Troubleshooting Bad Internet

Bad internet impacts everyone. We use the internet for just about everything, so you having it slow down is an issue. If it takes forever to download music, stream your favourite shows, or lags when you're looking stuff up, there is a chance the problem is fixable. Before you call your internet service provider (ISP), let’s walk through some quick tips for troubleshooting your internet connection.

1. Try Another Device or Website

Start with the obvious: is the problem only happening on one device or all your devices? If your computer's having problems, see if someone else can connect to the internet. If it is just one device, try turning it on and off (we know, duh) as this can resolve most settings issues. If that doesn’t work you may have a more serious hardware problem. 

If a specific website won't load, try another site. You can type the website's address into downforeveryoneorjustme.com to see if there's a known outage.

2. Check the Wi-Fi Settings

Check the Wi-Fi signal icon in the bottom-right corner of Windows and top-right corner in macOS. Click the icon and make sure you are connected to the proper network using the correct password. Sometimes you can connect to the wrong network by default. 

Windows users can change the connection priority or right-click a network and select Forget. On a Mac, open System Preferences > Network > Advanced and uncheck any unwanted networks under the Auto-Join column.

3. Check Your Internet Package

If your internet is working, but is working slower than expected, head to a site like Speedtest.net and run a speed test. You'll get a number in megabits per second denoting the speed your computer is actually experiencing. From there, head to your ISP's website and check your bill.

If the number on your bill is the same as your speed test, then you're getting the correct speeds you pay for. If that feels too slow, you'll need to upgrade to something faster. If your speed test is significantly slower than the speed you pay for, then you are indeed having problems, and should continue with troubleshooting.

4. Decode the Blinking Lights

If you can't connect to the internet at all, take a look at your modem and router. Both should have a few LED status indicators—if none of them are lit up, then the modem or router is probably unplugged or powered down. Disconnect the power cord—if you have both a modem and a router, disconnect both—then reconnect the modem after a minute or two.

Make sure that the power switch is in the On position, if there is one. Once its lights are on, plug in your router (if applicable) and wait for it to boot up as well. If you still don't see lights after plugging them in, you may have a failed power adapter, a faulty power strip, or a fried router.

If some of the lights are on, but some aren't—or they're flashing repeatedly—you'll want to look more closely at what they're telling you. For example, if your modem's lights are flashing rather than solid, it may be unable to find an internet connection, it might be time to call your ISP.

5. Try Wipstream

Everything is still slow and no speed upgrade from your ISP is available?

You can try Wipstream for 30 days free and see if using our world-class technology can give you more reliable, enjoyable internet. Some features of the Wipstream Home device: 

- Extends the range of your normal WiFi router

- Adds LTE data (included in your package) to your regular internet to create a multi-stream connection. This is a fancy word to say there are two sources powering your internet now so that if your default connection starts to lag, our data comes to the rescue.

- Less than a 5 minute install, no tech experience required

Just $35/month to get better internet. With how much we are online these days, can you afford not to?