What To Do When The Wi-Fi Stops Working?

Internet and Wi-Fi have developed significantly over the last several years. With improved Data speed and upgraded wireless connections, the Internet has become the easiest way to get all kinds of information. According to a survey conducted in April 2019, 56.1% of the world’s population has internet access.

Even though the internet is widely accepted by people, Wi-Fi is used to connect to a network without any physical connection. The wireless adapter uses radio signals to provide internet connectivity and create hotspots for devices to connect. Its main advantage is that it allows you to connect multiple devices over one network without using long cables.

With the emergence of public wireless networks, people can access the internet outside home or office during urgent situations too. For example, most coffee houses or hospitals provide public wireless connections at little or no cost nowadays. If you are moving around the desired network, you can get access to the connection from any convenient location. It is also low cost as there is no requirement of additional wiring or other equipment.

But what do you do when the Wi-Fi stops working? Everybody freaks out. It’s difficult to locate the exact cause but it is not impossible. It can be surprising to know that there can be different problems with your Wi-Fi, but they can be easily mended. Let’s go through some common issues you may face with your Wi-Fi and how to fix them.

• Check The Connected Devices- Sometimes the Wi-Fi connection cannot be detected by the devices that you are using so you should not use an unsecured WiFi connection. Like if you are using it either on your computer or phone and if one of them is not able to clock in then there might be a connection problem with that device. You can check the settings of the one which is not able to secure the connection. For Windows, you can search for Identify and repair network issues. As for your phone, you will find it in the settings.

You can also turn the Wi-Fi off and wait for 30 seconds to turn it on to give it a boost. If it is still not connecting, try to delete the current network from saved ones in the device and reconnect again.

• Slow Connection- Networks can often be jammed and interfere with the smooth flow of the internet. If the connection slows down, it can be due to various reasons.

Like, the further away you are from the router the more hindrance there will be in the connection. Another cause can be the wireless connection is congested by multiple devices using the same network.

Before making any changes, first, check the internet by plugging in the modem directly to your PC to see the network speed. If it is still slow, then the problem is your internet and not the router. And if the internet is just fine, you can change the channel in your router settings. But it is better to ease the burden on the bandwidth by setting up different Wi-Fi option and adding a password making it harder to get access to your Hotspot. You can follow these Wi-Fi security tips for using public Hotspot.

You can also use QoS (Quality of Service) feature on your router to let you determine traffic according to the type of data transmitted.

• Network Disruption- A router may follow a pattern to loosen connection whenever a heavy device is connected. It can be due to interference from other networks or hefty appliances that are already accessing the connection.

To locate the problem, you can create a Wi-Fi heat map using a free tool like Heat Mapper. While Net Spot works for Macs, for Android you can use Wi-Fi Analyzer that has actual signal strength meter.

• Network Connects But No Internet- Sometimes the network is available and connects to the device but there is no internet connection. Try to reset the router and if it still doesn’t work, you may have an internet outage. You should contact your ISP (Internet Service Provider).

While these are some issues that you can come across with your Wi-Fi, you can also refer to some precautionary measures before you encounter any problems. Like,

Update Your Router’s Firmware

You can download and install your router’s new firmware from its administration page. To get the detailed information you can check its manufacturer support site. But before starting with the download, explore any additional features or security updates that you might not want to miss.

Changing Channels For Better Network

It can be useful to switch channels as a 2.4GHz band is mostly preferred by the general public because of its longer range, you can take the help of Wi-Fi scanner to find the least used channel and connect to it.

Multiple Bandwidth For Varied Purposes

By getting an updated router of 802.11N or 802.11AC for profession operations as they are more advanced than the old 2.4GHz which can be used for house activities. It depends on how you want to use them.

Mesh Wi-Fi Network

For larger office space or house, you need stable network speed. For attaining this you can try the mesh Wi-Fi network. This system is a network topology in which the device or node connects its data and serves as a transmission for other nodes too. There are no added extenders required for multiple connections since it can spread its Wi-Fi coverage through several access points.

CONCLUSION

There can be disparate reasons for your Wi-Fi to stop working, if you are patient and composed, you can easily find the issue and restore it. Do not forget to keep your Wi-Fi network password protected, otherwise your neighbors will be using it causing interference with the connection. You can follow the above guidelines for getting better clarification but do not panic. And if nothing works you can call an IT professional for detailed evaluation.