Your internet is down because something broke between your device and your internet service provider's equipment — and the cause changes what you can fix yourself

When your internet stops working, the problem sits in one of three places: your home equipment, the line running to your house, or your provider's network. Most of the time, you can identify which one by checking whether your modem and router have power and are showing the right lights. If they are lit and working normally, the problem is outside your home — which means you cannot fix it yourself, and you need to contact your provider. If the lights are off or showing an error pattern, something in your home equipment has failed, and you may be able to restart it.

The reason your internet goes down today specifically — rather than yesterday or next week — usually comes down to one of a handful of common causes. Some are temporary and resolve on their own within minutes. Others require a technician to visit your home or repair infrastructure in your neighborhood. Knowing which category your outage falls into helps you decide whether to wait, restart your equipment, or call for help.

Key Takeaways

  • Check whether your modem and router have power and are showing normal lights; if they do, the problem is in your provider's network, not your home.
  • Restarting your modem and router by unplugging them for 30 seconds fixes roughly half of all outages caused by equipment freezing or software glitches.
  • Your provider's website or customer service line can tell you whether an outage is affecting your neighborhood, which saves you time troubleshooting.
  • If your modem shows a red light or no lights at all, check the power cable and outlet before assuming the device has failed.
  • Outages lasting more than a few hours usually mean physical damage to cables or equipment, which only a technician can repair.

Check your modem and router lights first

Your modem is the box that connects directly to the line coming into your house. Your router is the separate device (or sometimes built into the modem) that broadcasts your wireless signal. Both have indicator lights on the front or top that tell you their status. A normal state usually means a solid green light for internet connection and a solid or blinking light for activity — the exact pattern depends on your equipment model, so check the label on the back or the manual if you have it.

If both devices are powered on and showing normal lights, your home equipment is working. The outage is happening at your provider's equipment or on the line between your house and their facility. You cannot fix this yourself. If either device has no lights, a red light, or an orange light that is not blinking, the problem is in your home, and you should check the power cable and outlet before calling for help.

Write down what lights you see and what color they are. When you call your provider, this information helps the support person narrow down the problem in seconds rather than asking you to restart things you have already restarted.

Restart your modem and router if the lights look wrong

A restart clears the device's temporary memory and forces it to reconnect to your provider's network. This fixes outages caused by the equipment freezing, losing its connection, or running into a software glitch. To restart, unplug the power cable from the back of your modem, wait 30 seconds (count slowly or set a timer), and plug it back in. If you have a separate router, do the same thing to that device after the modem has restarted — you will see the lights cycle through different colors as it boots up, which takes one to three minutes.

Do not hold the reset button on the back of the device unless you want to erase all your settings and start from scratch. The reset button is small and recessed; the power button (if your device has one) is larger and on the front. You are looking for the power cable, not a button.

After both devices have finished restarting, check whether your internet is working. If it is, you are done. If it is not, and the lights are still showing an error pattern, move on to contacting your provider.

Check whether your provider has a known outage in your area

Most internet providers have a status page on their website or a phone line you can call to hear whether an outage is affecting your neighborhood. This takes two minutes and tells you whether the problem is widespread or isolated to your home. If an outage is affecting your area, you know the problem is not your equipment, and you can stop troubleshooting. If no outage is listed, the problem is likely in your home or on the line to your house, and you should contact your provider to schedule a technician visit.

To find your provider's outage information, go to their website and look for a link labeled "Service Status," "Check for Outages," or "Network Status." Some providers also let you report an outage through their website, which automatically checks your address and tells you whether others nearby are reporting problems. If you cannot find the page, call your provider's customer service number — it is on your bill or on the back of your modem.

Identify whether the problem is your equipment or the line to your house

If your modem shows a red light or no light, and restarting did not fix it, the modem itself may have failed. But before you assume that, check the power cable. Make sure it is plugged firmly into both the modem and the wall outlet. Try plugging a lamp into the same outlet to confirm the outlet has power. If the outlet works but the modem still has no light, the modem has likely failed and needs to be replaced.

If your modem has power and normal lights but your internet still is not working, the problem is on the line between your house and your provider's equipment, or at your provider's equipment itself. This is something only a technician can diagnose and repair. Call your provider and tell them what you have already checked — that the modem has power, the lights look normal, and you have restarted the equipment. This information helps them decide whether to send a technician or investigate their network first.

Understand what causes outages to last hours or days

Outages that last a few minutes usually clear on their own because the equipment rebooted or the provider fixed a temporary software issue. Outages lasting 30 minutes to a few hours often mean a technician is working on the line or equipment serving your neighborhood. Outages lasting more than a few hours usually mean physical damage — a cut cable, a downed line, or equipment that has failed and needs to be replaced or repaired.

Weather is the most common cause of physical damage. High winds can bring down lines, heavy rain can damage above-ground cables, and ice can snap wires. Digging or construction in your neighborhood can also cut cables if the contractor hits the line. Car accidents near utility poles can damage multiple services at once. In rare cases, equipment at your provider's facility fails, which affects everyone in a large area until it is repaired.

If an outage has lasted more than a couple of hours and your provider has not given you an estimated repair time, call and ask. They can tell you whether a technician is on the way, whether the damage is widespread, and roughly when service should return. If you are told the outage will last many hours, ask whether your provider offers any credit or compensation for the downtime — some do, though policies vary.

Know when to call your provider versus waiting it out

Call your provider when ready if your modem shows no light or a red light after you have checked the power cable and outlet. Call them if you have restarted your equipment and the lights still show an error pattern. Call them if your modem and router look normal but you have no internet and no outage is listed in your area. In all these cases, a technician may need to visit your home or investigate the line to your house.

You can wait a few minutes if your modem and router just lost power due to a power outage in your home — restart them and see if internet returns. You can wait 15 to 30 minutes if your provider has announced a known outage affecting your neighborhood, because they are already working on it. You can wait if the outage started less than five minutes ago and you are not sure what caused it yet — many brief outages clear on their own.

When you do call, have your account number ready (it is on your bill), and tell the support person exactly what you have already checked. This prevents them from asking you to restart equipment you have already restarted and helps them move faster to either fixing the problem remotely or scheduling a technician.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does restarting my modem delete my passwords or settings?

No. Unplugging the power cable and plugging it back in is a soft restart — it clears temporary memory but keeps your settings and passwords stored on the device. You only lose settings if you press and hold the small reset button on the back, which you should not do unless you want to start from scratch.

Why does my internet go out at the same time every day?

Scheduled outages happen when your provider does maintenance work on the network. They usually announce these in advance through email or on your bill. If you are experiencing outages at the same time without advance notice, it may be a sign that your equipment overheats during peak usage hours — try moving your modem to a more open space with better airflow, or contact your provider to check whether the line to your house has a problem.

Can I use my phone's hotspot while waiting for internet to come back?

Yes. If you have a mobile data plan with unused data, you can turn on your phone's hotspot feature and connect your other devices to it temporarily. This uses your phone's cellular connection instead of your home internet. Be aware that this counts against your mobile data limit, so check your plan before streaming video or downloading large files.

What should I do if my provider says they cannot send a technician for a week?

Ask whether the outage is affecting multiple customers in your area or just your home. If it is widespread, ask for an estimated repair time and whether they offer any credit for the downtime. If it is isolated to your home and you need internet sooner, ask whether you can pick up a replacement modem from a local store instead of waiting for a technician to deliver one, or whether they offer temporary hotspot devices.

Is it normal for internet to go out during storms?

Yes. Rain, wind, and lightning can damage cables and equipment. If a storm is happening and your internet goes out, it is usually safe to wait until the storm passes before calling your provider — they will likely have many outage reports and may not be able to send technicians until conditions improve. Check your provider's website to see if they have announced a weather-related outage in your area.