What A Bad Connection Looks Like
Have you ever been checking and responding to emails or watching reruns of The Office on Netflix and suddenly get a message on your screen saying “no internet connection”? This is the frustration of having an internet connection that cuts out unexpectedly. Having your internet cut out is different than having a slow connection and can point to unique connectivity issues. For example, a slow connection might result in longer buffering times when watching Youtube videos or long page loads when visiting websites. However, a drop in connectivity may result in the little dinosaur display on Google Chrome or an exclamation point over your wifi indicator on an Apple MacBook.
Connection Issues And Shared WiFi
Having several people on a network at once can cause connectivity issues. Times when all of your family members are home streaming movies and doing homework online increases load on your network. A similar situation can come from neighborhood-wide internet use — usually at the end of the day when more people are home from work and school watching evening shows and scrolling through Twitter all at the same time. The resources that your ISP provides are shared by all of the devices in your home and to some extent by other homes in your neighborhood that use the same provider. Oftentimes, the result is simply slower speeds but in some cases, the load can get to the point of intermittently cutting out your internet connection altogether.
Internet Connection And Hardware
Connectivity failures could point to hardware issues. Make sure that the outlet your router is plugged into holds the prongs snuggly and that they aren’t sagging. If they are, your issue could be as simple as a chair or pet bumping the outlet. Other causes that fall into the hardware category include out-of-date routers and bad cables. If it’s been a few years since you’ve gotten a new router, it may be time for an upgrade. Call your service provider to find out which new routers are compatible with the service. Out-of-date routers will have out-of-date firmware and may fail to meet current standards.
Internet Connections and Neighborhoods
Knowing how your neighbors’ connectivity has been can be helpful as well. If the problem is common in the neighborhood it may be time for a new internet service provider. In this case, the issue is not on your end. Technical difficulty on the provider’s end could be keeping them from providing a high-quality service. For instance, the infrastructure that the provider has set up in your neighborhood could need improvement. Call ISP’s help center to see if they are having difficulties that affect your area. If issues persist on their end, it may be time to shop around for a new provider.
