The internet is a tool that future generations will more than likely never live without. The World Wide Web opened the door to many new ways of transmitting and receiving information and made communications almost immediate. Social media, made possible by the internet, has become a monster in everyday life. People use it for entertainment, marketing, buying, selling, and so much more.

While cellular devices can maintain access to the Internet regardless of a wireless connection because of cellular data, computers and laptops require an Internet connection to gain entry to online resources. For this reason, it can be extremely frustrating when the Internet isn’t loading or wants to work properly. If you are experiencing problems with your connection to the Internet, you are going to need to diagnose the issue to address the problem. Read on to learn how to do this.

The best way to first go about this is to restart your modem and router. Do not get this confused with resetting or rebooting them, though, as this could reset your router back to its original state, which will clear whatever personalized settings are present on the device. The buttons on the back of the router that indicates a reset or a reboot need to be avoided during this step. Unplug both the router and modem, then follow the steps outlined in this article to finish the reset process.

If you have gone through all the proper steps to reset your router and are still experiencing the same issues, you will need to troubleshoot your router. First, you must determine whether your problem lies with the signal to the Internet or your very own WiFi. Once you have done this, you can set off on the right path.

To check and see if your Internet signal is the culprit, locate your modem and look for either an icon of a globe or a button labeled WAN or Internet. If the green or white light is on and solid, the Internet is connected and on. If it is red or not lit up at all, the connection to the Internet is disabled or flawed.

Checking to see if your WiFi is up and running is very similar. On your router or your modem/router combination system, there will also be some lights. These lights can be labeled differently depending on your unit, but most often, they will read 2.4G and 5G, Wireless, or WLAN. If these lights are on and are blinking, you are connected to the internet. Red-colored lights or lights that out reveal a problem with the broadcasting of the signal.

Remember, often, problems with your Internet connection can be quickly resolved by restarting your router and modem. Go ahead and give this a shot before trying anything else. Using an ethernet cable is also another way to check your Internet connection. This method always gives you the answer to the question, “is it my WiFi or my signal?”

Diagnosing the problem is only one step. To find a suitable solution, click here to read our next article.