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Troubleshooting Internet Issues

  • Writer: Tasha Hoskins
    Tasha Hoskins
  • Mar 7
  • 4 min read

Updated: Mar 11

Overview


Dealing with slow internet or having connection issues? Try these quick troubleshooting steps before calling an expert for help.

Woman in blue shirt looking stressed at laptop because of internet issues, holding glasses.


Troubleshooting Steps


These best practices can be performed in any order. Sometimes a single quick fix does the trick, while other times a combination of these methods will fix the issue.


Restart Router


Do you have one box or two? 


Black NETGEAR modem with green LED indicators.

One Box




A modem and router are connected with cables, showing wireless signals. Power outlets and cables are visible against a plain background.

Two Boxes



How To Restart Router (One-Box)

  1. Unplug the Power

    1. Pull the power cord out from the back of the device.

  2. Wait 30 Seconds

    1. This allows the memory to clear and hardware to cool down.

  3. Plug It Back In

    1. Securely reconnect the power cord.

  4. Wait for the Lights 

    1. Give it 3 to 5 minutes.

    2. Look for a solid "Online" or "Internet" light.

  5. Test Your Device

    1. Open a browser on your phone to confirm you're back online.


Watch the Steps:



How To Restart Router (Two-Boxes)

  1. Unplug Both

    1. Pull the power cords out from the back of both the Modem and the Router.

  2. Plug in the Modem First

    1. This is the box connected to the wall cable.

    2. Wait 2 minutes until its lights stay solid.

  3. Plug in the Router Second

    1. Now plug in your router.

    2. Wait another 2 minutes for it to start broadcasting your Wi-Fi.

  4. Wait for Solid Lights

    1. Once both devices have solid lights, they have successfully re-connected to each other.

  5. Test Your Device

    1. Try loading a video or a webpage to ensure the connection is stable.


Watch the Steps:


Test Internet Speed

How To Test Internet Speed

Testing your internet speed will help determine if the problem is the Wifi signal inside your house, or with your internet provider.


  1. Go to google.com and type in “internet speed test”

  2. Click the “Run Speed Test” button

  3. Review Google’s results of your internet speed

  4. Is your speed between 5-100 Mbps?

    1. YES - Try Relocating Your Router

    2. NO - The Wifi signal inside your house is strong. This is not the issue.


Watch the Steps:



How To Relocate Router

Think of your Wifi signal like it is a lightbulb, if you want to light up the whole house, you need to place the lightbulb in a central location. Same with your router, which provides Wifi. If possible, try this:


  1. Move it to the most central room in the house

    1. Like the living room or a central hallway (see below visual)

  2. Place the router at eye level or higher

    1. Like on top of a bookshelf, a mantle, or tall side table (see below visual)

  3. Keep the router at least 10 feet away from the kitchen.

    1. Tech note: your Wifi and Microwave use the same frequency!

  4. After relocating your router, retest your internet speed.

    1. Sometimes moving your router solves your connectivity issue.


Split image of two houses. Left has poor signal, right shows strong Wi-Fi signal. "NO" text on the left, "YES" on the right. Bright colors.

Delete Junk Files

Delete Temporary Files

Your computer creates and stores temporary files on your device to help it run faster. However, over time, these files add-up and begin to slow down your computer.


How to Delete Temporary Files on a Windows Computer

  1. Click the Start button.

  2. Type Disk Cleanup and press Enter.

  3. Select your main drive (usually C:) and click OK.

  4. Check the boxes for

    1. Downloaded Program Files

    2. Temporary Internet Files

    3. Recycle Bin

    4. Temporary Files

    5. Thumbnails

  5. Click OK, then Delete Files


Watch Steps:



Clear Browser History

Every time you visit a website, your browser keeps a record of where you’ve been and what you’ve looked at. Clearing this history can help your internet run more smoothly.


How To Clear Browser History


NOTE - The below steps work for Chrome, Firefox and Edge


  1. While your internet browser is open, press:

    1. Windows: Ctrl + Shift + Delete

    2. macOS: Cmd + Shift + Delete

  2. At the top of the window, you’ll see a menu.

    • Select "Last hour" or "Last 24 hours" if you want to fix a recent glitch.

    • Select "All time" if you want a completely fresh start.

  3. You will see several checkboxes. Here is what they actually do:

    • Browsing history - Clears the list of websites you've visited.

    • Cookies and other site data - Clears files that keep you logged in.

      • Note: Checking this will sign you out of most accounts.

    • Cached images and files - Clears "pre-loaded" versions of websites.

  4. Click the blue "Clear data" button


Watch Steps:




Update Software

How To Update Software & Restart Device

Oftentimes, an update to your device and a simple restart is all it takes to resolve your internet issues.


For Windows Users

  1. Go to Windows > Settings > Windows Update > Check for Updates

  2. If an update is needed, select Update Now

  3. Wait for the updates to install

  4. Restart Device

    1. Select the Windows button

    2. Select Power icon


Watch Steps:


For Mac Users

  1. Click the Apple Menu () in the top-left corner of your screen.

  2. Select System Settings > Software Update

  3. Select Check for Updates

  4. If an update is needed, Select Update Now

  5. Wait for updates to install

  6. Restart Device

    1. Click the Apple Menu () in the top-left corner of your screen

    2. Select Restart and click the Restart button to confirm.


Watch Steps:




Still not working?  Reach out to us and we're happy to lend a hand.






 
 
 

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