No Internet Access: How to fix common issues in 2024

The internet is down. The whole office is staring at you. Half the team has gone for a coffee. You have 15 minutes before someone sends a passive-aggressive email about productivity.

This guide walks through what to actually check, in priority order, when business internet stops working, at the office, on a single machine, or for a remote worker.

First: is it just you, or everyone?

• Just you? Skip to Single-machine fixes.
• Whole office? Skip to Office-wide outage.
• Just remote workers, office is fine? They have a connection problem at their end.

Single-machine fixes

1. The "have you tried" stack

1. Restart the laptop.
2. Disconnect and reconnect Wi-Fi.
3. Try a different Wi-Fi network (your phone hotspot is fine).
4. Plug in via Ethernet if you can.

2. Network reset

Settings → Network & internet → Advanced network settings → Network reset → Reset now. Restart.

3. DNS issues

Open Command Prompt and type ping 8.8.8.8. If that works but ping google.com doesn't, DNS is the problem. Manually set DNS to 1.1.1.1 and 8.8.8.8.

4. VPN trouble

If you're connected via a corporate VPN and the internet stops working, the VPN is often the culprit. Disconnect, restart the VPN client, reconnect.

5. Recently installed antivirus or VPN

Both routinely break Windows networking after install.

Office-wide outage

1. Check the obvious physical things

• Router/modem powered on, lights normal?
• Cable into the wall socket plugged in?
• Comms cabinet, overheating? UPS lights green?

2. Reboot the router/firewall

Power off for 30 seconds, power on, wait 3 minutes. Same for any separate firewall.

3. Check with the ISP

• Phone your ISP's status line.
• Check their status page on 4G.
• Check Downdetector or social media.

4. Failover circuit

If you have a leased line plus broadband backup, the router should fail over automatically. If not, get IT support on the line.

5. "We changed something yesterday"

If your IT team made any changes, firewall rule, DNS change, ISP swap, that's almost certainly the cause.

Remote worker

Same diagnosis as single-machine, but:

• Restart the home router. 90% of "I can't connect to the VPN from home" tickets are home router problems.
• Try phone hotspot.
• Check whether it's the corporate VPN specifically.
• Check ISP status, Virgin Media, BT, Sky, TalkTalk all have outages regularly.

Slow internet (different from no internet)

1. Run a speed test at speedtest.net.
2. Check who's using the bandwidth.
3. Reboot router and firewall.
4. Check for malware.

For chronic bandwidth issues, look at upgrading to a business leased line.

Wi-Fi specifically

• Multiple devices struggling on Wi-Fi but Ethernet works → access point issue.
• Wi-Fi works in some rooms but not others → coverage problem.
• Struggles every Monday at 9am → access points saturated.

Most office Wi-Fi problems are solved by a proper survey and managed UniFi or similar Wi-Fi installation instead of consumer kit on extension leads.

When to escalate

• Fixes haven't worked within 15 minutes for the whole office.
• Multiple sites affected.
• Router or firewall showing red lights.
• Anything unusual, unexpected emails about credentials.

For Birmingham and West Midlands businesses, this is bread-and-butter IT support work, see our Birmingham IT support page.

Preventing the next outage

1. Two internet circuits, leased line plus broadband from a different supplier.
2. 4G/5G failover.
3. Managed firewall instead of the £80 box from Argos.
4. Proper monitoring.
5. Mobile phones for key staff.

We design and manage exactly this kind of resilient setup for West Midlands businesses every week.

Quick reference

A reliable internet connection isn't a luxury for any modern business, it's the most critical utility you have, after electricity. Treat it that way: redundancy, monitoring, professional kit, and an IT partner who knows your setup.