Internet problems are the bane of the tech world. In today's society, we rely on a stable connection for everything, from banking to keeping in touch with friends family. Fundamentally, it's essential to the modern way of life. Sometimes it seems that everything just comes to a grinding halt when we become disconnected. But I guess that's just the world we live in now.
There are literally hundreds of things that can go wrong with your broadband connection. While nine times out of ten it will be something simple that you can fix in seconds, the troubleshooting can be a real pain!
Intermittent Signal
A weak or intermittent signal is usually a sign of a weak router. To test its strength, connect it to the Internet with a number of different devices -- phone, tablet, etc. -- and check them all from the same distance. If the problem is the same across the board, try the following: turn your router off and on again (this age old technique will solve 90% of your problems!) and move the router to a more central location so the signal is level throughout your home. If you still have problems, consider buying a new router and/or a signal booster.
One Device Won't Connect
If only one device doesn't seem to work then in all likelihood the problem lies with that piece of equipment. Check to ensure the wireless is enabled. If you're using a laptop try to uninstall and reinstall the drivers via Device Manager. If you can't get them this way, use an ethernet cable to connect to the Internet. If using a mobile device, install the latest OS updates and try rebooting.
Too Many People Connecting at Once
The more people that connect to your router at one time, the slower it will become. When you live in a house share or family home this can be a problem, especially when everybody is hooked up with multiple devices at once. Simply disconnecting your tablet, phone and video games console could be enough to significantly speed everything up.
Out of Date Wireless Router
If you've recently upgraded your wireless service you might need to update your router as well. Most broadband companies will provide a replacement when you do this; however, they rarely make the grade. Check your router to see if it can actually handle your current subscription speed, but remember, the quoted Mbps is the absolute maximum. Inferences such as the distance from your router and interior layout will reduce it.
If you're living in the United Kingdom and have tried the above options to no avail, contact your broadband provider and demand compensation. In the UK 72 percent of all broadband suppliers use the BT Openreach network to run their service. Therefore, when BT have to perform maintenance and installations, the majority of people in the given area will loose their connection. But here's the kicker... BT will pay the broadband companies a compensation fee when this happens; therefore, you should be able to get some of your money back as well. So if the reason you're getting a poor connection is beyond your control you have every right to get your money back.