Your internet is down or slow — here's what's actually happening

When your internet stops working or crawls, something specific has broken. It is not usually your fault, and it is almost never "the internet" as a whole. The problem is almost always one of four things: your device lost its connection to your router, your router lost its connection to your internet service provider, your service provider's network is congested or damaged, or the website or service you are trying to reach is overloaded or offline.

The fastest way to know which one is the real problem is to test each layer from closest to farthest. Start with your device and router. Then test whether you can reach your service provider. Then test whether the wider internet is working. Each test takes under a minute and tells you whether to restart something, call your provider, or straightforward wait.

Key Takeaways

  • Most internet problems are local — your device, your router, or your service provider's connection to your home — not a problem with the internet itself.
  • Restarting your router fixes roughly half of all connection problems because it clears out stuck data and forces a fresh connection to your service provider.
  • You can test whether the problem is your equipment or your service provider by checking if other devices on your network have the same issue.
  • If one website is slow but others are fast, the problem is that website's server, not your connection.
  • Your service provider's status page or customer service line will tell you if they are experiencing an outage in your area.

Test your device and router first

Before you call anyone, restart your router. Unplug it from power, wait 30 seconds, and plug it back in. This clears out stuck data and forces it to reconnect to your service provider's network. Most internet problems stop here. Wait two to three minutes for the lights on the router to stabilize — usually a solid light or a slow blink means it is ready.

While the router restarts, test whether the problem is your device or your network. If you have a phone, tablet, or laptop nearby, try opening a website on it. If that device works fine, the problem is your original device — try restarting it, forgetting the Wi-Fi network and reconnecting, or moving closer to the router. If the second device also cannot connect, the problem is your router or your service provider's connection, not your device.

If your device is connected by ethernet cable instead of Wi-Fi, unplug the cable from the router, wait 10 seconds, and plug it back in. If you are using Wi-Fi, move to within 10 feet of the router and try again. Walls, microwaves, and cordless phones interfere with Wi-Fi signals, so distance and obstacles matter.

Check whether your service provider has an outage

If restarting the router did not work and other devices on your network have the same problem, your service provider's connection is likely down. Open your phone's cellular data (not Wi-Fi) and search for "[your provider name] outage" — for example, "Comcast outage" or "Verizon outage". Most major providers have a status page that shows whether they are experiencing problems in your area.

You can also call your service provider's customer service line. The number is on your bill or on the back of your modem. They can tell you in 30 seconds whether there is an outage near you and when they expect to fix it. If there is an outage, there is nothing you can do except wait. If there is no outage, they may ask you to restart your modem and router again while they listen, or they may send a technician.

Write down the outage ticket number if the provider gives you one. If power is out in your neighborhood, your internet will not work until power is restored — the modem and router both need electricity.

Test a single website to rule out a wider problem

If your router is working and your service provider says there is no outage, try opening a website you know is usually fast — Google, YouTube, or your bank's website. If that site loads normally, your internet connection is working. The problem is either the specific website you were trying to reach, or your device's browser.

If the site you want is slow but Google loads fast, that website's server is overloaded or offline. There is nothing wrong with your internet. Wait a few minutes and try again. If you keep getting an error message like "connection timed out" or "server not responding", the website is down.

If even Google will not load, your connection is still broken. Go back to the previous section and contact your service provider again, or try restarting your modem and router one more time.

Understand what "the internet" actually means when something goes wrong

When people say "the internet is down", they usually mean one of three things. First, their personal connection is broken — their device cannot reach their router, or their router cannot reach their service provider. Second, their service provider's network is damaged or overloaded in their area. Third, a major website or service they rely on is offline. None of these is "the internet" as a whole.

The actual internet — the global network of computers and cables — almost never goes completely down. Pieces of it go down all the time. A fiber optic cable gets cut. A data center loses power. A website's servers crash. But the internet has so many paths between so many computers that traffic usually reroutes around the problem. When you cannot reach something, it is almost always because your path to it is broken, not because the destination disappeared.

This is why the same website might work for someone across town but not for you — their service provider's route to that website is still open, and yours is not. It is also why restarting your router sometimes fixes a problem that seems like it should require a technician. The restart forces your device to find a new path through the network.

What to do if the problem keeps happening

If your internet drops or slows down regularly — more than once a week — the problem is probably your equipment or your service provider's line to your home, not a temporary outage. Restart your router and modem, then call your service provider and describe the pattern. Tell them what time of day it happens, what you were doing when it happened, and how long it lasts. They may be able to see problems on their end that do not show up in a status page.

If the problem happens only when you are using a specific device, the problem is that device. Try restarting it, updating its software, or forgetting and reconnecting to your Wi-Fi network. If the problem happens only when you are in a specific room, move closer to the router or ask your provider about a Wi-Fi extender.

If the problem happens at the same time every day — for example, every evening between 6 and 8 p.m. — your service provider's network is probably congested during peak hours. This is common in areas with many users on the same line. Your provider can tell you whether this is the case and may offer a faster plan or a different type of connection.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if a website is down or if it is my internet?

Open a different website you know is usually fast, like Google or YouTube. If that site loads, your internet works and the first website is the problem. If the second site also will not load, your internet connection is broken. You can also search "[website name] down" on your phone using cellular data to see if other people are reporting the same problem.

Why does restarting the router actually fix things?

Your router stores information about every device connected to it and every connection it has made. Over time, this data can get stuck or corrupted, especially if the router has been running for weeks without a restart. Unplugging it clears all that data and forces it to reconnect to your service provider from scratch, which usually solves the problem.

What is the difference between my modem and my router?

Your modem is the device that connects to your service provider's network — it translates their signal into data your devices can use. Your router is the device that broadcasts Wi-Fi and lets your devices talk to each other and the modem. Many homes have them as separate boxes; some have them combined into one. Restart both if your internet is not working.

Can I fix my internet problem by restarting my device instead of the router?

Restarting your device helps if the problem is only that device — it cannot reach the network, or its Wi-Fi radio is stuck. But if the problem is your router or service provider, restarting your device will not help. Always restart the router first, because that fixes most problems.

Why is my internet fast sometimes and slow other times?

Internet speed depends on how many people are using your service provider's network at the same time, how far you are from the router, and what you are doing. Streaming video uses more speed than browsing. Peak hours — usually evenings and weekends — are slower because more people are online. Moving closer to the router or restarting it can help, but if slowness is constant, call your provider.