There are a variety of steps you can take to troubleshoot your computer’s internet connection. Before attempting any of the following steps, it is important to remember that internet outages can happen for a variety of reasons beyond your control, so it’s always best to contact your internet service provider (ISP) if you suspect you may have a more serious problem.
Check Your Cable/DSL Modem and Router
The first step in troubleshooting your internet connection is to check the physical connection between your computer and the modem or router. Depending on your internet setup, this can involve checking a physical cable or simply ensuring that the WiFi network is still active.
If you’re using an Ethernet cable, make sure it is firmly connected to both the modem/router and your computer and that no ends are frayed or damaged. You can also try connecting a different Ethernet cable, just to make sure that the issue isn’t with the cable itself.
If you’re using a wireless connection, make sure that the modem/router is powered on and that the wireless connection is enabled (and not disabled). You should also take the extra step of checking your modem’s settings to confirm the correct SSID (the name of the network) is visible and that the network password is correct.
Restart Your Modem/Router
If the physical connection between your modem/router and computer looks fine, the next step is to restart your modem/router. Unplug the power cord from the back of the modem/router and wait a few minutes before plugging it back in and attempting to reconnect to the internet.
Reset Your Network Adapter
If restarting the modem/router didn’t solve the problem, the next step is to reset the network adapter in your computer. To do this, open the Control Panel, go to Network and Internet, click on Network Connections and right-click on the active network adapter. Clicking “Disable” will temporarily disable the network adapter, and then you can re-enable it by clicking “Enable.” You can also choose to “Reset” the network adapter, which will cause it to completely forget any previous configuration information and attempt to reconnect to the network from scratch.
Check For Interference
If you’re using a wireless connection, there is a chance that another device near you is causing interference, which can disrupt your signal. This can happen if you live in an apartment building or a densely populated area and a neighbor is using the same frequency as you.
To test for this, try moving your modem/router to a different part of the house. If you have access to a tool like inSSIDer, it will help you identify which channels are being used by other networks. Once you know which channels are free, you can change your modem/router settings to use one of those channels, which should reduce the amount of interference you experience.
Update Your Network Drivers
Network drivers are responsible for ensuring that your computer can communicate with other computers on the network. It is possible that an out-of-date driver can cause problems with your internet connection, so the next step is to check to make sure the drivers are up to date.
To do this, go to the manufacturer’s website and check for new drivers. If there is an update available, download it and install it on your computer. It may also be necessary to uninstall the old network driver before installing the new one.
Reset Your TCP/IP Stack
The TCP/IP stack is responsible for managing the connection between your computer and the internet. If this is corrupted, it can cause problems with your connection. To fix this, you can reset the TCP/IP stack by running the command prompt as an administrator and typing in the following commands:
netsh int ip reset reset.log
netsh winsock reset catalog
These commands will reset the TCP/IP stack to the default settings, which should help to fix any problems with your connection. It’s important to note that this will cause any user-defined settings to be lost, so if you’ve made any custom changes to your network adapter’s settings, this process will undo them.
Update Your Operating System
The final step in troubleshooting your internet connection is to make sure that your operating system is up to date. Outdated software can cause a variety of issues, so it’s always best to install any available updates. To do this, simply open the Windows Update settings and install any available updates.
If none of these steps has solved your internet connection problem, then it may be necessary to contact your ISP. They may be able to provide additional assistance in identifying and resolving the issue.