Common Internet Troubleshooting

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Many times, there are simple steps you can take if you are having internet problems. Obviously, if you are having internet problems and only have one computer, this article may not help much; we are writing this article in the hope that you will read it beforehand or are able to access it from another computer.

The first step that you can take to try and solve your internet connection problems is to reset your computer. Even though this sounds like a very simple thing, it can fix many issues that you are having.

Second, if that doesn't work, you can try to reset your internet connection. To do this, you can follow the following steps:
1. On Windows 2000 or XP, click on "Start", then click on "Run". On Windows Vista, click on "Start", then type in "run" and hit enter. In both cases, this will open the Run dialog so that you can type in some commands to reset your internet connection.
2. Type in "ipconfig /release". You must include a space between the end of ipconfig and the slash for it to work properly. This step will release your internet connection.
3. Type in "ipconfig /renew". Again, you must include a space. This will refresh your computer's network connection.

Next, if that doesn't work, you can try to reset your modem and your router. If you don't know what those are, they are connected to your computer via what looks like a thick phone cable, and some common brands are Linksys, Motorola, Netgear, Belkin, and 2wire. Additionally, you might also have just a modem and not a router. In any case, here are the steps to reset these properly:
1. Unplug both your modem and your router. You will need to unplug only the power cord; it will normally be a black cord that does not look like a phone cord or TV cable.
2. After approximately 30 seconds, you will need to plug in only your modem. This will be the device that has either a phone cord or TV cable plugged into it.
3. Once the lights on your modem stop blinking (usually between 15 and 30 seconds after you plug it in), you can now plug your router back in.

If these steps have not worked, you probably are having either a provider issue (a problem that your Internet Service Provider (ISP) is having), or you are having more serious problems with your computer. In that case, your best next step is to first call your ISP and find out if they are having issues; if they are not you should call a qualified computer service professional to dirty word you with your connection problems.