Broadband down? What to check first

1. Check for a broadband outage

Check your provider's service status page or app for an outage in your area. If there's a wider outage, there's nothing to fix inside your property.

2. Restart your router and fibre box

Switch off the router (and the fibre box/ONT if you have one) for 60 seconds, then turn them back on and wait a few minutes.

3. Look at the lights

A red or flashing light on the router or fibre box usually means the connection isn't reaching your property. That often points to a line or fibre fault.

4. Inspect the cables

Look for a bent, kinked, cut or crushed fibre or internet cable, and make sure everything is plugged in firmly. Don't try to repair a broken fibre cable yourself; it's glass and needs splicing.

5. Run a speedtest

Run a speedtest with a device plugged into the router by cable, then over wifi. If the wired result is good but wifi is slow, the problem is wifi coverage. If both are slow, it may be a line fault.

6. Check fibre availability

Not sure what type of connection you have? Check your address with the Openreach fibre checker or CityFibre's checker.

Common questions

Areas we cover

Engineer call-outs throughout West Sussex, East Sussex and Hampshire, including Bognor Regis, Chichester, Littlehampton, Worthing, Portsmouth, Havant, Waterlooville, Fareham, Brighton, Eastbourne and the surrounding towns and villages.