- The internet has stopped working
- A device says "No internet" or won't connect to WiFi
- WiFi keeps dropping out
- Find your router (the box from your broadband company: BT Smart Hub, Sky Hub, Virgin Media Hub and so on).
- Find the sticker on the router with the WiFi name and password. You may need it.
- If your home phone plugs into the router, it will stop working for a few minutes while the router restarts.
The Windows key is the key with the four-squares logo, usually bottom left between Ctrl and Alt. When a step says Windows key + I, hold the Windows key down, tap I once, then let go of both.
Step 1: Is it everything, or one device?
Try a second device on your WiFi, for example your phone with mobile data turned off.
| What you find | Go to |
|---|---|
| Nothing in the house can get online | Fix the router and broadband |
| Other devices work, one doesn't | Fix one computer or Fix a phone or tablet |
Fix the router and broadband
-
Restart the router properly
Switch the router off at the wall socket (or unplug its power lead). Count to 60. Switch it back on.
Wait a full 5 minutes. The lights change several times while it reconnects. That's normal.
A steady light showing it's online. On many BT hubs that's blue, on others white or green. Orange, red or flashing usually means it's still connecting or there's a problem.Don't press the small reset pinhole. That wipes the router's settings, including your WiFi password and sometimes your home phone setup. -
Check the cables
Make sure the cable from the router to the wall socket (phone socket or fibre box) is pushed firmly in at both ends. If you have a separate fibre box (often white with its own lights), check it has power too.
-
Check for a fault in your area
Using mobile data on your phone, check your provider's service status page or app (search for your provider's name plus "service status"). If there's a known fault, there's nothing to do but wait.
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Still nothing? Call your broadband provider
If the router's lights still show a problem after a restart and there's no local fault, the problem is on the line or with the provider. They can test the line remotely. Their number is usually on the router or your bill.
Fix one computer
-
Check WiFi is switched on
Click the network icon at the bottom right of the screen (WiFi fan shape or globe).
- Make sure Airplane mode is off and Wi-Fi is on.
- Some laptops have a WiFi switch on the side or a key with an aerial symbol.
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Restart the computer
Start → Power → Restart. This fixes a lot of WiFi problems.
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Forget the network and join again
Press Windows key + I → Network & internet → Wi-Fi → Manage known networks. Click your WiFi name → Forget.
Now click the network icon at the bottom right, pick your WiFi name, click Connect and type the password from the router sticker.
Passwords are case-sensitive and easy to mistype. 0 (zero) and O, and 1 and l, look similar. Tick "Show password" or click the eye icon to check what you've typed. -
Run the network troubleshooter
In Settings: System → Troubleshoot → Other troubleshooters and run the Network and Internet option. On newer Windows 11 this opens the Get Help app. Follow its suggestions.
Windows 10: Update & Security → Troubleshoot → Additional troubleshooters → Internet Connections.
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Last resort: network reset
Settings → Network & internet → Advanced network settings → Network reset → Reset now. (Windows 10: Network & Internet → Status → Network reset.)
The computer restarts. Then join your WiFi again.
This forgets all saved WiFi passwords and removes VPN apps' settings. Have your WiFi password ready first.
Fix a phone or tablet
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Turn WiFi off and on
iPhone/iPad: Settings → Wi-Fi → turn off, wait 10 seconds, turn on. Android: swipe down from the top of the screen and tap the WiFi tile off and on.
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Forget and rejoin
iPhone: Settings → Wi-Fi → tap the ⓘ next to your network → Forget This Network, then tap your network and enter the password.
Android: Settings → Connections (or Network & internet) → Wi-Fi → tap the gear (settings) icon next to your network → Forget, then join again. -
Restart the phone
Switch it off completely and back on. It fixes more than you'd expect.
Connected but slow or dropping
- Move closer to the router. If it's fine next to the router but poor upstairs, the WiFi signal isn't reaching. A mesh WiFi system fixes that.
- Get the router out of cupboards and away from TVs, fish tanks and metal. Higher up and central is best.
- Do a speed test (search "speed test") next to the router and compare it with the speed on your bill. Much slower even next to the router? Tell your provider.
- Restart the router once a month if it gets sluggish.
- The router has no lights at all, or smells hot
- Your provider says the line is fine but it still won't work
- WiFi works downstairs but not where you need it (a mesh system or cabling is the proper fix)
Still stuck? I'm happy to help.
If this didn't sort it, or you'd rather not do it yourself, get in touch. I cover Sheffield S20 and the surrounding areas.
Did this guide help? These guides are free for everyone. If it saved you a call-out, you can say thanks with a coffee.
Buy me a coffeeThese guides are general advice for home users, checked in September 2026. Menus can differ slightly between versions of Windows and between phone makers. If something looks different or you're unsure, stop and ask rather than guessing. Parmar Tech Solutions can't accept responsibility for problems caused by following these steps, so please back up anything important first.