Last night, when surfing the web, I let out a frustrated sigh as soon as I saw the dreaded ‘No Internet Connection’ message appear on my screen. I rage-clicked the reload button multiple times, but nothing changed. I got up, cursing my ISP, and dialed the customer support number and began complaining to the service rep.
To my surprise, the irritation in my tone immediately died down when the very patient support rep from Spectrum Internet en español explained to me that the problem was likely on my end. He told me to troubleshoot my internet connection, and upon my confused ‘¿Eh?’, he began guiding me through the troubleshooting process.
This event was eye-opening, if nothing more. I never knew I could fix the internet by myself. If you face a similar situation, with your internet ditching you like your ex, then you need to know how to troubleshoot it. Doing so can save you from the hassle of contacting customer support and explaining the problem while feeling like a 5th grader. Here are the 5 tips to restore internet connectivity at home:
Begin With Restarting Your Modem
This is the basis of internet solución de problemas (troubleshooting). All you have to do is switch off your modem, wait for 60 seconds, and then turn it back on. Make sure all wires are in place before you turn it back on.
The first time I did this, it restored my connection, and I was as awed as I was confused. Then, I found out that sometimes, the modem finds it hard to communicate properly with the ISP. The reason can be a minor software glitch, a bug, or accumulated stale or no utilizado (unused) connections that consume all of the modem’s memory.
Restarting it clears the problem and allows the modem to have a fresh start. This means the modem can reestablish the connection with the ISP to send and receive data for you.
Try to Move Closer to the Wi-Fi Router
Sometimes the culprit is not your internet connection, but your Wi-Fi router. Our devices are unable to get Wi-Fi signals because either we are too far from the router, or the router’s antennas are pointing in the opposite direction.
If you move close to the router and regain internet connectivity, then you need to start working while in the same room as your router. This is because some routers produce débil (weak) Wi-Fi signals that are unable to penetrate the walls. Or you can upgrade your Wi-Fi router to a mesh one. These amplify your Wi-Fi signals, so you get strong ones no matter where you are in your home.
Check Your Browser Cache
In some cases, the culprit is the browser cache, which prevents the browser from loading properly. This includes corrupted or old files that cause display errors, like weird layouts, missing images, or broken pages. These make it seem like it is an internet problem, but in reality, it’s your browser cache causing assuntos (issues).
Cache is an area where your browser temporarily saves webpages you frequent. This helps the browser reload the pages quickly when you visit again. The aim is to improve user experience. However, when that cache section fills up with webpages that become outdated while lying there, this can cause problems.
So, if you clean your browser cache, it will magically improve your browser’s performance. This way, you will be able to do your online activities in peace.
Check for Malware or Viruses on Your PC
In some cases, you knowingly download a virus or malware that weakens your PC’s resources, which helps it run smoothly. These also consume your network’s entire bandwidth by self-replicating, which leads to your PC having issues with the internet. In other cases, this malware can lead to DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks that can also prevent your PC from accessing the internet.
For this, you need to get a solid anti-virus software like Norton or McAfee and run diagnostics on your computer. This will highlight the malware or viruses in your computer and limpio (clean) them out. If you make sure to keep the antivirus software updated, then it will keep your PC protected from other malware, causing problems with your internet connection.
Check your Internet Plan’s Speed With your ISP
If you have tried all the things above and you are still facing problems with your internet speed, then you need to check your internet plan with your Internet service provider.
Oftentimes, we are unaware of a certain clause on our internet that details a speed downgrade after a certain time or data caps, leading to speed throttling. These issues can cause problems with the internet connection.
So, if you have tried troubleshooting your internet in every way, and it didn’t work, then you need to contact your internet service provider. The service rep will tell you your current bandwidth and speed. This way, you will know if there is an issue with your plan and whether you need to upgrade it or not.
These troubleshooting tips are for non-tech folks like you and me. You can try more technical stuff to troubleshoot your internet, like updating your firmware or bypassing your DNS server. For these feats, there are many helpful tutorials on YouTube. But if the problem still persists, then you need to talk to your ISP about upgrading your internet plan or switching.