UK Broadband Not Working? Run These Network Checks First

Your internet stops working and the first question is usually simple: is my internet down, or is something wrong with my device?

Before you spend time on hold with your internet provider, a few quick checks can usually narrow down where the problem is. It could be your device, Wi-Fi, router, home network, your ISP, or a wider outage.

Most of the checks below take less than a minute. Start at the top and work your way down.

Step 1: Confirm That Your Internet Is Actually Down

Start with the simplest test: try more than one website or app.

If one website will not load but other websites work normally, your internet connection may be fine. The problem could be with that particular website, its DNS, or its server.

If nothing loads on any device connected to your network, the problem is more likely to be your router, Wi-Fi, ISP connection, or a wider outage.

Also check your router's status lights. The exact colors and meanings vary between models, but a warning light, flashing connection light, or missing internet status can indicate a problem.

Step 2: Check for an ISP Outage

Before changing settings on your router, check whether your internet provider is experiencing an outage.

BT, Sky, Virgin Media, Xfinity, Spectrum, and other major providers have service status or outage information for customers. Third party outage trackers can also show reports from other users.

If many people in your area are reporting the same problem, there may be nothing wrong with your equipment.

In that situation, restarting your router repeatedly is unlikely to solve the underlying problem. The provider needs to restore the service.

Step 3: Restart Your Router

A router restart is one of the quickest troubleshooting steps and can resolve temporary connection problems.

Turn off or unplug your router.
If you have a separate modem or ONT, follow your provider's recommended restart procedure.
Wait about 30 seconds.
Turn the equipment back on.
Give it several minutes to reconnect fully.

Do not immediately assume the restart failed. Some routers need several minutes to establish the connection and return all services to normal.

A restart can clear temporary network states and cause the router to establish a fresh connection with the provider.

Step 4: Check Your Public IP Address

Once your router appears to be connected again, check your public IP address at iptrackertools.com/what-is-my-ip.

If the page loads and displays your public IP, your device has at least some working path to the internet.

However, an IP address by itself does not prove that every part of your internet connection is working correctly. You could still have DNS problems, packet loss, routing problems, or access issues affecting particular services.

If the IP checker will not load at all, try another website before concluding that the entire internet connection is down.

Step 5: Check Whether DNS Is the Problem

Sometimes your internet connection is working but domain names are not being resolved correctly.

DNS, or Domain Name System, converts names such as google.com into IP addresses that computers can connect to.

A DNS problem can make it look like your internet is completely down even though your connection to the network itself is working.

One useful test is to try accessing a website using another device. You can also use command line tools such as nslookup to test DNS resolution.

For example, on Windows:

nslookup google.com

If DNS lookups are failing while other network tests work, the problem may be related to your DNS configuration or DNS provider rather than your physical internet connection.

Step 6: Run a Ping Test

A ping test checks whether your device can reach a particular destination and measures the response time.

You can run a simple online test at iptrackertools.com/ping-test.

Ping results can help identify problems such as:

No response: The destination may be unreachable, although the failure can also be caused by a firewall or the destination blocking ICMP traffic.
High latency: The connection is responding, but there may be significant delay somewhere along the network path.
Inconsistent latency: Response times that jump significantly can indicate congestion or network instability.
Packet loss: Some test packets are not receiving responses, which can indicate a network problem when confirmed across appropriate tests.

A single ping test is not enough to diagnose every internet problem. Different destinations can behave differently, so use the results as a troubleshooting clue rather than a definitive diagnosis.

Step 7: Check for Packet Loss

Packet loss occurs when data sent across a network does not successfully reach its destination.

It can cause symptoms such as:

Video calls freezing or dropping
Online games disconnecting
Web pages loading intermittently
Streaming video buffering unexpectedly
Remote desktop sessions becoming unstable
Connections repeatedly timing out

Packet loss can occur because of Wi-Fi interference, overloaded equipment, network congestion, faulty cables, or problems somewhere along the ISP connection.

If packet loss continues when you are connected directly to the router with Ethernet, that is useful information to give your ISP.

Step 8: Test Wi-Fi vs Ethernet

This is one of the most useful tests when you are trying to determine whether the problem is your broadband connection or your Wi-Fi.

If possible, connect a computer directly to the router using an Ethernet cable and test the connection again.

Ethernet works but Wi-Fi does not: The broadband connection is probably working and the problem is more likely related to Wi-Fi coverage, interference, router settings, or wireless congestion.
Ethernet and Wi-Fi both fail: The problem is more likely to involve the router, modem, incoming connection, DNS, or ISP.

This simple test can save a lot of unnecessary troubleshooting.

Step 9: Check Connected Devices

If your internet is unusually slow rather than completely offline, check the list of devices connected to your router.

A large number of active devices can consume significant bandwidth. Someone may be downloading a large file, streaming high-resolution video, running a cloud backup, or installing an update.

If you see devices that you do not recognize, investigate them. An unknown device does not automatically mean someone has hacked your network, but you should verify what is connected.

If necessary, change your Wi-Fi password and make sure your router uses modern wireless security.

Step 10: Check Your Router and Cables

A surprisingly large number of connection problems come down to equipment.

Check that:

The router has power.
The Ethernet cables are firmly connected.
The modem or ONT shows a normal connection status.
No cable is visibly damaged.
Your router has not been accidentally switched off.
The equipment is not extremely hot or sitting somewhere with poor ventilation.

If you have a separate modem and router, check both devices rather than assuming only the Wi-Fi router is responsible.

Step 11: Test Another Device

Try connecting a second phone, laptop, tablet, or computer to the same network.

If one device works while another does not, the problem is probably not your ISP connection.

The affected device could have a DNS problem, network configuration issue, VPN, firewall, driver problem, or another local issue.

If every device has the same problem, focus your troubleshooting on the router, modem, Wi-Fi network, and ISP connection.

Step 12: Temporarily Check Your VPN or Proxy

If you use a VPN or proxy, temporarily disconnect it and test the connection again.

A VPN can introduce its own DNS, routing, authentication, or server connectivity problems.

If websites work normally as soon as the VPN is disconnected, the problem may be with the VPN service rather than your broadband connection.

Internet Slow vs. Internet Completely Down

These are different problems and should be investigated differently.

If the Internet Is Completely Down

Check your router status, look for an ISP outage, restart your equipment, and test another device.

If every device is offline and your router cannot establish an internet connection, the problem may be with your ISP or incoming line.

If the Internet Is Slow

Check whether the problem occurs on Wi-Fi and Ethernet. Look for heavy bandwidth usage, run a speed test, and check for high latency or packet loss.

A slow connection can have many causes and does not necessarily mean that your ISP is experiencing an outage.

How Do I Know If the Problem Is My ISP?

There is no single test that can prove an ISP fault in every situation, but several clues make an ISP or incoming-line problem more likely.

Multiple devices cannot access the internet.
Ethernet and Wi-Fi are both affected.
The router shows an internet or broadband connection error.
There is no local Wi-Fi problem but the WAN connection is down.
Repeated ping or connection tests show problems beyond your local network.
Your provider reports an outage in your area.
The problem continues after restarting your equipment.

If several of these apply, contacting your ISP is reasonable.

When Should You Call Your Internet Provider?

Contact your provider when:

There is no known outage but your connection remains offline.
Multiple devices cannot connect.
A wired Ethernet connection is also failing.
Your router repeatedly loses its broadband connection.
You are seeing persistent packet loss or connection drops.
The problem continues after restarting your equipment.
Your router displays a persistent connection fault.

Before calling, write down what you have already tested. Tell the support agent whether the issue affects one device or every device, whether Ethernet works, whether you restarted the router, and whether you found packet loss or high latency.

That information can help the provider move beyond basic troubleshooting and investigate the actual connection.

Things You Should Not Do Immediately

There are a few troubleshooting steps that are often suggested too early.

Do not factory reset your router immediately. A reset can erase your Wi-Fi settings, port forwarding rules, DNS configuration, and other custom settings.
Do not repeatedly restart the router every few minutes. Give it time to reconnect fully.
Do not change multiple network settings at once. You may fix one problem while creating another and make the original cause harder to identify.
Do not assume every problem is an ISP outage. Test another device and another website first.

Quick Internet Troubleshooting Checklist

Check whether multiple websites are affected.
Check your router's status lights.
Check your ISP for an outage.
Restart your router and modem if applicable.
Check your public IP at iptrackertools.com/what-is-my-ip.
Test DNS if websites are not resolving.
Run a ping test at iptrackertools.com/ping-test.
Check for packet loss or high latency.
Test another device.
Test Ethernet if possible.
Check connected devices and bandwidth usage.
Disconnect VPNs or proxies temporarily.

Quick Answers

Why is my internet not working?
The cause could be your device, Wi-Fi, router, modem, DNS, ISP connection, or a wider outage. Test another device and another website first to narrow it down.

How do I know if my internet is down?
Try several websites and devices. If nothing can reach the internet and your router shows a connection problem, check your ISP's outage information.

Why does restarting my router fix the internet?
A restart can clear temporary connection problems and force the router to establish a fresh connection with the provider.

Does checking my public IP prove that my internet works?
It proves that your device was able to reach the IP checking service at that moment. It does not prove that DNS, every website, or every part of your connection is working normally.

How do I check if my internet connection is stable?
Run repeated ping tests and look for high latency, inconsistent response times, or packet loss. Test more than one destination when possible.

Why does Wi-Fi work poorly but Ethernet works fine?
The problem is likely related to Wi-Fi rather than your broadband connection. Interference, distance from the router, congestion, or wireless settings can all contribute.

Why does Ethernet not work either?
If both Ethernet and Wi-Fi are affected across multiple devices, investigate the router, modem, incoming connection, DNS, and ISP outage status.

Should I factory reset my router?
Not as a first step. A factory reset removes custom settings and may create additional configuration work. Try simpler troubleshooting steps first.

How do I check my IP address when the internet is not working?
If your device cannot reach the internet, an online IP checker may not load. You can still view your local network information and router gateway, but your public IP may not be available until the internet connection is restored.

The Short Version

If your internet is not working, do not immediately assume your ISP is at fault.

First check another website and another device. Look at your router's status lights, check for a known outage, and restart your equipment. Then test your connection using an IP address check and a ping test.

If Wi-Fi fails but Ethernet works, focus on your wireless network. If both fail across multiple devices, the problem is more likely to involve your router, modem, incoming line, DNS, or ISP.

By the time you contact your provider, having these results ready can make troubleshooting much faster because you can tell them exactly what is and is not working.