Internet connection problems

Having internet connection problems? Here are a few pointers to help you identify the source of your broadband connection problems and get back online.

Solving your internet problems means understanding how it works. There are three parts to a home broadband connection – the line, the router and your computer. Some providers can charge you a lot if they send someone over and the fault turns out to be with you, so it’s important to diagnose the problem and stick to your guns.

Internet problems troubleshooting steps

This guide will work for all internet connection problems of all types. For 3G or 4G (USB) connections stop at Step 3. If you connect with cable or a fibre-optic package stop at step 5. For ADSL connections continue all the way to the bottom!

1. Make sure it’s definitely broken

Try some other web pages, if possible using another browser like FireFox or Chrome. If you use Outlook or a mail client, try sending yourself an email. If any of these work, your internet is okay. If none of them work, you have a problem.

2. Ping Google

A ping is a tiny bit of data that your computer sends to another computer to check that a connection works. It’s like saying “hello” when you pick up the phone. If someone says hello back, you start a conversation. If they don’t, you hang up and redial. A ping will dial 4 times then stop.

Mac – open System Preferences > Utilities > Terminal. A little box will come up. Type ping www.google.com.

Windows – press the Windows Key+R. A little box will come up. Type CMD into it. This will bring up a black box. In it type ping www.google.com.

If it says "reply from" followed by some numbers (most likely “reply from 74.125.230.114”) then your net is working. If it says anything like “request timed out”, “destination host unreachable” or something else that sounds bad, then you definitely have a problem.

3. Make sure it’s all plugged in and turned on

At the very least, you need the phone line going into your router, and your router going to your PC. If you use a dongle, try a different USB port.

If you have a 3G or 4G connection (via USB) then you won’t have a router, so there will be little you can do. Phone your provider and get their advice. If you have cable or ADSL, continue reading!

4. Are you wireless?

If so, plug a laptop directly into the router using a cable. Can you get internet? Assuming you can, it’s your wireless settings that you need to look at. If not, it’s the router or the line.

5. What is your IP address?

Your computer needs an IP address to connect to the internet, with no exceptions. A valid home IP address should start with '192.something'. A non-valid IP will always start '169.something'.

Mac – same as step 2, only instead of typing ping www.google.com, type ifconfig.

Windows – same as step 2, only instead of typing ping www.google.com, type ipconfig.

This will return a bunch of text and numbers, so look for an entry that says 'IP address'. A valid home IP address will probably start with 192.168.x.x. If it starts with 169.x.x.x then there is a problem with your router.

169 means “the router did not give me a valid IP address”, which means the two aren’t communicating properly. Contact your provider for advice.

If you have a cable connection, there is nothing else you can try. If none of these steps have worked, call your cable provider and ask for their help. ADSL users, soldier on!

6. Test the microfilter

This is the little white box that you plug into your BT socket. One side will have a phone cable, the other will have the internet cable.

Pull one out, then the other, and replace one by one to see if the cables themselves are at fault. If this doesn’t help, then your network is okay and it’s probably the line.

7. Test the BT line

Plug a phone directly into the wall socket. If it works, the line is okay. If it doesn’t, phone BT.

8. Phone BT and tell them everything you’ve done

They may ask you to perform one or two checks for them, but on the whole that should be enough to get someone out.

That may seem long-winded, but the reason there are so many little steps is that the providers will charge you if they send someone out and it’s your fault.

It’s very tempting to phone BT and demand that an engineer turn up immediately, but if you want someone to come the next day it costs £130.

If it turns out the line is okay and it’s your equipment, you still have to pay.

More technical? Let's look at Microfilters!

The majority of homes in the UK have something called an NTE5 master socket (where the BT wiring ends and yours starts). It's the little box on the wall that you plug your telephone/internet/microfilter into.

There are different version of this box and you need the one with the horizontal line running across the middle and two screws, left and right, holding it in.

By removing the screws, the bottom half of the face plate comes off and the internal wiring is disabled. Look on the right - you will see a test socket.

This is a direct link to the incoming BT line, skipping out all of your internal wiring.

• Plug your microfilter into this and connect your broadband modem/router. If this instantly fixes your problems, you know that the issue relates to your internal wiring or microfilters.
• If your microfilter works when connected to the master socket, but not when the faceplate is on, simply remove the faceplate and plug your microfilter into the test socket. Then plug the faceplates connector into the microfilter output.
• Finally, connect your broadband cable to the filter. It’s not pretty but it may do the trick, and keep you connected until an engineer comes out.

Microfilters

Incorrectly placed or faulty microfilters cause the majority of broadband errors. If you use a splitter to connect two phones to the same socket, make sure you plug the microfilter into the wall socket first, and then connect the splitter to the microfilter.

However, don’t get carried away with microfilters. If you have two on a single phone socket, or an extension cable, this may cause problems.

You can hear noise on the line

If you are having trouble connecting to your ISP and you are hearing noise on the telephone line, it most probably is a fault.

Should this be the case, BT can check the line and identify what and where the problem is (e.g. inside your house or at your local exchange).

To report a suspected fault, phone BT on 151 (landline) or 0800 800 151 (from a mobile).

Still have problems with line noise?

Again this is probably a problem with your microfilters either being faulty or not connected properly. Here is a test you can carry out:

• Disconnect all of your ADSL equipment, including filters, leaving your telephone as the only thing connected, then see if the noise still persists.
• You can also do a quiet line test by dialling 17070 and selecting option 2, once again. If the noise continues it is probably a line problem, so contact BT.
• If it doesn’t make any sound then connect your microfilter to the master socket, connect the phone and listen again.
• If you hear a noise, the filter is most likely faulty so try another one.

If none of the above works and BT has confirmed there is nothing wrong with the line, you are advised to chat to a telecoms or electrical engineer to fix the problem.