How to Fix Internet Connection Error

This wikiHow teaches you how to troubleshoot problems with the Internet. While some network problems can only be handled by your service provider, there are steps you can take to fix small to medium network problems at home.

Table of Contents

Simple fix

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Restart the computer. While it may seem like an unhelpful suggestion, restarting your computer is often the easiest way to fix the vast majority of problems you may have. A simple reset will clear all faulty settings that are likely to cause connection problems. Even if it doesn’t work, it only takes about a minute.

Restarting the computer usually also re-enables the Internet adapter if it is already off.

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You need to make sure that the wireless network adapter (Wi-Fi adapter) of the laptop (laptop) is turned on. Many laptops have a switch or button to turn the Wi-Fi adapter on/off. If you accidentally press this button, the computer will disconnect from the network. Pressing this button or switch again turns the wireless network adapter back on.

You may need to hold down the Fn button while pressing the Wi-Fi button.
Skip this step on the desktop.

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Restart the modem (modem) and router (router). The easiest way to proceed is to unplug both devices, wait a few seconds, and then plug them back in. Similar to the process of restarting the computer, this action can fix most Internet problems that are not too serious.

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Perform a soft reset of the network. This reset will clear and refresh the modem and router caches as well. You can perform a soft reset by pressing the power button on the front or side of the router.

Many modems can also be soft reset in this way.
In some cases, you can perform a soft reset of the network by opening the router’s page and clicking the Reset button somewhere among the “Advanced” or “Power” options.

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Perform a hard reset of the network. The hard reset will erase all modem and router settings, restoring the network to factory settings (including the network name and password from the factory). To perform a hard reset, press and hold the “reset” button on the back of the modem for about 30 seconds, allow the modem to reboot and proceed with the same steps as with the router.

In most cases, the “reset” button is a hole in the back of the modem or router, which means you’ll need to use a pen or paperclip (or similar) to poke it in.

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Get closer to the router. Sometimes the computer or smartphone is too far from the test point to connect. Get closer to the router and try connecting again.

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You need to make sure that there are no obstacles between you and the router. If you can’t draw a straight line from the connected device to the router without hitting walls, electrical appliances, furniture, and so on, then the chances of maintaining a stable Internet connection are very low.

The best way to ensure a stable and strong Internet connection is to minimize the number of obstacles between the device using the network and the router/modem.

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Try using an Ethernet cable . Connecting your computer or control panel to the router/modem via an Ethernet cable will help speed up the Internet while working and determine if the problem is caused by your network or device.

If the computer can connect to the Internet when plugged directly into the router, there is a high chance that the computer’s wireless network adapter has a problem.
If the computer can connect to the Internet when plugged directly into the modem, the problem seems to be in the router.
If you can’t connect to the network when you plug your computer directly into the modem, it’s likely that your modem or Internet service in general is having problems. Contact your Internet service provider’s technical support line to troubleshoot modem-related problems.

Advanced Fix

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Clear your computer’s DNS cache . DNS caching is responsible for recording the addresses of websites when you visit them and making accessing those websites faster later; However, when websites update with new addresses, DNS caching can become outdated and lead to errors.

Clearing the DNS cache will solve problems like websites not loading, especially if you can view the site in one browser and not in another.
To clear the DNS cache on a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet, simply restart the device.

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Clear browser cache . Like DNS caching, browser caching helps to load previously visited pages faster, but errors occur when the cache’s database becomes obsolete.

To stay up to date, consider clearing your browser cache once a month.

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Try using another website or program. The website you are accessing may be temporarily down, or the program you are using has server problems from the provider. Try going to another website or online program to see if you can connect.

If possible, you should also try using a different web browser. For example, you may have problems with Chrome, while Firefox is still working fine. If one of your web browsers is crashing, you can check out more wikiHow articles or online to learn how to fix browsers like:
- Chrome
- Firefox
- Internet Explorer

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Fix connection. If some software on the computer has problems, it can also cause connection errors. Both Windows and Mac computers have built-in repair tools you can use to fix problems: ^{[1] X Research Source}

On Windows – Press ⊞ Win + R > type ncpa.cpl > click OK > right click on the network adapter > click Diagnose > follow the on-screen instructions.
On Mac – Click the Apple menu

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> click System Preferences… > click Network > select Assist Me… > click Diagnostics > follow the on-screen instructions.

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Boost Wi-Fi signal. If your problem is related to the network signal then interference and distance are the main causes. There are many things you can do to limit interference and increase the range of your network:

Add a second router to extend the range.
Increase your computer’s Wi-Fi reception.
Do-it-yourself directional “antenna” for Wi-Fi adapters.

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Scan for viruses and malware. Viruses and other harmful agents to your computer can interfere with your ability to connect to the network. You can regularly remove viruses with specialized software on your computer.

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Contact your internet service provider. If all the above methods fail then this is the best way left. Please explain to the operator about the specific error you encountered and ask the staff to come and check.

Note: you need to be as calm and polite as possible, do not show discomfort to the company.

Advice

Most network service providers will do free diagnostics and repair if you are using their modem/router during the contract period.

Warning

A network reset should be a last resort attempt to fix the problem. While this method is capable of fixing most possible problems with the network, it would be inconvenient to have to reset all Internet-connected devices.

Steps

Simple fix

Advanced Fix

Advice

Warning

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