Why does my internet keep disconnecting?

If you have been losing internet for days and getting nowhere with your provider, we can come out, work out what is actually going on, and talk to the provider on your behalf if needed. Give us a call.

First, work out what is really dropping

There is an important difference between "the Wi-Fi dropped" and "the internet dropped". Your router creates a Wi-Fi network inside your home. Your internet provider delivers the actual internet to your modem. These are two separate things, and the fix depends on which one is failing.

How to tell the difference

Next time it happens, check whether the problem is on one device or all of them. If your phone loses internet but a laptop is still working, it is usually the phone or the Wi-Fi. If every phone, tablet, TV and computer in the house stops working at the same moment, the internet itself has dropped. That is what this guide is about.

The four main causes of full internet outages

1. Your internet provider is having problems

This is more common than people realise. Providers in Ajax, Pickering, Whitby and Oshawa have occasional regional outages. Your modem might be fine, your router might be fine, and still no internet is getting through because the provider is having a bad morning.

You can check this by searching the provider's name on a phone using mobile data (not Wi-Fi). Most providers post outage notices on their own website or on Downdetector. If there is an outage in your area, the only thing to do is wait. It usually comes back within a few hours.

2. The modem is overheating or failing

A modem is the small box where the internet cable first enters your home. It is separate from your Wi-Fi router, though some providers combine the two into one unit. Modems are not designed to be stuffed into cupboards or sat on top of TVs. They run hot, and when they run too hot, they drop the connection to reset themselves.

Check that yours has space around it and is not in direct sunlight. If it gets too warm to touch, that is almost certainly the problem. If the modem is more than five years old, age is another common cause.

3. Loose or damaged cables

The cable that comes into your home connects to the back of the modem. A loose connector, a cable that has been pulled by a vacuum, or one that has been chewed by a pet can cause the internet to drop in and out. So can an outdoor cable that has worked loose at the wall box.

This is worth a look even if nothing obvious seems wrong. Gently check that the coaxial cable (the one with a screw-on metal tip) is firmly connected at both ends. Do not force anything.

4. Too many devices for an ageing router

Modern homes often have twenty or thirty things connected to the internet at once: phones, laptops, TVs, doorbells, speakers, thermostats. Routers from a few years ago were not built for that. When they get overloaded, they start dropping connections to cope, which looks like the internet is failing.

If this sounds like your home, a modern router is often the answer. We install replacement routers and set them up properly as part of a Wi-Fi and home setup visit, including moving all your existing devices over so nothing has to be done again.

Two quick things to try before calling anyone

Before assuming the worst, do a full power cycle. Unplug the modem at the wall. Unplug the router at the wall. Wait a full two minutes, which is longer than it feels. Plug the modem back in first, wait until all its lights are steady (this can take a few minutes), then plug the router back in. This clears out a lot of short-term glitches and often buys another few weeks of stability.

The other thing worth doing is noting the pattern. Does it drop at a particular time of day? Only when someone is streaming? Only when it rains? A pattern makes diagnosis much faster, both for us and for your provider.

When to stop and call for help

Call us if the outages are happening more than once a day, if a power cycle is no longer helping, if your modem or router is warm to the touch, or if you have already spent an afternoon on the phone with your provider. These are the signs the problem needs hands-on attention, not another reboot.