An internet connection is your window to the world – it keeps you connected and well fed with information, but what happens when this connection fails to “connect” you? Of course it’s frustrating! The long hold times on your service provider’s customer care phone lines do nothing except increase the frustration.
Here’s a simple solution to make you happy – troubleshoot your connection without calling your ISP. You don’t have to be a computer geek to do this. There are several ways to fix an internet connection.
The first step is to identify the problem. Check the modem to see if you’re receiving an internet connection. Airtel users can determine this by observing the “Internet” light on the modem. If no light appears, connect your computer to the modem with a LAN cable.
Type in “command prompt” in the “Run” bar (this is the search bar for Windows 7 PC’s) on the Start menu and type “ipconfig/all” in command prompt. This option displays TCP/IP settings for your computer. Scan the results for default gateway, which has your IP address.
Now, type in “ping xxx.xxx.x.x” where xxx.xxx.x.x should be replaced with your IP address. If you receive a series of prompts as replies, your connection should work correctly. If not, there is a problem with the DNS server configuration and you’ll have to contact your ISP to resolve this problem.
You can also try to reset your IP address by typing “ipconfig/renew” in the command prompt.
If your internet connection is unable to open websites but displays a website when you enter an IP address, it could be a problem with hosts files on the system. Hosts files can be accessed at C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\ hosts. Delete all hosts files that do not have the .sam extension.
If the internet or wireless connection light is unavailable, then a modem reboot may be required. To reboot the modem, turn off the modem, remove any cables from it, and turn it on after 20 seconds.
If the lights don’t appear, then it could be due to external problems such as heavy rain, or it may even be a problem with the modem. The best thing to do in this case is to turn off the modem for half an hour and wait it out. If the internet still doesn’t work, the only option is to contact your ISP provider and request for a new router.
These tips will go a long way in helping you resolve common internet problems, relieving the headache of calling your ISP for small issues, and may even turn you into a troubleshooting guru!
Here’s a simple solution to make you happy – troubleshoot your connection without calling your ISP. You don’t have to be a computer geek to do this. There are several ways to fix an internet connection.
The first step is to identify the problem. Check the modem to see if you’re receiving an internet connection. Airtel users can determine this by observing the “Internet” light on the modem. If no light appears, connect your computer to the modem with a LAN cable.
Type in “command prompt” in the “Run” bar (this is the search bar for Windows 7 PC’s) on the Start menu and type “ipconfig/all” in command prompt. This option displays TCP/IP settings for your computer. Scan the results for default gateway, which has your IP address.
Now, type in “ping xxx.xxx.x.x” where xxx.xxx.x.x should be replaced with your IP address. If you receive a series of prompts as replies, your connection should work correctly. If not, there is a problem with the DNS server configuration and you’ll have to contact your ISP to resolve this problem.
You can also try to reset your IP address by typing “ipconfig/renew” in the command prompt.
If your internet connection is unable to open websites but displays a website when you enter an IP address, it could be a problem with hosts files on the system. Hosts files can be accessed at C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\ hosts. Delete all hosts files that do not have the .sam extension.
If the internet or wireless connection light is unavailable, then a modem reboot may be required. To reboot the modem, turn off the modem, remove any cables from it, and turn it on after 20 seconds.
If the lights don’t appear, then it could be due to external problems such as heavy rain, or it may even be a problem with the modem. The best thing to do in this case is to turn off the modem for half an hour and wait it out. If the internet still doesn’t work, the only option is to contact your ISP provider and request for a new router.
These tips will go a long way in helping you resolve common internet problems, relieving the headache of calling your ISP for small issues, and may even turn you into a troubleshooting guru!
Guest article by Khushboo Aulakh writes on behalf of Broadband Genie, the consumer oriented price comparison site for the best broadband deals.
