Internet

You are not connected to a Network

Perhaps the simplest first step in troubleshooting a connection issue is to make sure that you are in fact connected to your home Wifi Network.  It is always a good idea to check the status of your connection to your home wifi network by

Quick Checks:

1)      Did you get disconnected from  the home wifi network – how to reconnect HERE

2)      Are you out of range of your router/wifi network – how to gauge the strength of your home wifi network HERE

Windows

       1)   On your windows computer navigate to the bottom left hand corner of the screen and left click on         the Network Connections Icon ( or ).  Ensure that you can see your home network listed and that          you are connected to it:

          or     

      2)  Similarly, you can check if the wifi signal strength is weak or has weakened by navigating to the      same  icon in the bottom left corner of the screen and clicking on the same Network Connections Icon mentioned above (either  or )  and checking to ensure that a sufficient number of bars are illuminated.  In the real world, your connection really shouldn’t be less than full or with just one bar not illuminated so 4/5 or ¾ bars at the least.  Anything else will inhibit wireless performance noticeably.

Apple

1)      At the top of the screen, right of centre, is the network connections icon .  Click on this Icon to ensure that your home wifi network is displayed with a check mark to the left of the network name, indicating that you are in fact currently joined to this network.  Apple devices will also tell you if wifi is on or off in this drop down window.  Ensure that Wifi: On is ‘grayed out’ and that ‘Turn Wi-Fi Off’ is highlighted in black as this indicates that Wifi is in fact on.

2)      Similar to the above instructions, click on the network connections icon at the top of the screen and check how many of the arced lines are lit up.  You should have either full connection bars or one missing.  Additional missing bars indicate that there is in fact a weak wifi signal.  At this point it may be advisable to ensure that the router has been placed in a position free from obstructions and that all antennae are upright.

                                                     

Smartphone

The process of verifying connection to a wifi network is different among brands of phone, however a general process is described here

1)      Locate the settings option and click it

2)      Locate the WIFI sub-option (after tapping settings) and tap it

3)      A list of available wifi networks should appear – ensure that your home wifi network is listed among the networks available to join and that you are in fact connected to the available home wifi network – a check mark or similar

Connection Limited
Often accompanied by a yellow yield sign with an exclamation point through it, or a ‘searching for networks’ message on apple devices, a limited connection warning is most often caused by a good/strong connection to the home wifi network but with no internet access beyond the router.

Resolution:  The starting point here would be a reboot of the modem or POE/radio (in the case of wireless customers).  If this does not resolve the issue, then proceed to reboot the router and finally the computer, tablet or phone if the router reboot is ineffective.

         1)      Reboot/Power Cycle Modem or Radio

         2)      Reboot Router

         3)      Reboot Device

         4)      Call Technical Support

No networks available

This situation arises when your device is unable locate a local network (either wifi or directly connected via an Ethernet cable) to connect to.  The issue is generally the router in this case so responding with a 30 second reboot of the router will generally resolve the issue.  Alternatively this could end up being a cabling issue, however this can usually be determined after a call to technical support if a router reboot doesn’t resolve the issue.

       1)      Ensure you are connected to the home wifi or local network

       2)      Reboot the router

       3)      Reboot Device

       4)      Call Technical Support

Slow Connection/Intermittent connection

A very common issue with a multitude of possible solutions.  While basic troubleshooting is a must when attempting to isolate the source of a slow or intermittent connection, there are some trickier

 Quick Checks:

             A)     do speeds increase after a reboot of the router

             B)      do speeds increase after a reboot of the POE – POE description here

             C)     do speeds increase when a computer is directly connected to the POE, bypassing the router                 altogether – description of this process here

            D)     do speeds decrease at certain times of the day or night, is there a pattern

Practical Steps:

       1)      Ensure the wifi connection is strong – click here for instructions

       2)     Check the number of devices connected to the local network – click for more

a.       Not all internet connection are created equally.  For example, customers on our entry level packages are signed up for speeds that are not adequate for multiple users, or streaming video content.  If you are on a 1.5 or even 3mbps connection and have several devices connected this can cause slow speeds as each device ‘competes’ for the available bandwidth. 

       3)      One or more device may be performing an update.  – click for more

a.       This is an all too common issue especially when the speeds are not consistently slow but rather slow or very slow (sometimes appearing as though the connection is down altogether) for discrete periods of time, at the end of which the connection resumes as normal.  New devices are all programmed to access updates automatically from online servers set up by the device manufacturer. 

       4)      A cloud storage device may be enabled – click for more

       5)      The Router may  be failing

a.       Aging and failing routers often announce their demise by beginning to underperform.  A quick

       6)      There may be network issues

  7)      There may be obstructions that have affected the line of sight of your internet radio/receiver

A common misconception is that if your PC, tablet, phone or other device reports being ‘connected’ to a

WIFI – ROUTER – RADIO/Modem that it means it is connected to the internet. That is not necessarily the case.

In general your device will connect to your router. That router in turn connects to your modem or power device (POE) for wireless customers.