by Danny Kwok

Created on: December 20, 2007

The Internet is now part of everyday life. You go on the Internet to surf, email, chat or even watch video. The Internet is your communication tool and entertainment. Thus, you will feel very frustrated when the Internet is down.

So, What should you do when the Internet goes down? There are two options. One, you can attempt to rectify and re-connect to the Internet. Two, you can inform the technical support to check your Internet. For the first option, these are the common symptoms and tips.

{Check the Modem}
The first place to check is the modem. If there is a blinking orange light from the connection status, it means that there is something wrong with the connection from the Internet Service Provider (ISP). One quick way to rectify this is to reset the modem. You can switch off the modem to do this. After that, ensure that blinking orange light is gone.

{Computer IP conflict}
Another common issue could be computer IP conflict. This will happen when you are sharing the Internet connection with many people. In this case, you have to repair the connection from Windows or re-boot your PC.

{Check the Internet of your friend}
Sometimes, the Internet is working in another computer but not yours. This could be due to the corruption in the Internet connection. When this symptom occurs, you can reboot your computer to connect to the Internet again. If this method fails for many attempts, try the following step below.

{Scan for spyware or virus}
There is a possibility that someone could have hacked into your computer. Thus, you have to scan for spyware or virus. Remove these spyware or virus when you have found them. After cleaning your PC, try to reboot again to reconnect to the Internet.

{Check with technical support}
If all fails, the problem might not be your modem or computer. You have to prepare your Internet ID and information. Call up your ISP technical support. Remember to inform them when the Internet connection had gone down and the steps that you had previously taken to correct the problem.

This might take some time for them to investigate the problem. In the meantime, you have to look for alternatives to use the Internet in the Internet caf, school or library. Take a deep breathe and be patience while they fix the problem. Use this opportunity to take a sabbatical without the Internet.

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