Having Troubles with Internet Connection? Try these Easy Tips and Tricks to Troubleshoot your Internet.

Thanks to technological advances and increased internet usage in virtually all smart home devices, video streaming services, and online gaming, the need to have a strong internet connection are more important than ever. There is a good chance you are the cause of the problem and not your internet service provider. Before calling your internet service provider, it is crucial that you do everything possible.

These are some tips and tricks to troubleshoot common internet issues. 

You Might Try Another Device or Website.

The first thing to do is determine if the problem affects only one device or all of them. Check if your computer can connect to the internet. If it’s not, check if your spouse’s or roommate’s tablet works. You can narrow down the problem if the problem is limited to one device.

Verify that Wi-Fi is turned on and that the correct SSID has been assigned to you. If using Windows Network Diagnostics routine, right-click the network icon in Windows’s system tray and choose Troubleshoot Problems. Sometimes, this can fix common problems by setting the adapter. You can also check the network adapter settings and ensure that the adapter uses the correct gateway address.

Try another website. You can access other websites fine. If this happens, you will need to wait for the website to resolve the issue.

Restart Your Device.

Although it may sound obvious, restarting your device is the first thing to do. Although it won’t always work, it allows the operating system to clean up the mess and restart the device if it freezes, doesn’t recognize the network, or is just not cooperating.

The Internet Speed Test.

Sites such as Speedtest.net allow you to test your internet connection if it is slower than you expected quickly. The speed of your internet connection will be measured in megabits per second. This speed can be compared to your ISP’s bill. If the speeds match, you should be able to upgrade or downgrade your internet package. However, if your internet speed is slower than what you pay for, you may have an internet problem and should continue troubleshooting.

Check to See If There Is an Internet Outage.

You might not be the only one experiencing internet problems. You can do a quick Google or Twitter search to find out if any other people in your area are experiencing internet outages. The website Down Detector also has information on internet outages. You can also call your internet service provider (ISP) to inquire.

Scan for Viruses.

Malicious code can sometimes affect your internet connection. Scan your computer for viruses, spyware, and malware. These can all have a significant impact on the speed of your internet surfing and overall system performance. Windows 10 includes Windows Defender, which is an excellent tool for this task. However, many other free or subscription-based utilities can be used as well. 

Restart The Router.

Sometimes, restarting the router is enough to fix connectivity problems. Even if the router hasn’t been turned on in a while, this can help. The router can be restarted quickly to get it working again.

You might also want to reset the router if that fails. Only do this if you are okay with the router being reset to factory settings. Everything, including the SSID password, will need to be reconfigured.

Modify Your DNS Server.

A browser will search for the website’s IP address when a website URL is entered. Sometimes the DNS server might have issues that make accessing the website via their accessible domain names. This situation can be quickly resolved by bypassing the DNS server. This can be done by simply entering the IP address in your browser. If you see the website open, you will need to clear your DNS cache and change your DNS server.

Who Else Is Using the Internet?

While it is possible for everything to be working fine, there may be a program running on your computer or another user in your home that uses all of your bandwidth. To sort your network usage, you can open Task Manager on Windows by pressing Ctrl+Shift+Esc. To open Spotlight on a Mac, press Command+Space and type “Activity Monitor” into Spotlight. Next, go to Activity Monitor’s Network tab.

You may need to cancel an app that is using too much bandwidth, such as if you are downloading large files. If there are no apparent culprits, check if anyone else is downloading large files on their computer. Tell them to stop. A neighbour could steal your Wi-Fi.

Final Words.

If you’ve tried all the tips and tricks mentioned above to troubleshoot your connection but still experience slow internet speeds, it may be time to contact your internet service provider. Sometimes the problem is at their end, and you have no options. To get an efficient internet connection, you must file a complaint.