Everyone is on the internet. It’s everywhere, all the time, and there is no escaping the daily need for internet connection. Streaming television shows, sending emails, gaming tournaments with your nearest and dearest all require a strong internet connection. Unfortunately, more often than any of us would like, we suffer a disconnect and lose our access to the online world.

When the inevitable happens and your internet connection wanes or fails to connect completely, you do not have to panic. There are a few simple, tried-and-true methods for reconnecting your system and getting back to your day as quickly as possible.

Most of the time, a lag in your system is an indicator of a problem in your home’s system, and not with your Internet Service Provider (ISP). The only way to make sure that it’s not an ISP issue is to tackle the troubleshooting and see if you can get your internet connection back up to speed.

1. CHECK YOUR POWER:

We have all done it. Slammed, poked at, and jabbed our computer’s keyboard and wondered why it wasn’t working, without ever checking to see if they power is on. If your internet is out, step one is definitely to make sure that your router has not gotten unplugged or is half-in, half-out.

Check the router’s LED status indicator lights. If you see no lights at all, your router is probably unplugged or not getting any power at all. The fix here is as simple as it gets: disconnect the power supply and reconnect it.

If your router still won’t turn on, it’s time to check your outlet and your power strip to see if they are getting power. If your outlet or power strip is to blame, problem solved.

2. CHECK YOUR NETWORK CONNECTION:

If you are not getting an internet connection on only one device, like your phone or your laptop, but you are getting an internet connection on others, check your Wi-Fi connection. If you are connected to a network, but you still do not have internet, it is time check your computer’s Network via the System Preferences -> Network (on a Mac) or Right-click on the Network Icon -> select Trouble Shooting to run a diagnostic check (on a PC).

If you do not have Wi-Fi, but use Ethernet, check your Ethernet connection. Confirm that you are getting an internet connection. If you have one on hand, plug in your spare Ethernet cable directly you’re your computer.

3. CHECK YOUR ROUTER

Physically examine your router and make sure that everything is connected where it should be. Check all of your router’s lights and look out for any problem colors like orange or red lights, and whether or not any of your lights are blinking.

If you are using an older router, you may be experiencing lag from having multiple devices fighting for a bandwidth. It may be time to upgrade to a newer router that can handle the workload of your devices.

4. Use Internet Download Manager Pro Version:

Use Internet Download Manager (IDM) that is a tool to increase download speeds by up to 5 times, resume and schedule downloads. Comprehensive error recovery and resume capability will restart broken or interrupted downloads due to lost connections, network problems, computer shutdowns, or unexpected power outages. Simple graphic user interface makes IDM user friendly and easy to use.

5. RESTART YOUR SYSTEM

Begin with your router - unplug the power source, wait 30 seconds, and then plug it back in. Once your router is back on, check the system again and see if your internet connection has returned. If it has not, do the same unplugging and restarting task with your computer and power strip.