Internet Outage? What to Do When the Internet Goes Down

The internet goes out and a household goes through the five stages. Denial: refresh the page. Anger: refresh it harder. Bargaining: unplug something at random. Depression: stare at the blinking light. Acceptance: someone suggests a board game and is ignored.

There is a faster route. This guide covers how to tell whether the problem is your equipment or a real outage, what to do in each case, how to stay online while you wait, and how to be ready next time.

Step 1: Is it one device or everything?

Check a second device. If the laptop is offline but your phone works on the same wifi, the problem is the laptop. Restart it and rejoin the wifi network.

If every device is offline, carry on.

Step 2: Is it the wifi or the internet?

Look at what your device says.

• Cannot see or join the wifi network: the box that makes your wifi is off, unplugged, or frozen.
• Connected to wifi, but "no internet": the wifi is fine. The box has lost its connection to the provider.

These are different problems. We explain why in wifi vs internet.

Step 3: Check power and cables

• Is the box on? Are there lights?
• Is the power cord seated at both ends?
• Is the outlet live? Did a breaker trip or a wall switch get flipped?
• For wired service, is the line from the wall still screwed or clicked in? Pets, vacuums, and toddlers are all qualified cable technicians.

Step 4: Restart the equipment

Turn the modem or gateway off. Wait thirty seconds. Turn it back on. If you have a separate router, restart it after the modem is back up. Give everything a few minutes before testing.

This fixes a large share of outages that are not really outages.

Step 5: Find out if it is a real outage

Use your phone's cellular data for this.

• Check your provider's outage page or app. Many show known outages by address.
• Check the provider's social media accounts.
• Look at a crowd sourced outage tracking site.
• Ask a neighbor on the same provider.

If it is a confirmed outage, nothing you do to your equipment will help. Stop unplugging things.

Step 6: Report it

Even if others have reported it, report yours. More reports help providers locate a fault. Ask for an estimated restoration time, and write down the date, time, and any ticket number. You may want them later when you ask for a credit.

Step 7: Stay online while you wait

• Phone hotspot. Fine for email and essential work for a few hours. Phone plans commonly put separate rules on hotspot data, so check yours.
• A second connection that fails differently. If your main line is wired, a cellular modem is not affected by a cut cable or a failed neighborhood node. This is why some households and many small businesses keep one. See backup internet for small business.
• Go somewhere else. A library, a cafe, a friend's place. Be careful what you do on public wifi. See our wifi security guide.

Step 8: When service returns

• Restart your equipment once more if things seem odd.
• Ask your provider for a bill credit for the downtime. Many will give one if you ask. Few will volunteer it.

If your internet is a cellular modem

The same logic applies, with a few differences.

• Check power first. The modem has a battery, so it can run down quietly after a charger gets unplugged and then shut off hours later.
• Restart it. Off, thirty seconds, on, wait two minutes.
• Check whether it moved. If someone tidied it behind the TV or into a cabinet, signal drops. Back to the window.
• Check your phone's signal. If phones in the area have also lost service, a tower may be down. That is the network owner's to repair, and it affects everyone using that tower.
• Test somewhere else. The modem is portable. If it works fine across town, the issue is local to your area.
• Check your account in the Customer Center. An expired card is an unglamorous way to go offline.

The full routine is in our troubleshooting checklist. If none of it helps, contact us through Support. Defective modems are replaced at no charge.

Common causes of outages

• Construction. Buried lines get cut by digging.
• Weather. Storms bring down lines and power. See weather and cellular internet.
• Power failures at your home or at the provider's equipment.
• Equipment failure in the neighborhood or in your house.
• Planned maintenance, usually overnight.
• Account issues. A failed payment can look exactly like an outage.

Be ready for the next one

1. Save your provider's outage page and support contact somewhere you can reach without internet.
2. Know how to turn on your phone's hotspot before you need it.
3. Download what matters. Offline maps, key documents, a few shows for the kids.
4. Keep a small battery pack charged for phones.
5. Consider a second connection if you work from home or run a business. It should be a different type from your first, so one event does not take out both.
6. Put essential equipment on a surge protector.

During a power outage

A wired modem and router go dark the moment the power does, even if the internet line is fine. A Beakom modem has a battery, so it keeps running for a while without wall power, as long as the tower serving you still has power. It covers short gaps. For long outages you will need a way to recharge it, such as a vehicle outlet, a power station, or a generator.

The plain statement

No internet service is outage proof, including ours. Beakom service is not for life safety or emergency use. Keep a charged phone, a battery powered or hand crank radio, and a plan that does not depend on any single connection.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if it is my router or the provider?
If you can join wifi but have no internet, and a restart does not help, check the provider's outage page. If you cannot see your wifi network at all, it is your equipment.

Can I get money back for an outage?
Often, if you ask. Note the dates and times and request a credit.

How long do outages usually last?
It depends on the cause. Your provider's estimate is the best guide, and they are often optimistic.

Is cellular internet more reliable than cable?
They fail for different reasons. That is exactly why they make good backups for each other.

The bottom line

Check one device versus all, wifi versus internet, power, then restart. Confirm the outage, report it, switch to your backup, and ask for a credit afterwards. Then set up the backup you wished you had today.

See How it Works if a second connection with no contract sounds useful.