Identifying & Troubleshooting Your Issue

This guide provides a reference for dealing with some of the most common home WiFi issues and how to resolve them. It covers what to do if your connection is running slower than usual, and how to troubleshoot a network that won't connect at all. It also takes a look at several tools that can be used to help troubleshoot your connection when problems crop up. 

My network speed seems slower than normal or can't stay connected

1. Turn off the device's WiFi, wait 10 seconds, and then turn it back on.
   If this does not resolve the issue, try restarting the device.
2. Make sure that the device is being used as close to the router as possible. Distance, walls, and plumbing (among other factors) can all affect your connection. If changing the location of the device resolves the issue, then the device will need to be kept closer to the router. If you have an older router, getting a newer model will likely improve your wifi coverage.
   
3. Check other devices on the network. If other devices are experiencing the same issues, try restarting your router. If other people are using the same network without any issues then the router is working and should not need to be restarted.
   
   Note: This will disable the internet for anyone who may be connected to your network, and the internet will remain unavailable until the router has restarted.
   • To restart the router unplug the power supply, wait 30 seconds, and plug it back in. 
   • Once the router has booted, you should be able to reconnect. 
4. If your device is still having issues after rejoining the network, try connecting to another network. Are you still experiencing the same issue?
   • If the issue does not occur on a different network, then it is likely an issue with your original network. Please contact your Internet Service Provider for further assistance. 
   • If the issue does occur on other networks, the the issue is likely with your device or the website. 
     • Is the problem occurring on only one website? Are other websites loading normally? If only one site is affected, it is likely an issue with that site. 
     • If all websites are affected there is likely an issue with your device. Please contact GBSD Technology Services for further assistance with your district device. 

I am connected to WiFi but the internet isn't working

1. Turn off the device's WiFi, wait 10 seconds, and then turn it back on. If this does not resolve the issue, try restarting the device. 
2. Make sure that the device is being used as close to the router as possible. Distance, walls, and plumbing (among other factors) can all affect your connection. If changing the location of the device resolves the issue, then the device will need to be kept closer to the router. If you have an older router, getting a newer model will likely improve your wifi coverage.
3. Check other devices on the network. If other devices are experiencing the same issues, try restarting your router. If other people are using the same network without any issues then the router is working and should not need to be restarted.
   Note: This will disable the internet for anyone who may be connected to your network, and the internet will remain unavailable until the router has restarted.
4. To restart the router unplug the power supply, wait 30 seconds, and plug it back in. 
5. Once the router has booted, you should be able to reconnect.
   • Try connecting to your router with an ethernet cable. If this resolves the issue, then the problem is with your device's wireless connection. Please contact GBSD Technology Services for assistance with your district device. 
6. Try running any diagnostic tools included with your device. These tools can sometimes help fix basic issues or identify the issue. If an issue is identified, please write it to down to share with us or your Internet Service Provider. 
   • Mac Diagnostic Tools
   • Windows 10 Diagnostic Tools

My WiFi network is not visible or I can't connect to it

1. Make sure your WiFi is enabled and airplane mode is turned off. If the WiFi is enabled turn it off, wait for 10 seconds, and then turn it back on.
2. Try restarting the device.  
3. Make sure that the device is being used as close to the router as possible. Distance, walls, and plumbing (among other factors) can all affect your connection. If changing the location of the device resolves the issue, then the device will need to be kept closer to the router. If you have an older router, getting a newer model will likely improve your wifi coverage.
4. Check other devices on the network. If other devices are experiencing the same issues, try restarting your router. If other people are using the same network without any issues then the router is working and should not need to be restarted.
   Note: This will disable the internet for anyone who may be connected to your network, and the internet will remain unavailable until the router has restarted.
   • To restart the router unplug the power supply, wait 30 seconds, and plug it back in. 
   • Once the router has booted, you should be able to reconnect.

5. Try connecting to your router with an ethernet cable. Be sure to connect the cable to one of the LAN ports on the router (there are commonly 4 LAN ports on most home routers). The WAN port should already be connected to your modem.

   • If this resolves the problem and/or other devices can see and connect to your WiFi then the issue is with your device's wireless configuration/hardware. Please contact GBSD Technology Services. 

   • If this resolves the problem but no other devices can see or connect to your WiFi, there could be a configuration/hardware issue with your router. Please contact your Internet Service Provider for further assistance. 

   • If this does not resolve the problem then it is likely an issue with your modem or an internet outage in your area. Please contact your Internet Service Provider for further assistance.

No one can connect to the internet by cable or WiFi ("internet is down")

1. Please restart all of your devices. It may be best to start with the modem and router, followed by computers, tablets, etc. 
   • Unplug your router/modem, wait 30 seconds, then plug it back in. If you have a router and a modem, please restart both of them.
2. After everything has restarted try connecting to the router again with a cable.
   • If the wired device can connect to the internet, then it is likely a WiFi configuration issue with your router. Please contact your Internet Service Provider for assistance.
   • If the wired device does not connect to the internet, then it may be an issue with your modem or an outage in your area. Please contact your Internet Service Provider.
3. If only some devices can connect after restarting everything then it may be helpful to run any built-in wireless diagnostics on the problem devices. (Mac Diagnostic Tools, Windows 10 Diagnostic Tools)

Some websites aren't working

If you are having trouble getting to a specific website, it's possible that site is experiencing issues. Try loading another website; if that site loads normally, then it is not an issue with your internet connections. If no sites are loading, please follow the steps in I am connected to WiFi but the internet doesn't work. 

Additional Information

• Bluetooth and WiFi can use the same radio frequency to communicate. If you have older bluetooth devices or an older router, it may help to move any bluetooth devices away from the router or your computer. 
• If you have a cell phone signal extender this can also operate on the same radio frequency. Just as with bluetooth, it may help to move the booster away from your router or computer.
• If you have a wireless printer and you normally have to switch WiFi networks to print, the printer could be interfering with your wireless network. If a printer is broadcasting its own WiFi network, try turning off and unplugging the printer. This should prevent it from interfering with your network. 
  • If your WiFi issue goes away with the printer turned off, you may be able to connect it to your network wirelessly, wired, or with a USB cable. If you choose to use a wired connection of USB, you should disable wireless on the printer. 
• Old microwaves may affect the wireless network while someone is using the microwave. This is more common with older or budget routers.