If you are using your personal or college-owned laptop or other network equipment off campus, whether at a public hotspot or through your own ISP at home, this guide can help you troubleshoot speed and connectivity issues.


Check your Internet connection

Your ISP (Internet Service Provider; some examples are Spectrum, AT&T, Comcast, Verizon, etc.) provides a link to the outside world to your home or business through a modem. Before anything else, you should verify that you have an active internet connection to your modem.

Make sure you have an active Internet connection

Make sure your modem’s Internet status light is lit. Sometimes this appears as a globe icon. If others in your household are connected to the same internet connection and are able to get online, you can assume that your connection is probably active. If not, contact your ISP or check their support documentation for assistance.

Make sure your wireless router is connected to the Internet

After confirming that your ISP is providing you with an active connection, check to make sure your wireless router is connected to the modem properly. Check for a WAN status light (may also be labelled Internet, Broadband, or Modem) and make sure it is active. Refer to your router’s documentation for support.

Test your connection speed

An Internet connection’s speed is measured in Megabits per Second (Mbps), and internet service is sold with performance standards that are often “up to” some speed in Mbps. This does not mean that you will always reach this speed - especially during peak hours such as after normal work or school hours, or during the day when many people may be working from home. You can use this information to gain some insight about your home internet connection speed.


Check your wireless network

An active Internet connection and working wireless router are the first steps in connecting to the internet wirelessly in your home. Here are additional things to check if you cannot connect to the internet wirelessly.

Try a physical connection via network cable

Make sure your wireless router is providing internet connectivity through a physical connection before troubleshooting wireless connections.

Make sure your network is broadcasting

Make sure your wireless router is broadcasting a wireless network, and verify the password if one is enabled.

Connect wirelessly and test your connection

Check to see that your device can connect to your wireless network in a different location. Distance and interference from other electronic devices and the construction of your home can prevent connectivity in one room while still allowing it in another.

Verify that your devices can reach the Internet

Make sure there is a path from your computer to the internet. After you have connected your device to your wireless network, perform tests to see if you can access different web services.


Check your computer

Verify that you can connect to wireless networks

Make sure your laptop or other device is capable of seeing and connecting to wireless networks. If a neighbor has a wireless network or if there is an open, public network available nearby, try connecting to see if the problem is limited to your own network.

Verify that your computer can connect via Ethernet cable

If your computer can see and connect to your home network but still can’t connect to the internet, try connecting the laptop to your router via Ethernet cable and see if you still have problems. If neither connection works, there may be an issue with your ISP or there may be a software issue preventing your computer from connecting.

Try other devices

Connect or make note of which devices can or can not connect to the Internet through your wireless network. You may find that only computers can connect while devices like game consoles can not. You may find that anything connected via Ethernet cable works, but no wireless devices work. Test as many different types of devices as you can.


Further Support

If the above troubleshooting steps were unable to help you, LITS can offer limited support for home networking issues. Make a note of which of the above steps you were unable to complete and as much other relevant information as possible, and then email itsupport@beloit.edu or submit a SchoolDude ticket for further troubleshooting.