Troubleshooting
Why Does My Internet Keep Disconnecting?
Find where repeated internet disconnections begin: compare devices and Wi-Fi with Ethernet, save router logs, and give your provider useful evidence.
A frozen call or failed page does not by itself prove that the whole internet connection dropped. During the next interruption, check what still works before restarting equipment. This separates a single service problem from a lost wireless connection or an outage affecting the home.
Identify what actually disconnects
- Try another website or app. If only one service fails while others work, check that service's status and the app before treating it as a connection-wide outage.
- Compare a second device at the same time on the same home network. On a phone, turn off mobile data for this comparison so an automatic cellular fallback does not hide the failure.
- Check whether the affected device remains joined to your Wi-Fi network. Being connected to Wi-Fi does not guarantee internet access; losing the Wi-Fi connection is a different clue.
- If possible, compare Wi-Fi and Ethernet on the same device. If Ethernet remains stable during the problem, investigate the wireless path and client first. This alone does not prove the router is faulty.
Read the router status before a restart
Save the event log, connection status and device uptime while the fault is visible. A restart may remove useful history. A new uptime can indicate a device restart; a WAN reconnection can happen without one. Read LED meanings in the exact model's manual: DSL, cable and fibre indicators differ. On a DSL FRITZ!Box, for example, a loss-of-synchronisation entry distinguishes a DSL interruption from an app error, but does not identify the faulty component by itself.
Make one controlled change at a time
- Inspect accessible power and Ethernet connections for loose plugs or visible damage and keep ventilation openings clear. Warmth or age alone is not evidence that hardware must be replaced.
- Check the provider's outage information using another connection if needed. Record the original fault before restarting; then follow the manufacturer's restart instructions and warn others that calls and transfers will stop.
- Check firmware for your exact router model through its official update function or manufacturer. For provider-managed equipment, use the provider's procedure; for a work network, involve its administrator.
- Do not unplug fibre connectors, remove splitters or change line settings indiscriminately. A factory reset is not a first diagnostic step: it can erase access settings. Do not disable firewall protection or IPv6 as a blanket fix.
If only one computer is affected, use the operating system's network diagnostics and check recent software or network changes. Windows 11 provides a Network and Internet troubleshooter in Get Help; macOS offers Wireless Diagnostics from the Wi-Fi menu while holding Option. Follow guidance for that device instead of applying router resets to every symptom.
Give support a record they can check
- Record the date, time with time zone, duration and recovery of each interruption; note whether it recovered by itself or after your change.
- List affected devices and services, whether each used Wi-Fi or Ethernet, and what worked at the same time.
- Save relevant router events, connection status and LED observations. Note separately whether the router restarted or only its internet session reconnected.
- Include the router model, firmware and the result of each individual comparison. Share logs privately with support and remove passwords or other sensitive data.
Regular and random interruptions both have several possible causes; timing is evidence, not a diagnosis. If several devices lose access over both Wi-Fi and Ethernet, ask the provider to investigate the connection using your records. Contact support promptly if the service is unusable; there is no need to wait several days just to build a log, and documentation does not guarantee a response time.