Broadband technology (as with most information technology for that matter) has come a long way in the past few years, however expect the odd glitch now and then. There can be many reasons why Internet connectivity or web sites fail, the trick is to try and isolate where the problem is.
This article describes what you should check if you have a problem with your Internet connection, for example, accessing a particular web site. Please note: If you call your service provider support staff, they will most likely go over these exact same things, so using this checklist first may save you some time.
Use these instructions at your own risk.
Things To Check:
Power cycle (switch off) all the devices, this applies to modems, routers, switches, hubs and your computer. Even if you’re not sure what devices you have, switch them ALL off. After waiting about 20 seconds, turn them on again.
Check all the cables are plugged in properly (we recommend that you be aware which cables plug into what sockets). To make sure this is the case, unplug the cables, then plug them back in again. Make a note of any loose or damaged cables. Cables are cheap, the time spent fixing the problems caused by damaged cables isn’t.
Make sure the networking hardware is switched on. Most networking devices display green lights when there is an active connection. Using these indicators, sometimes you can easily spot faults. Some cable modems have a “standby” button on the top of them, if you press this button, the device enters standby mode and will not work. Press the ”standby” button again to activate the device again. ADSL modems and router/modem combo’s sometimes need to be reset, if you haven’t switched it off as described above, make sure you do it now.
OK, so you’ve checked the cables and you restarted your computer and still you can’t connect to the Internet. The next thing to do is determine the point of failure, is it your service provider or the web site you’re trying to access.
The usual test (for a regular user) is to browse to a web site such as yahoo.com.au or google.com.au. If you can get to these sites, your Internet connection is fine. If not, the problem is probably with your service provider. Contact your service provider at this stage.
If you can access other web sites without a problem, but not one particular site, wait around 5 -10 minutes, then try again. Most problems are resolved by this stage. If you still can’t connect, pay very close attention to the error message you are receiving. At this stage, call your IT support help desk with the exact error message and they can investigate further.
