Wi-Fi Not Working? A Calm Step-by-Step Checklist
Work through these checks before you call anyone.
Few things feel as frustrating as a Wi-Fi connection that says it is connected but loads nothing. The good news is that most problems have simple causes. Work through this checklist from the easiest step to the hardest.
1. Check whether the problem is only one device
Try another phone or laptop. If other devices work, the fault is on your device, not on the network. If nothing works, the problem is the router or your internet service.
2. Turn Wi-Fi off and on
On the affected device, switch Wi-Fi off, wait a few seconds and switch it on again. Turning on airplane mode and turning it off again does a similar reset. Then try opening a website.
3. Restart the device
A full restart clears many network glitches. It is the famous fix for a reason.
4. Restart the router
Unplug the router and the modem if you have a separate one. Wait about thirty seconds, plug the modem in first, wait for its lights to settle, then plug in the router. Give it a couple of minutes to start.
5. Look at the lights
Routers usually have lights for power, internet and Wi-Fi. If the internet light is red, orange or off, the problem is likely on the provider's side or the cable. Check that cables are firmly connected at both ends.
6. Move closer
Walls, floors and appliances weaken the signal. Try the same task standing near the router. If it works there, the problem is signal strength. Moving the router to a central, open spot can help.
7. Forget the network and reconnect
In your device settings, choose to forget the Wi-Fi network and then join it again with the password. This fixes problems caused by saved settings that have gone stale.
8. Check for a provider outage
Use your phone's mobile data to look at your internet provider's website or social media for outage notices. If there is an outage, waiting is the only fix.
9. Update and reset as a last resort
Install updates for your device and check whether the router has a firmware update. Only if everything else fails should you reset the router to factory settings, because you will have to set up the name and password again.
If you have followed every step and the problem remains, you now have useful information for your provider's support team: which devices are affected, what the lights show and what you already tried.