helpful, do let us know by commenting below. In addition to this, you can also write to us some more tips that you are aware of. We would be happy to include them. Moreover, if you are facing any similar type of issue, feel free to write us down. We will be happy to help you and will assist you to resolve your issue as quickly as possible.
