Internet is down: what to check before calling

1. Check the equipment's lights

On the provider's modem/ONT, an "internet" or "WAN" light that's off or red means the outage is external (your provider's), not your internal network. A blinking amber light usually means the device is trying to reconnect.

2. Restart in the correct order

Turn off the modem/ONT, wait 30 seconds, turn it on and wait for the lights to stabilize (1-2 minutes) before turning on the router. Restarting everything at once, or in the wrong order, is the most common reason a restart "doesn't work" — see how to correctly restart network equipment.

3. Test with a single wired device

Connect a laptop directly to the modem with a network cable, bypassing the router and WiFi. If there's still no internet on that direct connection, the outage is on your provider's side and there's nothing to diagnose on yours.

4. Check for a widespread outage

Check your internet provider's status page (many publish outage maps) or social media. If it's an area-wide outage, restoration time doesn't depend on restarting your equipment.

5. Inspect the physical cabling

Fiber or network cables bent at a sharp angle, chewed by rodents, or loose connectors are frequent causes of intermittent outages. Visually check the cable's path, especially if the outage coincides with furniture being moved or maintenance work.

When to escalate the ticket

If you still have no connection after these 5 checks, open a ticket stating which lights you see on the equipment, whether you tested with a direct cable, and whether the provider outage is confirmed. That information avoids unnecessary back-and-forth.