Internet not working? Find where it stops.

Make sure any Wi-Fi extenders, repeaters and VPN are turned off first.

Write down the exact message Windows or the app shows. Then open a website on another device on the same network.

If nothing gets online, check the modem and router. If the other device works, the problem is this computer. If only one website will not open, follow the website check.

If the internet works but is slow or keeps dropping, see our unstable internet guide.

Try the site in another browser. If it opens there, the first browser is the problem: open its Extensions page, turn off any recently added extension and try again.

If the site will not open in any browser while other sites work, the site itself is probably down. Try again later.

Check your internet provider's website or service status page for an outage in your area. If there is one, wait for the provider to fix it.

Check the modem and router are turned on. Check the cable from the modem to the wall socket or NBN connection box is plugged in firmly at both ends. If you have an NBN connection box, check it has power.

If you unplug a cable, note exactly which port it came out of and plug it back into the same port.

NBN connection box on the wall (fibre to the premises): the modem must be plugged into the data port your provider set up, usually UNI-D1. Plugged into a different UNI-D port, the internet will not work even if the lights are green.

Modem plugged into a phone socket (fibre to the node): make sure the cable goes into the wall phone socket and the modem's DSL port.

Look at the internet, WAN or DSL light on the modem, and the lights on the NBN connection box if you have one.

A red or off internet light usually means the connection to your provider is down. Note which lights are on, off or red; your provider will ask.

Unplug the power to the NBN connection box, modem and router. Leave them unplugged for at least 5 full minutes. This makes your internet provider drop the old connection and give the modem a fresh one when it comes back. Plug the NBN box in first and wait a few minutes, then the modem, then the router, waiting a few minutes each time.

Do not press the Reset button. A factory reset can clear the Wi-Fi name, password and internet settings.

Once everything is back on, check the internet on several devices.

Only do this if you have a computer with a network port and a network cable. If not, skip to the next step.

Plug the computer straight into the modem with the network cable and try a website.

If it works with the cable, the internet is fine and the problem is the Wi-Fi; follow our Wi-Fi connection guide.

Use a computer that shows it is connected to your Wi-Fi or a network cable. Select Start, type Command Prompt and open it.

1. Check the computer has an IP address

Type ipconfig and press Enter. Under Wireless LAN adapter Wi-Fi (or Ethernet adapter for a cable), find the line IPv4 Address. It shows a number such as 192.168.1.20.

• There is an IPv4 Address: go to check 2.
• No IPv4 Address on Wi-Fi: open Start > Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings. Under Network adapters, find Wi-Fi, choose Disable, wait a few seconds, then choose Enable. Reconnect to your Wi-Fi and type ipconfig again.

Still no IPv4 Address, and none of your devices can connect? Test the modem with your mobile phone's hotspot. Turn on the hotspot on your phone, connect the computer to it from the network icon on the taskbar, then type ipconfig again.

• IPv4 Address on the hotspot: the computer is fine and the problem is the modem. It may need to be reset or replaced, but talk to your internet provider before doing either.
• No IPv4 Address on the hotspot either: the problem is the computer. Reset its network settings using the network reset step in our Wi-Fi guide.

2. Test the internet connection

Only do this if the computer has an IPv4 Address while connected to your own Wi-Fi or cable, not the hotspot. Type ping 8.8.8.8 and press Enter.

• Working: four lines starting Reply from 8.8.8.8, and Lost = 0, as in the picture. Go to check 3.
• Not working: Request timed out or Destination host unreachable. Check your VPN is off. If other devices cannot get online either, the problem is the internet connection; continue to the next step. If other devices can, security software on this computer may be blocking the internet; check its firewall settings, and do not delete your security software.

3. Test website names

Type ping google.com and press Enter.

• Working: four lines starting Reply from, as in the picture. The internet is working.
• Not working: Ping request could not find host google.com. The internet is working but website names are not (a DNS problem). Type ipconfig /flushdns and press Enter to clear the saved website names, then type ping google.com again. If it still cannot find the host, book IT support at the end of this guide.

If the internet is still down on multiple devices and the modem was supplied by your internet provider, contact your internet provider. Tell them which lights are on, off or red, and that you have restarted everything. If the hotspot test showed the modem is the problem, ask them whether it should be reset or replaced.

If you supplied your own modem or router, book IT support below and we can check it.