Internet keeps dropping out? 6 quick checks that find the cause before you change provider.
Before you change provider or buy a new router, run these checks. A damaged cable or a loose connector causes more dropouts than most people think, and some of it you can spot yourself.
- Dropouts happen on a wired connection, not only Wi-Fi.
- One desk or room drops while others are fine.
- The connection shows 100 Mbps instead of 1 Gbps.
- It started after building work, a move or a pest problem.
6 checks you can do yourself, in this order
Rule out an outage. Check your provider's outage page or app. If the whole area is down, no cable fix will help.
Wi-Fi or everything? Plug a laptop straight into the router with a cable. If the wired connection is solid, the problem is Wi-Fi coverage, not cabling.
Restart the right boxes. Turn off the router and the fibre box (ONT), wait a minute, then turn them on: fibre box first, router second.
Look at the cables. Check for kinks, cables crushed under chair wheels or doors, and plugs with a broken clip that don't click in.
Swap the patch lead. Try a known-good cable between the wall and the computer. Cheap or damaged leads are a common cause.
Check the link speed. In your computer's network settings, a wired connection should show 1 Gbps. If it shows 100 Mbps, a wire in the cable or outlet is often damaged.
6 signs your problem needs a technician
- Dropouts continue on a wired connection after the checks above.
- Several desks or a whole floor are affected.
- An outlet is loose, cracked or pulled out of the wall.
- Cables run outdoors, underground or between buildings.
- Problems started after renovations, a move, or rodents.
- You have no records of where the cables go.
How we find and fix your fault: test, fix, prove it
Test
We test the run end to end and find exactly where it fails, rather than guessing.
Fix
We re-terminate the faulty outlet or plug, repair the damaged section or replace the run, whatever the test points to.
Prove it
We retest after the fix and give you the result in writing, with a 12-month workmanship warranty.
Same-day response
Call before 12pm and we respond the same-day response, or your first hour is free.
Dropout questions
Could it be my router instead?
It could. If wired connections drop at every desk at once, the router or the provider is more likely. If it's one desk or one room, look at that cable first.
Why does a bad cable show 100 Mbps?
Gigabit uses all four pairs of wires in the cable. If one pair is damaged, the connection often falls back to 100 Mbps, which only needs two.
Do you fix cabling another company installed?
Yes. We test and repair cabling regardless of who installed it.
Will you tell me if it's not a cabling problem?
Yes. If the cabling tests fine, we'll show you the results and point you to the likely cause.
Swap in a known-good cable
Check 5 is to try a different patch lead. Our pure copper Cat6 Ethernet cables start from $8.90, with tracked delivery anywhere in NZ.
Still dropping out? Let us find the fault.
We test, find the fault, fix it and give you the results in writing.
We reply within 1 hour, 24/7.
Call before 12pm for a same-day response.
