Internet Not Working? How to Check for a Provider Outage

The internet goes down, it's frustrating, and the first instinct is to restart the router. Sometimes that fixes it. But if the problem is actually an outage at your provider, you can restart the router ten times - nothing changes until they fix the network on their end.

Signs it's a local problem

Only one device in the house is having trouble; everything else works fine.
The router's lights show an unusual pattern (a manual or a label on the router usually explains what each color means).
The problem started right after a change - you updated the Wi-Fi password, installed an update, moved the router.
A loose or disconnected cable (check physically, especially if you have pets or small kids around).

Signs it's your provider

Every device on the network has issues at once, including ones connected by cable.
The router shows an active local connection but no real internet access.
Neighbors on the same provider are reporting the same issue.
The problem appeared suddenly, with no change on your end.

A quick way to check

The simplest test: connect a phone to mobile data (not Wi-Fi) and check if the internet works there. If it does, the problem is clearly with your home network or your provider - not with any particular website.

Next, check whether your provider has a reported outage in your area. On IPMeu you can view the outage map by provider, with reports submitted in real time by other users nearby - especially useful when support phone lines are jammed exactly during a widespread outage.

What to do if it's a confirmed outage

If you see multiple reports from your area for the same provider, it's most likely a known outage already being worked on. There's no point repeating restarts or calling support on a loop - you can report the issue yourself (no account needed) and periodically check whether other users confirm it's resolved.

When you SHOULD call support

If you're the only one affected, if the problem lingers well after others report it's fixed, or if you've checked everything above and it's still broken - that's when a call to technical support is actually worth it. You'll already have half the diagnosis done, which shortens the conversation considerably.