How to tell if your ISP is having network or service problems

Few modern phenomena have the ability to make our blood run cold as effectively as a sudden lack of internet connectivity.

Momentary frustration about a webpage or app’s refusal to load quickly shifts to panic as WiFi symbols sport a red X and other web-enabled devices cease to work.

ISP network or service problems tend to be temporary and are often resolved in a matter of seconds or minutes.

There are also numerous occasions where a lack of connectivity is a domestic issue – a router overheating or being unplugged, for instance.

ISPs have even had customers ringing to complain about a broadband outage, only for the perplexed contact centre agent to discover the customer’s home has experienced a power cut.

However, if ISP network or service problems are affecting your domestic connection, here’s how to find out – without having to rely on your absent broadband or WiFi…

Check other devices

This should always be the first step when your laptop or smart TV reports a loss of connectivity. Is the issue device specific or affecting the whole home?

You can test this by asking smart speakers a question, loading up a games console or simply checking the WiFi status on your smartphone.

If devices with a SIM card have reverted to 4G/5G, there may well be an issue. Happily, your smartphone or SIM-equipped tablet is perfectly placed to investigate ISP network or service problems…

Visit DownDetector.co.uk

Although other websites also regale us with real-time updates on ISP downtime, DownDetector has become the go-to resource in many countries including the UK.

Operated by line speed checking experts Ookla, DownDetector undertakes real-time outage monitoring with 25 million monthly user reports, plus social media checks and network analysis.

Its homepage features live tracking of issues reported among major ISPs and altnets, as well as popular platforms such as the Royal Mail, Instagram, Tesco and Gmail.

Check ISP websites

If DownDetector is reporting a potential spike in issues involving your ISP network or service problems, it may be worth visiting the provider’s service status page.

Bear in mind that these are often outdated, if the ISP offers them at all. Some firms have removed webpages listing planned maintenance, live outages and ongoing network incidents.

Others hide them behind login firewalls, while Virgin Media were criticised earlier this year for an IT setup whereby major outages take their service status pages offline.

Look on social media

As ISPs have dialled down their focus on maintaining updated service status pages, they’ve ramped up social media activity. However, updates tend to focus on major regional or national issues.

Local incidents are unlikely to be reported, though you may be able to find customers reporting outages in your neighbourhood, or sympathetic engineers offering a heads-up.

This might point towards an issue with a specific local exchange. These utility boxes are resilient but can be knocked offline by anything from engineering works to hungry mice.

And if you really are offline…

Don’t panic!

There are surprisingly few occasions where internet connectivity is essential there and then, such as during a job interview.

We all experience connectivity issues occasionally, and most people will be sympathetic if an email arrives slightly late or a departmental Teams catch-up call is missed.

There may be other ways to get online, such as harnessing a public WiFi network or visiting a café.

Plus, ISP network or service problems are often resolved very quickly, restoring connectivity and allowing us to resume normal activities.