Reliability · 4 min read
Internet outage: find the failed link and get back online
Check how far the failure reaches before you reset anything. A dead Wi-Fi network and a neighborhood outage need different fixes.
By Pablo Mendoza · Reviewed by George Olfson
Published · Updated
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In an internet outage, find the failed link before resetting anything: one device, Wi-Fi, power, or the provider’s line. If every device fails while the modem or ONT has power, check the provider’s official outage tool over cellular data. A phone can bridge the gap: 85.2% of US households have a cellular data plan (Census Bureau ACS, 2020–2024).
If outages keep happening, see what else reaches your address.
Start with safety
If you see downed lines, flooding or damaged electrical equipment, stay clear and contact the utility or emergency services. Do not touch a fallen cable, even one you think belongs to the internet provider.
Locate the failed link
Which devices fail tells you where the break is. Go down this table in order and stop at the first row that matches.
| What you see | Likely scope | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| One device offline, others fine | That device or its settings | Check it is on the right network; try another device |
| Ethernet works, Wi-Fi fails | The router’s Wi-Fi | Check the network name, the router and its placement |
| Every device fails; equipment has power | The gateway, the line or the provider | Check the provider’s outage tool over cellular data |
| The modem, ONT or router has no lights | Electrical supply | Restore power safely; check any battery backup |
On fiber, the terminal on the wall is part of this check. AT&T describes its ONT as the box that converts fiber light to Ethernet, and says it may sit outside or in a garage, closet or utility area. Find it, note its lights, and leave it connected. If only Wi-Fi fails, turn to why your Wi-Fi is slow, and if the router itself keeps failing, see how to choose a router.
Check the provider’s official status
Use your provider’s own app or status page, over your phone’s cellular data. A sales number you found in a search result is a different desk. Why customers call the wrong number for help shows how often existing customers reached a sales line, and how to match a number to your bill. These tools know your account and address. Xfinity says its app and outage map show a description of the outage, its type and cause, and the estimated time to fix (checked Sep 24, 2026). AT&T and Spectrum run account-based outage checks too.
Write down what the tool shows: the type of outage, the cause it gives and the estimated fix time. If that time passes and your line is still down, quote those notes when you contact support. They show the fault outlasted the incident the provider already knew about.
When you reach support, ask whether the fault is logged against your account or the whole area, whether a technician visit is needed, and whether the provider credits downtime and how to request it. Put the ticket number in your log beside the time you called.
A social-media post about an outage may not cover your street. A status page showing no incident does not rule out a fault on your own line either. If the tool shows nothing and the line stays down, open a ticket. Give your address, the time service stopped, the equipment lights and your wired test result.
Restart carefully and keep evidence
Before any restart, write down which lights are off, blinking or steady; support can read that pattern. If support suggests a restart, follow the steps for your model and give the modem or ONT time to reconnect. Do not factory-reset a gateway during an outage: a reset erases your settings and cannot repair the provider’s network. If the lights show a failed line, or the connection keeps dropping, ask support to test the line and book a repair.
Keep essential work online
A phone hotspot can provide a temporary connection. Check the hotspot allowance and the indoor signal first. Keep the workaround small: messages and calls before large downloads. Our guide to internet for a home office covers what work calls need.
Decide which tasks move to the hotspot first: a scheduled video call, a payment or form with a deadline, a message to your employer. Before you tether a laptop, pause cloud backups, photo sync and system or game updates, which can use up a hotspot allowance in the background.
Home phone service needs power as well. Under FCC rules, providers of home voice service that isn’t line-powered must offer at least one backup option with a minimum of eight hours of standby power, and a 24-hour option since Feb 13, 2019. That battery runs the phone line only, not security systems, medical monitors or other equipment. Backup internet and power covers the rest.
When repeated outages justify a change
After service returns, note how long it was down and test both Ethernet and the room that failed first. Then compare incidents over a few weeks. Repeated Wi-Fi-only faults need a fix inside the home. Repeated line faults justify a support history and, perhaps, a second path. One outage is a poor reason to buy a second subscription. Diagnosing unreliable internet sorts the patterns, and choosing internet service helps if you decide to switch.
What to do next
Size a hotspot fallback with the household needs tool. We quote what providers say their outage tools show and invent no provider measurements, as our methodology requires.
For the broader decision, read How to diagnose unreliable home internet and fix the right link.
Common questions
How do I know if an outage is the provider or my equipment?
To tell a provider outage from an equipment fault, test a wired device first. If a device on Ethernet also fails while the modem or ONT has power, the fault is probably the provider’s, so check its official outage tool. If only Wi-Fi fails and Ethernet works, the problem is inside your home: the router, its settings or its placement.
Where can I see if there is an outage in my area?
Use your internet provider’s official app or status page, over cellular data if the home line is down. Xfinity’s outage map, for example, shows a description of the outage, its type and cause, and the estimated time to fix (checked Sep 24, 2026). AT&T and Spectrum publish their own outage and restart help.
Will my home phone work during a power outage?
A home phone over fiber or cable works in a power outage only with backup power. FCC rules make providers of home voice service that isn’t line-powered offer at least one option with eight hours of standby backup power at the point of sale. That battery runs voice only, not a security system or other equipment.
Should I factory-reset my router during an outage?
No. During an internet outage, follow your provider’s restart steps first, turning the modem or ONT and the router off and on in order. A factory reset erases your Wi-Fi name, password and settings, and it cannot repair a fault in the provider’s network. Save a reset for when the provider’s support asks for one.
Sources and scope
- Xfinity: check for a service outage Checked What the outage map and app show.
- AT&T: internet outage support Checked The account and address outage check, and restart steps.
- Spectrum: troubleshooting your services after an outage Checked Provider status and equipment troubleshooting after an outage.
- FCC Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau: backup power compliance guide (DA 16-475) Checked Backup power options that providers of home voice service must offer.
- US Census Bureau: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, table B28002 Checked Household internet subscriptions by type, United States.
- AT&T: Learn about AT&T internet equipment Checked Gateway, optical network terminal and Ethernet cable guidance.