Here at GVEC Internet, we strive to provide our customers with reliable high-speed internet service. So, we understand how frustrating it can be to have to deal with a flaky internet connection. However, several reasons could cause interruptions to your internet service. Some involve issues that you can’t fix yourself. Others, however, are easy to remedy. Here are four reasons your internet might keep cutting out and what to do about each of them.
1. Your Router Needs a Reboot
One of the most common reasons for an interruption to your internet service is an issue with your Wi-Fi router. It’s the small box that takes the incoming internet connection from your ISP and broadcasts it to your wireless devices. Although you may not realize it, your wireless router is a small, solid-state computer. Like any computer, it can freeze or crash, leading to instability and interrupted connections.
Problems with your router can show up in a variety of ways. You may have trouble connecting new devices to your wireless network. Your connected devices could have spotty internet service. Or you could experience random connection slowdowns that affect your internet experience. In any case, there’s a simple solution. You’ll need to reboot your router.
To do this, simply unplug the power cable from your Wi-Fi router. Then, wait approximately 30 seconds and plug it back in. That will force the router to go through its complete startup cycle. The whole process can take up to five minutes, after which your network should return to normal. After waiting, try your connected devices again to see if they’ve regained a stable internet connection.
2. You’re Using a Congested Wi-Fi Channel
Wi-Fi is a modern convenience you wouldn’t want to live without. However, it’s often a minor miracle that it works at all. The reason is that all Wi-Fi routers and devices must share a relatively narrow radio spectrum. This means that every Wi-Fi device in your vicinity must compete for airtime on a small handful of radio channels. Fortunately, most devices do a decent job of navigating the traffic. Sometimes, however, congested Wi-Fi channels become too saturated to offer stable connections.
In those cases, your Wi-Fi router should hop to another less-congested channel to solve the problem. However, that assumes that the other Wi-Fi devices in the area play by the rules and that there’s no external interference. For example, non-Wi-Fi devices could cause interference that defeats your router’s best efforts to compensate. When that happens, you may need to choose and set a new channel manually. You can usually do this from your router’s web-based control panel. You can use Wi-Fi scanning software to identify a less congested channel or simply try a few to see if any work better for you.
3. Your Bandwidth Demand Is Too High
Sometimes, your internet could appear to cut out even when nothing’s wrong. For example, too many devices on your network using bandwidth-hungry applications at once can cause instability. What’s really happening is that you’re saturating your available bandwidth. In that case, you can contact your ISP to upgrade your internet speed. Beware, however, of Wi-Fi bottlenecks posing as an internet bandwidth issue.
To eliminate Wi-Fi bottlenecks as a potential cause of your issues, try connecting a few of your devices via Ethernet. If that solves your issue, your problem isn’t your internet speed but rather an overloaded Wi-Fi network. The only solution to that is to reduce the number of Wi-Fi devices you’re using at once. Or check out GVEC’s mesh network Home Wi-Fi Optimization solution.
4. ISP-Related Outages
Although the staff here at GVEC Internet strives for maximum network uptime, our network could possibly experience occasional issues. This can happen due to equipment failures within our network and even routing issues beyond it. So, if your internet connection cuts out and none of the above solutions help, your next step is to contact us. We deliver 24/7 technical phone support,and we’ll investigate the issue.
Your Trusted Local ISP
These days, having a fast and reliable internet connection is essential. Since 1998, GVEC Internet has been the local ISP of choice for residential internet plans and business plans in the Guadalupe Valley. We offer both high-speed wireless and fiber optic internet services throughout the area. Plus, we back our service with high-quality technical and customer support. So, if you need affordable high-speed internet service in the Guadalupe Valley, call GVEC Internet today!
