The internet plays a vital role in people’s lives and has been so for some time. People use it for work, education, shopping, recreation, and more. The pandemic showed us it’s as vital a utility as many others and one of the main ways we stay connected to each other. Having a fast and reliable internet connection has become a necessity.
That means it is all the more frustrating when your internet connection crashes, slows down, or isn’t working correctly. There are scenarios when a dropped connection can be the worst thing that could happen, such as in the middle of a Zoom interview or an otherwise perfect gaming session. It can ruin your workday, give you a massive headache, and make it so that you’re left behind compared to others chasing the same goals as yourself.
However, just because you have a problem doesn’t mean it can’t be solved potentially easily. It can be an unknown, complicated problem, but with the proper steps, you can narrow down the issue and get your internet service back to what it should be. Here’s everything you need to know:
Why Your Internet Could Be Crashing and How to Fix It
Some causes of internet trouble are more common than others. While it can be hard to pinpoint the issue at first glance, you can go down a list of the likely causes and see if the solutions help. Even a few simple questions can save you hours of trouble, and we have the right questions for you to ask.
Here are some of the most frequent reasons for internet crashes and solutions to these issues.
Your Router Needs a Reboot
Rooting or resetting a router can solve many problems with your internet connection. It’s the first thing you hear about when you have internet troubles, and for a good reason. Rebooting your equipment clears the cache of requests and the device's memory, allowing it to start fresh. By restarting, it is cleared of errors, and things are backed up, potentially causing trouble for your network. Essentially, your modem and router need a reboot every once in a while to keep them working correctly.
The Solution: To reboot your equipment, you can unplug it, wait a minute, and then plug it back in. That’s all you generally need to do. Some modems and routers will also have buttons you can press to reboot the modem, which also works fine. It should be in the manual if you don’t know where they are. If you don’t have the manual, you can almost certainly find a copy online. All of this should only take a minute or two, so there’s no reason not to try it.
Problems With Your Cables
If the cabling in your home is loose, damaged, not configured correctly, or otherwise not set up perfectly, then your internet connection might suffer from it. A cable can have an inconsistent connection if slightly damaged or broken. If it is completely non-functional, you likely have noticed a major issue already, and hopefully, you found the cause.
The Solution: Check any networking-related wires you have for kinks, tears, chew marks, etc. If you notice any such issues or know the wires are very old, replace them. The expense is worth the improvement and the peace of mind. Coaxial cables should be securely screwed into the modem and the wall outlet. Any ethernet wires used should be securely fastened into ports. If you lightly tug on the wire and it comes out, it is not inserted correctly.
Connected to the Wrong Wi-Fi Network
It can happen more often than you think, especially on mobile devices in crowded areas where networks are concerned. For example, your phone might be automatically set to connect to a free WiFi network in your immediate area, as weak as the signal might be in your apartment. This is all the while you have a perfectly good Wi-Fi network in your apartment. You could also be connecting to the wrong network manually, especially if two open networks have a similar name.
And if devices are set to connect to the best network automatically, it could be switching networks often between a few in your area. This can disrupt your internet service.
The Solution: Set up your devices, so they do not automatically connect to the best network possible. Set them up to automatically connect to your network (after making sure it is the right one, of course), but otherwise, turn this feature off. It is not as useful as it seems and can even be dangerous if it connects your devices to shady networks. This is also a good time to secure your network and ask your neighbors to secure theirs. If the networks weren’t open, this issue wouldn’t be as likely to pop up in the first place.
Too Many Connected Devices
Thanks to modern technology, a household can have several devices connected to a Wi-Fi network. However, there is still a limit to this. If too many devices are connected, it can lead to problems with your internet, either through the sheer number of connections or too much draw on your bandwidth. You do not want your devices competing for limited internet resources, leaving you uncertain about what’s working and what’s not.
The Solution: You can reduce the number of devices on your network. Look for unused or unfamiliar devices, and disconnect them (unplug them if you have to). If you need them, you’ll find that out soon enough and set them back up quickly. Alternatively, if you need all those devices, you might want to upgrade your router or internet service plan (more on this later).
Outdated Drivers and Software
If you have outdated drivers and software, especially related to your modem and router, it can cause your internet to crash or be slower than it should be. Each device connected to the WiFi network contains drivers required to connect properly to the internet. Over time, these drivers become obsolete or corrupted. By updating the drivers and software, you fix the problem.
The Solution: You can download and update drivers quite easily. Either your equipment will handle it automatically, or you can look up the method for updating your devices online. It may also be in the device manual.
Other Ways to Stop Your Internet From Crashing
If you’ve looked into all of the above and are still experiencing problems, there is still hope. You will want to try out the following practices or actions to potentially remove the problem and get your internet back into working shape:
Disable Add-ons
Add-ons can be beneficial, but they can also disrupt an internet connection if not utilized or installed properly. They might be malicious (depending on where you get them). They might need an update that keeps them in line with the browser. They could also not be compatible with each other in some way or make too many requests for your internet connection, leading to a crash.
Try disabling your add-ons to see if an improvement occurs. Note that safe mode for your browser will temporarily disable add-ons so that you can test this without creating too much extra work for yourself. If your internet works fine in your browser’s safe mode, then there is a good chance that at least one of your add-ons is to blame. Disable them one at a time and do further testing to find the culprit.
Scan for Malware
Malware can cause your internet to crash or be effectively hijacked by a hacker. Some malware can even reroute internet searches or take over your browser. Malware can also cause your browser to outright crash, which for many purposes is the same as causing your internet to crash. In any event, malware is a horrible thing to have on your computer, dangerous where your device’s health is concerned, and can lead to things such as identity theft on top of internet problems.
To prevent this from happening, you will want to scan for malware now and regularly. You can use the scanner in one of many security suite programs (you should have something for your safety). Many browsers will also scan files ahead of time; some scanning might be included in other programs. If malware is found, remove it, and determine the source. In any case, now is an excellent time to check your computer’s security and make sure that you have strong passwords, aren’t downloading suspicious files, and making sure that you are following the proper precautions.
Check if Your IP Address is Working
If multiple devices have the same IP address or your computer cannot assign one, you might have difficulties accessing the internet or experience some internet crashing. To connect to the internet, your computer needs a unique address.
To check if it is working, first, see if you have an IP address. This is easy. You can easily Google this with the query “What is my IP” or use any number of browsers. If there is an issue, then your priority is to ensure that you have a more stable and static IP. This can have a whole host of steps to it depending on your setup, ISP, and more, so we recommend looking up guides specifically on this.
Reset Your Equipment to Factory Settings
When all else fails, this is always a possibility. When you reset your equipment like this, you will erase your networks and passwords, and all of your settings will return to their default. While this might seem like a bit much, it can solve the problem if there is a significant error in the settings, a compromised network, or a similar problem. Sometimes starting from scratch is the best option.
Note that this step can be an inconvenience. In resetting your equipment to factory settings, you’re effectively wiping data on the networks you use from that equipment and starting from scratch. It’s not an arduous task, but you will need to set up a new network name and password and wait for it to set itself up again. On top of this, you will need to connect all of your devices to your “new” network. You might want to save this step when you have a little extra time.
Upgrade Your Plan
Suppose your internet crashes, you experience difficulties when multiple household members are online, or you are trying to do multiple things at once. In that case, the likely cause of your issues is that you don’t have enough bandwidth on your internet plan, and you’re effectively outpacing the speed your connection has. While you can try to reduce the overall usage in your household, the simplest solution is to upgrade your internet plan.
Depending on what you are doing online, you will want to look for a plan with more download speed and perhaps more upload speed. Note that if such a plan isn’t available from your provider, you might need to change providers if there is one available. To check your potential options, you can use this site. All you need to do is go to our home page and enter your zip code in our internet provider tool. You’ll get all the information you need to make an informed decision.
The Bottom Line
Having your internet crash can be a major problem and a major inconvenience. It is always frustrating, making it even more frustrating because it can be difficult to tell what the cause is. It might be related to your equipment, the software, or the devices on your network. Your internet might be crashing for reasons entirely beyond your control. However, there are solutions to many causes, so don’t panic. Simply go through the steps and options listed above, and there is a good chance you’ll be able to enjoy your internet service without interruption again.
If you need to change your internet plan or switch to a different provider, know that you can use this website to help you search. Just go to our home page, type in your zip code, and you’ll get a list of options in your area for more information. We hope this article helped you solve your issue, whatever the cause, and encourage you to return to this page as you need to.
FAQ
Can hackers crash your internet?
Absolutely, and they can do so through a few different methods. They might try a DDoS attack on your IP address, effectively overloading you so you can’t access the internet. A hacker could also potentially hack your modem or router, disallowing you from accessing the internet at all or accessing it properly. And they might hack your devices and limit their ability to access the internet. There might be other ways, but these are the most common.
What are the signs that your internet is hacked?
There are a few significant signs, though it all comes down to the general idea that your internet isn’t acting as it should. You may notice that your browser is going to suspicious sites all on its own. You might not be able to access the internet at all or intermittently. And you might just notice your connection is always slightly slower. However, the most dangerous is if there are no signs, and the hacker is slowly taking as much personal information as possible over your hacked connection.
How many devices can my Wi-Fi handle?
That will come down to your bandwidth and the router/modem you have. You can only have as many connections as your router will allow. You can check this by looking up the model number of your equipment. As for bandwidth, that can be trickier. Different requests and processes take different amounts of bandwidth, but if all your devices combined demand more bandwidth than you have, you will have problems. If you run into these problems, you will want to either upgrade your router or internet service plan.
Can hackers hack your router?
Yes, hackers can hack your router, which is a troubling possibility. If you don’t have solid security on your router and have a good password in place for your network, there is an increased chance of your router being hacked. Another possibility is that someone unknown had access to your router and could directly access it. If you routinely update your router, schedule regular reboots, and do other maintenance tasks, hackers will be less able to hack your router.
How long do routers last?
Functionally speaking, routers can last a long time, even decades, so long as they are adequately maintained and do not suffer catastrophic damage. However, considering their practical use-lifespan, 3-5 years is the norm. After this point, a router might be perfectly workable and acceptable for your setup, but you might be missing out on newer features that could improve your network. Additionally, firmware updates only happen for so long, and internet speeds might surpass what the router was intended for. Double-check on your router if it is more than five years old.
