Cellular Modem Troubleshooting: A Checklist to Run Before You Contact Support

Something is wrong with the internet. Before you do anything dramatic, know this: most connection problems are solved by one of the first three steps on this list, and none of them require tools, an app, or a phone call.

This checklist runs in order, from the most likely cause to the least likely. Run it top to bottom. If you reach the end and it is still broken, contact us, and you will already have answers to the questions that matter.

Step 1: Check the power

It sounds too obvious. It is also the first thing to rule out.

• Is the modem on?
• Is the charger plugged in at both ends?
• Is the outlet live? Test it with a lamp or a phone charger. Outlets controlled by a wall switch catch a lot of people.
• In an RV or truck, is the inverter on?
• Is it the original charger? Use the one that came in the box. A random charger can under power the modem and cause on and off behavior that looks exactly like a signal problem.

The modem has a battery, which means it can quietly run down while unplugged and then shut off hours later. If it died "for no reason," check whether the charger came loose yesterday.

Step 2: Restart the modem

Turn it off. Wait thirty seconds. Turn it back on. Give it a couple of minutes to reconnect before you judge the result.

This is not a brush off. A restart makes the modem reconnect to the network from scratch. It is the oldest advice in technology because it keeps working.

Step 3: Restart the device you are using

If one phone, laptop, or TV is misbehaving and others are fine, the modem is not the problem. Restart that device. Then forget the wifi network on it and rejoin.

If every device has the same problem, carry on.

Step 4: Make sure you are on the right network

• Confirm your device is connected to the modem's wifi network, not a neighbor's open network, an old router that is still plugged in, or your phone's own cellular data.
• If you still have a router from a previous provider powered on, unplug it. It is broadcasting a network that goes nowhere, and your devices may keep joining it out of habit.

Step 5: Work out which link is the problem

A cellular modem has two links: tower to modem, which is cellular, and modem to device, which is wifi. Stand next to the modem and test.

• Slow or dead right next to the modem: cellular side. Go to step 6.
• Fine next to the modem, bad in another room: wifi side. Go to step 7.

The full explanation is in wifi problem or signal problem.

Step 6: Fix the cellular side by moving the modem

Placement is the single biggest factor you control.

• Move it to a window.
• Try the side of the building facing the nearest town, highway, or hill with antennas.
• Put it up high.
• Get it away from metal shelving, appliances, the back of the TV, and other routers.
• Take it out of any cabinet, closet, or drawer.

Test three spots and keep the best one. Our modem placement guide has the ten minute test. If you are in a metal building, basement, or mobile home, see the hard buildings guide.

Step 7: Fix the wifi side by clearing the path

• Open interior doors between the modem and the trouble spot.
• Get the modem off the floor and out from behind furniture.
• Move the modem closer to where you use the internet most, as long as it stays near a window.
• Try it one floor up. Height often helps both links.
• On the Business modem, connect fixed equipment by Ethernet cable and take wifi out of the equation.

Step 8: Ask whether something changed

If it worked last week and does not now, something is different. Think back.

• Did the modem move? Someone tidied up and it is now behind the TV.
• Did something move next to it? A new metal shelf, a new appliance, a stack of stuff.
• Did the season change? Leaves on trees add a little loss. The best window in winter is not always the best window in summer.
• Is it a busy time? Evenings, holiday weekends, and big local events put more demand on a tower. That is temporary.
• Was there a storm? Severe weather can affect the tower itself. See weather and cellular internet.

Step 9: Check your account

Log in to the Customer Center and confirm the plan is active and the payment method is current. An expired card is an unglamorous reason for the internet to stop, and an easy one to fix.

Step 10: Test somewhere else

The modem is portable, which makes it easy to separate a modem problem from a location problem. Take it to another spot with known good cell signal: a friend's house, your office, the car in a parking lot in town.

• Works fine there: the modem is healthy. Your location or placement is the issue. Go back to step 6, or check your phone's signal around the house. If phones struggle too, the location may be the limit.
• Does not work there either: the modem or the line may have a fault. Go to step 11.

Step 11: Contact us

Reach us through the Support page. Actual humans, no phone tree. To make it fast, tell us:

• What you see: no connection at all, slow everywhere, slow in one room, drops at certain times.
• When it started and whether anything changed.
• Which steps on this list you tried and what happened.
• Whether it works at a different location.
• Whether you are using the original charger.

If the modem is defective, we replace it at no charge and send a prepaid label for the old one. Your deposit is not affected. Business plan customers get priority support and expedited replacement.

What not to do

• Do not open the modem or remove the SIM. It is not user serviceable, the SIM is meant to stay inside, and signs of tampering fail the working condition standard for your deposit.
• Do not put it outside. Water damage is damage.
• Do not wrap it in foil or build a reflector. Metal blocks signal.
• Do not buy a signal booster app. Software cannot move a tower.
• Do not swap chargers. If the charger is damaged, ask us for a replacement.

Defective versus damaged

This matters for replacements and for your deposit.

Defective means it stopped working through no fault of yours. We replace it free.

Damaged means something happened to it: a drop, a spill, a crack. A modem that stopped connecting is defective. A modem that stopped connecting after it fell off the roof of the truck is damaged. Cosmetic wear is always fine. The details are in the modem deposit, explained.

The one page version

1. Power: on, plugged in, live outlet, original charger.
2. Restart the modem. Wait two minutes.
3. Restart the device. Rejoin wifi.
4. Confirm you are on the modem's network. Unplug old routers.
5. Test next to the modem to find the weak link.
6. Cellular side: window, height, away from metal.
7. Wifi side: clear the path, move closer or higher.
8. Ask what changed.
9. Check the account is active.
10. Test at another location.
11. Contact Support with what you found.

Frequently asked questions

How long should I wait after a restart?
A couple of minutes. Let it fully reconnect before testing.

Should I restart it on a schedule?
No. Only when something seems off.

Should it stay plugged in all the time?
At home, yes. It is designed to stay on the charger. The battery is for when it leaves the house.

It works, but it used to be better. Is that a fault?
Usually not. Something changed around it. Rerun the placement test before anything else.

The bottom line

Power, restart, placement. Start with those three. The rest of the list is for finding the unusual problems, and the last step is a human who will help.

For how setup is supposed to go from the start, see How it Works and the FAQs.