Nothing is worse than being halfway through uploading content, and the internet starts to misbehave. And, with so many of our devices relying on the internet to work, it can halt your day.
So if you’re in your workflow, and you want to keep that intact to get through your to-do list, here are the quickest ways to troubleshoot your internet when you have things to be getting on with!
Photo by Domenico Loia on Unsplash
Switch devices
If your laptop starts acting up, and you’re seeing the little T-rex of no internet connection, grab your phone or tablet, head to the network settings, and connect to the Wi-Fi (if it isn’t already connected).
This is one of the most obvious things to do, but often because you are trying to focus on fixing the internet on the device you are currently using, it’s not something we do straight away.
By changing devices, you can see if the problem is with the internet or the connection between your laptop and the internet.
If it is just the connection between your current device, here are two steps:
- Resetting network settings on a Mac: https://setapp.com/how-to/reset-network-settings
- Resetting network settings on a Windows PC: Fix Wi-Fi connection issues in Windows – Microsoft Support.
Settings
Sometimes our technology does things without us noticing, or we make a mistake in the settings and don’t think any more about it. Head to your settings and ensure you haven’t tried connecting to a different internet connection.
Look for the Wi-Fi signal icon in the bottom-right corner of Windows and the top-right corner of macOS. Make sure you are connected to the correct SSID by clicking the icon. If not, you can unintentionally be linked by default to the incorrect network.
Windows users can choose to Forget when they right-click a network or adjust the connection priority. Open System Preferences > Network > Advanced on a Mac, select any undesirable networks under the Auto-Join column, and then uncheck them.
Speed Issues
Having an internet connection is great, but if it runs slowly, it can be more frustrating than when the internet doesn’t work. The first thing you should do is check your internet package. Look for the speed you are paying for, and then head to Speedtest.net. If the numbers match, then that frustrating speed is what you are paying for.
If you notice that the speed test is showing a much lower number, give your provider a call and see what they suggest. But keep in mind you can still take troubleshooting steps before you do.
Turn it off
And then turn it on again. Yes, it is an internet joke that almost all tech support will ask you if you have tried turning it off and then turning it on again. And with good reason, because often taking that step will rectify the issue.
Usually, you’ll need to turn it off, wait 10 or 30 seconds, and then turn it back on again. Start with the laptop and then do the router.
Viruses
If you often download apps and programs and don’t have or let your antivirus software do its job – you can have some malicious code hiding within your computer. Malware, viruses, and spyware can all just sneak onto your computer and impact overall performance.
Almost all OS comes with some level of protection for your computer, so it is a good idea to make sure you have them set up as they should be.
Windows and Mac computers come with firewalls and more, but it is a good idea to check out other antivirus software that can give you further protection.
What else is using the internet?
Your internet might be perfectly fine, but there might be something somewhere in the home that is eating into your bandwidth. To check what else leaves you with little to no internet on a Mac, open Spotlight using Command + Space and enter Activity Monitor. Click the Network tab and have a look at everything that is using your internet. Hungry apps will be at the top, and you can decide if you will leave them running.
For a Windows computer, use Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open up Task Manager, click on the Network tab, and you’ll be presented with a list of apps and can choose ones to cancel.
Gaming is usually one of the biggest culprits for hogging bandwidth.
Router Upgrade
We often expect a single device to manage all of our devices. And if you live in a multi-device home, with people working, playing, streaming, and watching TikTok all day on their phones – upgrading your router could be a good option.
If you have numerous PCs, smartphones, and other devices competing for bandwidth, switch from an outdated 802.11b or 802.11g router to a newer, more powerful one.
You can pick between two radio bands when using a dual-band router, and you can set one aside for clients that demand a lot of bandwidth, such as streaming video devices and gaming consoles. A tri-band will provide three bands and can accommodate significantly more network activity.
Connection
If you have troubleshot your computer and the router itself, the problem might be from your connection. Examine the connection to your house. This is typically found on the side of your home and might or might not be enclosed. Check whether a storm or some pests have knocked the main connection.
Once you find your splitter, look at the connections and make sure they are in properly – if they look damaged, dirty or loose, you could try replacing them – but you are better off giving your ISP a call and getting it fixed by a professional.
It’s conceivable that your ISP is unable to handle the higher user traffic if you experience slowdowns at particular times of the day (for example, after work hours). In this instance, you could look for a different service provider.
Having regular content at a predictable rate is one of the ways that you can increase your website traffic; here are a couple more – 5 Simple Ways To Increase Blog Traffic.
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