September 16, 2023, 1:45 pm | Read time: 9 minutes
When the internet goes out at home, it’s frustrating. This is especially true for those who rely on a stable connection for remote work, studying, gaming, or relaxed streaming. TECHBOOK reveals what you should do during an internet outage to get back online as quickly as possible.
The reasons for an internet outage are varied. Sometimes it’s due to hardware or user settings. In these cases, you can usually fix the issues yourself. However, if the internet disruption is network-related, you generally have to wait patiently for the provider to resolve the issue. But even here, users can speed up the process. With our five tips, you can best respond to such a disruption.
Overview
First Aid for Total Outage
If you can’t get online at all, it’s a total outage. This can be due to faulty hardware, maintenance work, or a major network disruption. Check the following points on the checklist:
1. Check Your Router
The first glance during an internet outage should be at the router. The device indicates through its LEDs whether everything is in order. If the control lights are steadily green, the router is working. However, if a light is blinking or not lit at all, the router is not receiving a signal and cannot connect to the internet. The issue seems to be here. If the LEDs are red, they indicate a problem with the router itself.
A first helpful measure is the classic trick: disconnect the router from the power for at least a minute. It’s best to unplug it. The router will then reboot completely, which often helps to get the Wi-Fi running again. This step is also required by your provider’s customer support to rule out any hardware errors.
If the restart doesn’t change anything, you can try logging into your router’s user interface. For example, enter fritz.box for a Fritzbox, speedport.ip for a Telekom router, or o2.box for an O2 Homebox in your browser’s address bar.
If you can access the router interface, there is at least a connection to the exchange – a good sign. You can now initiate a diagnosis in the settings to find any errors in the home network. Also, make sure to keep your router’s firmware as up-to-date as possible. If you can’t access the router interface at all, the device has no connection to the network – a sign of a larger internet outage.
Read also: Fixing the Most Common Wi-Fi Problems with the Fritzbox
2. Check Connection to Device
It’s best to restart the router even if its control lights are normal and show no errors. Besides the connection between the router and the internet, the connection between the router and the device, such as your laptop, smart TV, or smartphone, can also be disrupted. Check if you can still access the internet with other devices.
If your device is connected to the internet via Wi-Fi, turn off the connection in the settings and turn it back on after a few seconds. This forces the device to reconnect. If your device is connected via cable, check the connection at both the device and the router. Briefly unplug the Ethernet cable and plug it back into the LAN port. If available, try swapping the LAN cable to rule out a fault within the cable.
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3. Change DNS
Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone have often faced internet outages in the past due to DNS (Domain Name System) issues. A DNS is responsible for associating a domain name with an IP address. During an outage, affected websites may not be accessible. Fortunately, users can resolve such an internet disruption by changing the DNS themselves.
Changing the DNS is easy with a few clicks through the router. In the Fritzbox, for example, the setting can be found under “Internet” – “Access Data” – “DNS Server.” Activate the option “Use other DNSv4 servers” and enter the IP “8.8.8.8” under “Alternative DNSv4 server.” This is Google’s DNS server, which can be used as an alternative.
4. Are Other Users Affected by the Internet Outage?
If restarting the router and checking your devices hasn’t helped, there is likely a larger internet outage. You should now check if other users are affected. You can ask family, friends, and neighbors if they are also experiencing internet problems – provided they have an internet plan with the same provider.
You can also check common outage websites via mobile internet for reported internet outages. An independent portal where affected users often report their network problems promptly is Allestörungen.de. Here you can find out if there is currently a network outage in your region.
You can also get information directly from your provider. Networks also require regular maintenance, and providers usually announce such work on their website or via Facebook or X (formerly Twitter). If an internet outage occurs due to maintenance work, there is usually a time frame during which the work is carried out. It is therefore foreseeable when the disruption will be resolved.
If it is an unplanned internet outage, you can check if your provider is already aware of the disruption. All major network operators in Germany are present on X (formerly Twitter). Under “Tweets and Replies,” you can check if other customers have already reported an internet outage. Perhaps the provider has already confirmed the outage there and provides further information.
Read also: What Happened to BlackBerry?
5. Report Internet Outage to Provider
If it appears to be a larger network outage – whether regionally limited or nationwide – you should report the disruption to your provider. Companies usually offer a toll-free hotline via landline and an online portal for this purpose. We’ve listed the most important links for you.
Report internet disruption to:
For your disruption report, you should have your contract details – including your customer number – on hand. Expect longer wait times when contacting by phone, as many customers usually try to reach support simultaneously during an internet outage.
Note: If you use VoIP (Voice over IP) for calls, telephony is realized over the internet. In the event of an internet outage, phone calls are therefore not possible, and you must switch to a mobile phone. However, you should check the hotline costs beforehand, as only landline connections are sometimes free.
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Total Outage or Just Slow Connection?
If your internet connection is merely slow or you have issues with specific programs, your line is at least not completely down. However, such a disruption is annoying in the long run and can affect smooth video streaming in the evening or video conferencing.
Choppy or lagging websites and long loading times can have several causes. If only specific programs are affected, the servers on the provider’s side may be overloaded. For example, if a particularly large number of people worldwide use Zoom or Microsoft Teams at a certain time, the connection may lag. An overloaded VPN connection can also negatively impact the speed of the internet connection.
However, the problems may also lie with your own internet line. Cable customers, for example, are often surprised that only a fraction of the contractually agreed peak speed reaches them. This is because internet via cable is a shared medium, and providers have gained relatively many customers in a short time, while the networks have been expanded much more slowly. As a result, relatively many users are connected via a single cable line (or cluster). The line offers a maximum bandwidth that all customers share. Consequently, the bandwidth per customer can shrink to just a few megabits per second.
Solving such an overload problem is not easy. Essentially, only further cable network expansion helps, which is, however, lengthy. Nevertheless, affected customers should inform their provider about a constantly occurring undersupply and possibly set deadlines for resolution. If the provider cannot meet these, the only solution is usually extraordinary termination and switching to another internet provider.
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Entitlement to Compensation for Internet Outage?
On December 1, 2021, the amendment to the Telecommunications Act came into force. The revised law grants consumers more rights since then. For example, you now have the right to fast internet. If providers cannot deliver the contractually guaranteed speed permanently and significantly, customers can reduce the basic fee for an internet connection. If the provider fails to permanently resolve the issue, extraordinary termination is possible in individual cases.
Thanks to the TKG amendment, customers now have more options even during internet outages. Providers are required to fix disruptions within 24 hours. If the provider cannot resolve the disruption within one business day after receiving the disruption report, they must inform the consumer by the next business day at the latest about the measures they have taken and when the disruption is expected to be resolved. In the case of a longer network outage (at least three business days after receiving the disruption report), customers are also entitled to compensation.
The law sets the compensation amount at 5 euros or 10 percent on the third and fourth day and from the fifth day at 10 euros or 20 percent of the contractually agreed monthly fee. Internet customers can also demand compensation for a missed technician appointment. This amounts to 10 euros or 20 percent of the contract’s monthly fee.