Troubleshooting Router
Step by step guide
The following steps are a quick way to ensure that all equipment is working properly. These are basic steps that can be taken to minimize your down time. Failing to run through these steps often results in frustration and/or incurring service call fees that can often be avoided.
First
Remove the power from the back of the router and leave it unplugged for at least 10-15 seconds, then plug back in. Wait 5 minutes for the router to fully load back up and test your internet. This shouldn’t be necessary, but some routers seem to need an occasional reboot to keep working well.
Second
This may sound like a no-brainer, but we sometimes forget to check the most obvious solution before moving on to more complicated ones. Someone may have accidentally pulled on or kicked a cable causing it to unplug or become loose. You should check all of the cables involved and ensure that they’re securely connected.
Third
Like any other electronic device, routers can fall prey to overheating. This overheating can damage the router over time or just make it unstable. Check your router’s temperature to see how hot it is. If it seems very hot, ensure that it’s getting enough airflow. If the vents are blocked or you have the router in a hot location — like on top of a tower PC that heats up — overheating could be causing instability. It’s also possible that prior overheating may have damaged the router.