
In any case, you can always start with your Cable modem or Fiber-optic ONT. If you can connect to your Wi-Fi network but cannot access the Internet, the issue is likely at the broadband terminal device.Can you connect a device to your Wi-Fi network? If you can’t, or the Wi-Fi network is unavailable - you don’t see the Wi-Fi name on your phone - the problem is likely at the Wi-Fi router.If you have taken care of the housekeeping above and the issue persists, it’s time to do some digging to locate the problem. At the very least, you should see some lights coming out of them.īroadband Internet Troubleshooting: If you can see your Wi-Fi network being broadcast, chances are your router is working well. This issue can be relatively rare, but it doesn’t hurt to ensure all the cables and wires are plugged in properly and intact - not cut, broken, or chewed up by pets.Īll hardware devices (router, modem, ONT, gateway, switches, etc.) must be plugged into power and turned on. Are the cables intact and plugged in securely? Most importantly, you’d be troubleshooting the wrong network. Your device must be connected to the correct Wi-Fi network and not one of your neighbors, for example.Ĭonnecting to the wrong Wi-Fi network will cause local tasks - such as network printing or file sharing - to fail. If so, turn it back on! Which Wi-Fi network you’re using? Some routers also have a similar on/off switch for the Wi-Fi function. These tend to have a button to turn the Wi-Fi function on or off. It applies to some media streamers and IoT devices, such as printers. This issue is common in laptops where you might accidentally switch on the Airplane mode. You might have accidentally turned off the Wi-Fi on the router or the device you’re using. And that has nothing to do with your home network or broadband connection. Many times, the specific party you want to access is unavailable. If you can’t go to a particular website (like ) or a service (such as Netflix), the first thing to do is try a few different ones to see if they work. The service (or website) might be unavailable These are basic things you should do first before anything else. Often, the issue is minor and requires as little as a restart o the hardware involved. No matter if you have an ONT, a modem, or a gateway, you can apply these steps when you don’t have a Wi-Fi connection or have no Internet access. A residential gateway includes both in a single hardware box. Home network basics: Terminal device vs router. Maintain a wide area network (WAN) public IP addressĪssigns and manages LAN IP addresses to local devices (including the primary unit of a Wi-Fi mesh system)Ĭonnect to a wide area network (WAN) - the InternetĬreates a local area network (LAN) network Which hardware is your Internet setup? That’s the first thing you should know. Sometimes, those two are combined in a single hardware box called a residential gateway.
Problem with modem vs router how to#
Broadband Internet troubleshooting: How to get helpīroadband Internet Troubleshooting: Four simple stepsĮvery network is different, but all have a broadband terminal device - likely a Cable modem or a Fiber-optic ONT - and a router.Advanced steps in working with a router.How to handle a Cable modem or a Fiber-optic ONT.Broadband Internet troubleshooting: How to check the Internet terminal device Are the cables intact and plugged in securely?.Your device’s Wi-Fi might be turned off.The service (or website) might be unavailable.Broadband Internet Troubleshooting: Four simple steps.Best Cable modems: For Comcast Xfinity (and possibly other ISPs)ĭong’s note: I first published this post on January 18, 2019, and last updated it on March 3, 2023, to add more relevant information.



On home networking, Wi-Fi, and the Internet
