Is it my Wi-Fi, my router or my internet provider?

When the internet stops working at home, it helps to know who can fix it. Is it something you can change in a minute, something to ask your provider about, or something that is nothing to do with you? Think of your connection as a chain of links and test them one at a time.

The chain

Your device (phone, laptop, TV).
Your Wi-Fi, the wireless link from the device to the router.
Your router, the box that joins your home to the wider network.
Your provider’s network, the line into your home and the equipment beyond it.
The wider internet, including the website or service you are trying to reach.

A fault at any link looks like “the internet is down” from the chair you are sitting in. The goal is to find the first broken link.

Test 1: another site, another device

If one site fails but others load, the break is almost certainly beyond your provider: the site itself, or the route to it. Use our website checker to see whether it is reachable from elsewhere. If other devices on your Wi-Fi work, the fault is in the first device.

Test 2: Wi-Fi or mobile data

Switch a phone from Wi-Fi to mobile data and try the same site. If it works on mobile data but not on Wi-Fi, the problem is in your home setup or your provider, not the site. We cover this in why a site works on mobile data but not Wi-Fi. If it fails on both, the site is the more likely cause.

Test 3: a cable

Connect a laptop to the router with an Ethernet cable and test again. If the cable connection works well and Wi-Fi does not, the router is fine and the wireless link is the problem. Move closer, change the channel or band, or consider a mesh system for large or awkward homes.

Test 4: the router’s own lights and menu

Look at the status lights. Most routers show a light for the internet connection. If it is red, amber, off or flashing in a way your manual describes as a fault, the router cannot reach your provider. Restart it and give it several minutes. If the light stays in the fault state, the issue is with the line or the provider. Many routers also have a status page, reached by typing an address printed on the label into your browser, which lists whether the internet connection is up.

Test 5: your provider’s status

Check your provider’s status page or support channels using mobile data. Providers often post known faults by area. Our outage map may also show reports from other people near you. If there is a known fault, waiting is the right move.

Test 6: signs that point at the provider

The router’s internet light shows a fault even after a restart.
Several different sites fail on every device, on a cable.
Speeds are far below your plan at many different times.
Neighbours on the same provider have the same problem.

Test 7: signs that point at the router

It needs regular restarts to work properly.
Wi-Fi drops while the cable still works.
It is very old, hot to the touch, or has had no updates for years.
Some devices cannot connect at all while others are fine.

Test 8: signs that point at the website

Only one site or app fails.
It fails on mobile data as well.
Other people are reporting the same on our site pages or outage history.
Our check shows an error from several countries.

What not to do

Resist the urge to reset the router to factory settings as a first step. It wipes your Wi-Fi name, password and any provider-specific settings, and can leave you with a bigger problem than you started with. Restarting is harmless. A factory reset is a last resort, and only after checking you know your login details.

Useful things to tell support

What you tested: cable, Wi-Fi, mobile data, which devices.
What the router lights show.
Speed-test results with times, from our speed test or another.
Whether it started suddenly or got worse over time.

With that information, support can skip the basic questions and start with the actual problem.

Check a website now

Is it down for everyone, or just you? Paste an address and we test it from fifteen places.

Open the checker

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Last updated 2 November 2026. Written by the siteupdown.com team. Spotted a mistake?

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