Networking problems can be a real nightmare for every computer user and with them in mind I sat down to write a post about any possible solution I know of that could help you repair dead internet connection. One of the first things to do when you experience such problems is to make sure your computer is physically connected to internet which means if you encounter wireless network problems connect laptop to the ethernet cable (sticking out of modem or router) in case the root of the problem lies in wireless signal.
One of the reasons for lost network connection while working on a laptop is when running low on battery power. In this case by default Windows turns off wireless card to save energy. To prevent this from happening go to device manager, locate network adapter expand it and choose wireless networking card. Than go to advanced tab and uncheck allow this computer to turn off this device to save power option.
If this does not help physically remove router and connect computer to a cable modem from your internet provider (if you have any). Thus you can find out if the problem lies in a non-working router. Further try to reset router by unplugging it from the power source. Wait for 10 seconds and plug it in again. In the next step try to restore router to default settings. Locate small button at the rear of the router and press it for about 30 seconds. This will revert router settings to default and possibly remove the cause of your troubles.
Than it might be wise to check splitter (adapter dividing and sharing telephone line with internet). Remove splitter, bring modem close and connect it directly to the phone line. Wait a minute and see if all the lights turn on. If they do the problem of your internet connection is a broken splitter. Contact your ISP to provide you with new splitter. If all the lights especially WAN do not turn on either modem is non-functional or your internet line may suffer from some kind of disturbances (construction works in your area etc.). Call you internet provider and report the problem.
Another issue may be damaged network card inside your computer but in this case the only way to make sure about it is to replace it with a new one that works. If you have a spare card, give it a try but leave this option for the end.
So far we covered hardware-related problems. Now let’s see if the problem persists because of software issues. First thing we can do is to reset tcp/ip settings. Reboot is required for changes to take effect. Another step we can take is to reset IP address by opening command prompt and typing in ipconfig/reset and than ipconfig/renew. Further dead connection might be solved by repairing WinSock settings which refers only for the owners of Windows XP users. Download WinSock repairand run.
If the problem still persists we could check if network settings are correctly configured. Go to control panel and find local area connection. Double click the icon which does not have red X button and make sure all items are checked. Than click internet protocol settings and make sure you have a tick next to an option “Obtain an IP address automatically”. This option applies only to users with dynamic IP address (majority users though).
I suggest you to call your internet provider and request in line test. This will show exactly if your router responds to pings and/or sends any requests to their servers.
The last option before calling your ISP however is to thoroughly check computer for any malware you may be having. There are a lot of malware designed to disable network connections so try to find if you are not infected with one of those. Before doing any of this try first reboot computer and/or use system restore. This often solves such problems so it is worth trying it.
The last option is to contact your internet provider and ask them for inline test which is going to determine whether your modem works or not.
