Troubleshooting Guide
Internet
Connection Problems
Dropped and slow Internet connections
can ruin your workday, especially if you rely on email and Web connectivity to
get things done. In this article, we'll help you to troubleshoot your Internet
connection problems, so you can get back on track.
Troubleshoot
A Dropped Connection
Follow these steps if your connection
occasionally drops out.
1. Make sure that your router is still
functional. Generally, there are LEDs (light-emitting diodes) on the front of
the router that indicate activity You may also want to switch off both your
router and cable/DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) modem, wait a few seconds, and
then turn them both back on. This is called power cycling, because you
essentially restart the devices by powering them off and back on.
Check
the LEDs in the front of the router to see if there's any activity. Here, you
can see that ports two and four are active.
2. Next, check the cable connections running
from your cable/DSL modem to the router, as well as from your router to your
PC. It's possible that a cable could have come loose, which is preventing the
signal from reaching your local computers. You may also want to try switching
out the Ethernet cable with one you know works, which will eliminate the
possibility of a bad cable. Examine any cables for damage, such as cuts or
kinks, that could cause the dropped connection.
Ensure that your Ethernet cables are securely connected.
The connector should sit firmly in the port.
3. By this time, some of the computers on
your network should be able to connect to the Internet. If one PC is having
problems, you can use Windows Network Diagnostics to fix the issue. You'll know
a PC is having trouble connecting to the Internet when a red X icon appears over
the network connection icon in the System Tray. You may also see a yellow
triangle with an exclamation mark in the center, which indicates that you're
connected to the network but without access to the Internet. To run Windows
Network Diagnostics in Windows 7, right-click the network connection icon and
select Trouble-shoot Problems. Windows immediately begins to apply fixes, such
as renewing your IP (Internet Protocol) address and resetting your PC's network
adapter, to try and solve the problem.
Windows Network Diagnostics can help fix connection
issues that may have been caused by your PC.
4. If the computer connects to the
Internet via Wi-Fi, it's possible that the wireless router isn't capable of
sending a reliable signal to the PC's location. Try moving the computer and
router closer together to see if the signal is stronger with less distance.
It's also possible that some material or hardware in the room is causing
interference with the wireless signal, so you may be forced to move the
computer into a different room. You'll want to try the same technique if you're
experiencing a slow Internet connection.
Wi-Fi
signals have trouble moving past thick, solid objects, such as metal and brick,
while wood and plaster don't pose as much of an issue.
Troubleshoot
A Slow Connection
Try out these troubleshooting
techniques if your connection seems slow.
1. Similar to a dropped connection, the
best way to start troubleshooting a slow connection is to power cycle your
cable/DSL modem and router.
Look in the Network And
Sharing Center to see if there are any problems with your connection.
Make sure your computer is fast enough to handle the
tasks you need to perform.
2. Next, you can test your connection
using an online broadband speed test. The online test will indicate the current
speed of your broadband network, and you can run it multiple times to see if
the bandwidth changes over the course of the day. Most online speed tests
display both your upload and download speeds. If the speeds are lower than what
you expect, call your ISP (Internet service provider) about what it can do to
fix the problem.
3. If you have multiple people sharing
the Internet connection, it’s possible that there may not be enough bandwidth
settings to go around. For example, let's say that your office utilizes cloud
computing for your CRM (customer relationship management), file backup, and
email. If every worker is utilizing these Web-based services at the same time,
in addition to typical work-based Web browsing, the amount of bandwidth
provided by the ISP could be too little for what you need. Other commonly used
bandwidth-hungry applications include VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
telephony and videoconferencing software. If you feel that your bandwidth is
too slow for your business needs, talk with your ISP about the available
options and which ones best suit your business uses.
4. Viruses and spyware are another common
cause of Internet slowdowns. Viruses often try to spread by sending copies of
themselves through email, which can take up both your bandwidth and computing
power of your PC. With spyware, the malicious programs can monitor your Web
browsing habits (and sometimes your key strokes) and report what it finds to
the cybercriminal. To prevent viruses and spyware for monopolizing your
Internet connection, make sure the computers on your network are actively
running up-to-date Internet security suites.
5. If bandwidth and viruses aren't an
issue, the connection may seem slow due to your PC's hardware. For instance,
does the Web only appear slow on an aging computer, while the newer office PCs
have no problem loading websites? Generally, hardware requirements for Web
applications are fairly modest, such as a 1GHz processor and 256MB of memory, so
if your computer doesn't meet those specifications, then it's likely the
computer is old enough that it's time for an upgrade. You can see the speed of
your processor and amount of memory in Win7 by clicking the Start button,
right-clicking Computer, and selecting Properties.
Final
Thoughts
Although this is not an exhaustive set
of troubleshooting tips, following our steps will take care of the most likely
causes of network drops and slowdowns. If the problems continue, we suggest
that you contact your ISP for help.
