Tip of the Week: Resolve a Poor Internet Connection By Following These 3 Steps

When the Internet goes down in the modern office, chaos ensues. The only way to subdue the panicked masses is to provide answers and to resolve the issue, ASAP. If you happen to find yourself in such an Internet-less predicament, then be sure to follow these three troubleshooting tips.

Is Everything Plugged In?
This may seem like a rather trivial thing to check, but sometimes the worst problems happen because the obvious is overlooked. When your Internet connection fails, be sure to check key components of your network like your modem and cables in order to make sure that everything is plugged in. Considering all of the activity that goes on in a work space, it’s important to keep in mind that accidents happen and equipment can get bumped and the wrong devices can get unplugged. Remember, looks can be deceiving and even a loose cable can be the culprit, so giving your cable connections a firm jiggle may prove an easy fix.

Turn Your Technology Off and on Again
It’s rather comical how many technology woes are remedied by simply turning a device off and on again, yet it’s a troubleshooting method that’s wholeheartedly recommended by IT technicians because it routinely does the trick! One piece of equipment you’ll want to restart first is the modem. If that doesn’t do it, then try restarting your wireless router or PC.

Now, before you go and compulsively restart everything, you’re first going to want to pause and apply some logic to the situation by asking some basic questions. For example, if the Internet is out on your workstation but it’s working on another office computer, then you know it’s an issue with your PC and not the network. If your smartphone lost Internet signal but the signal your PC that’s wired into the network is working fine, then you’ll know that you’ve got a problem with your wireless router and not the modem itself.

Call Your Internet Service Provider
If you go through the previous two steps and you’re still experiencing issues with your Internet connection, then the problem may lie with your Internet service provider. While it’s certainly a relief to learn that the problem isn’t your fault, it’s nevertheless annoying to still have to deal with lost productivity. If you do contact your ISP regarding the issue, they should be able to confirm if it’s an issue on their end, and they may even be able to help by giving you an estimate of when the issue will be resolved. This insight will allow you to better manage your downtime by helping you know what to do next, like sending your staff out to lunch early while the Internet is being fixed instead of having everybody sit around with hands in their pockets.

Bonus Tip: Have a Backup Plan
While we’re on the topic of lost productivity, it’s good to remind business owners about having a business continuity plan that includes backup solutions that allow employees to continue working while the Internet is down, like apps that aren’t totally dependent on the Internet and perhaps a way to connect mission-critical devices to a 4G wireless signal.

While it’s common for businesses to lose Internet connection every so often, it shouldn’t happen so frequently that it eats into your bottom line and causes serious problems. If this is the case, then you’ll want IT professionals to take a look at your network. k_Street Consulting, LLC can perform this task for you by discovering the issue and taking the necessary steps to get your network connections working at optimal levels. For assistance troubleshooting any of your company’s technologies, give us a call at (202) 640-2737.