Internet service interruptions can be frustrating and disruptive, especially if you rely on the web for work, entertainment, or communication. But what causes these outages and how can you prevent or fix them? In this article, we'll explore some of the most common reasons for internet service interruptions and what you can do about them.
One of the most common reasons for internet service interruptions is hardware issues. This could be anything from a faulty modem, router, cable, or device to a power outage, surge, or cut. Hardware issues can affect your connection quality, speed, or stability, or even cause complete loss of service. To troubleshoot hardware issues, you should check your devices for any physical damage, loose connections, or indicators of malfunction. You should also try restarting your modem and router, or resetting them to factory settings if necessary. If you have a backup power source, you should use it to protect your equipment from power fluctuations.
Routers going off, misconfigurations and sometimes due to bad connection or bad weather when the router is not able to connect with either the ISP or if its the fibre optic based connection then the fibre optic line cut or damage are the major reason of internet disruption.
Hardware is critical because: - You have a lot of network equipment plus the ISP fiber and router in your environment so it's not just your equipment it's the ISP's equipment as well you need to look out for. - one of the major concerns regarding hardware it could be end of life (EOL) which in this case the manufacturer has stopped supporting it, Thus no updates are being released for it resulting in it being prone to being exploited by hackers. - if the device failed for any reason then you have to think of an alternative device which can be a totally different device or a newer one which can have a different firmware Thus a different configuration than what the initial was.
Business class routers usually come with dual power supplies as it is this component that is most likely to fail. Where internet access is essential, two routers in a resilient failover configuration should be used (along with two separate, fully diversely-routed connections).
Internet service interruptions can occur due to various reasons, including network congestion caused by high demand, physical infrastructure issues like damaged cables or hardware failures, adverse weather conditions affecting infrastructure, problems at the Internet Service Provider's end such as server outages, malfunctions in customer premises equipment like routers or modems, DNS failures, software or firmware bugs in networking equipment, security incidents like cyberattacks, configuration errors either at the user or provider level, and scheduled maintenance activities by ISPs or network providers. These factors collectively contribute to the occasional disruptions users may experience in their internet services.
The first and most likely fault is with your equipment. Restarting your modem or router should cure the problem. Other reasons why your internet may continually go down include slow speeds, network congestion, and harsh weather.
Another common reason for internet service interruptions is network congestion. This happens when there is too much traffic or demand on the network, exceeding its capacity or resources. Network congestion can cause slow speeds, buffering, lag, or dropped connections. Network congestion can be caused by various factors, such as peak usage times, high-bandwidth activities, or network failures. To avoid network congestion, you should limit the number of devices and applications that use your internet connection, especially during busy hours. You should also use a wired connection instead of Wi-Fi if possible, as it can offer more stability and reliability.
Internet interruption is due to ISP is not able to handle the traffic since most of the connection now is very fast using fiber optic. ISP I believe need to upgrade from time to time so it could handle the load.
In the past, we've encountered network congestion using our primary ISP when some office staff were doing live social media events for a marketing event and running together with our call center using web-based voip app. Now our primary and secondary ISPs are load-balanced to solve network congestion issues.
If there is one wifi connection in an office or home and according to bands like 2.4 Ghz or 5 Ghz, if there is heavy traffic and all devices consumes are performing some heavy downloads or uploads it can definitely slow down the overall speed.
Congestion of the backhaul link from the local ISP node to the core is fairly common, especially at certain times of day, for cheaper home broadband services. If you are paying for a leased-line, business-grade service you shouldn’t get congestion. Services will be contended or over-subscribed but this doesn’t mean you will see any difference, it’s only when they become congested that you notice slower running, higher latency and in extreme cases voice calls may drop or become impossible. If you are paying the premium for a business grade and especially for a leased-line type of service and you you are getting congestion, change your ISP.
Excessive demand for bandwidth can cause data packets to collide that result into slow internet speed. Increase in overload can come from too many end-users trying to access the internet on the same network. In this instance using a virtual monitoring agent to track network performance would be a good tool to use. The way I would troubleshoot the issue. Start with the physical hardware. Verify ports are not defective, monitor network packet loss, check for any jitter and DNS resolution. The resolve would be to look into implementing traffic shaping and load balancing. This will help distribute network traffic. upgrading the bandwidth with adding higher capacity equipment to the network infrastructure to alleviate and bandwidth limitations.
Sometimes, internet service interruptions are not caused by your hardware or network, but by your service provider. Your service provider is responsible for delivering and maintaining the internet service to your location, and they may encounter issues that affect your connection. These issues could include maintenance, upgrades, outages, errors, or security breaches. Service provider issues are usually beyond your control, and you may have to wait for them to resolve the problem. To check if your service provider is having issues, you can contact their customer support, visit their website, or use a third-party tool to monitor their status.
Remember that if you have a single connection, there are multiple single points of failure. Cables can be damaged, the local exchange or node can have a power cut, fire or lose its uplink to the core. Occasionally, some kind of configuration or software issue can propagate across the ISP’s network. Using two different ISPs can be done but it’s a more complex job involving the end user running BGP which not many smaller companies will be able to do.
It happens most of the time when reachability is narrowed because of either the location or mobile tower network, sometimes there is no network in a building or densely populated area as there too many obstructions in the path of network, to solve the issue we use umbrella towers and such specialised towers. And this is typically the case from ISPs.
I am working in an Enterprise Network where we leased lines for our branch offices from multiple ISPs. I feel that Hardware failures or Users Error cannot be the reason for internet services to be down, most of the time it causes due to outages and otherwise maintenance or congestion.
I am working on both types of connection Leased line and Broadband for our Corporate office from Multiple ISPs. I also have a backup route line of leased line. Internet service interruptions due to some Maintenance or Our Network congestion.
There are most of our cases , coming from our lovely Internet Service provider... Even if you have double source, to switch between them is always issue.
Another possible reason for internet service interruptions is environmental factors. These are external conditions that can interfere with the transmission or reception of internet signals. Environmental factors can include weather, terrain, electromagnetic interference, or physical obstacles. Environmental factors can affect different types of internet services differently, depending on how they deliver the signals. For example, satellite internet can be affected by rain, snow, or clouds, while fiber-optic internet can be affected by ground movements or construction. To minimize the impact of environmental factors, you should make sure your equipment is properly installed, protected, and aligned.
If your internet access is essential for your business, ensure you have a resilient service. This can be two, fully diverse land lines or a satellite or 5G backup. Even at home I have copper broadband but my phone with 5G and acting as a hotspot will keep me connected if this goes down.
Floods, storms, hurricanes, and high winds can cause temporary or permanent disruption of internet connection. Bad weather can also affect the internet speed and cause network links to fail. The result could be a lost connection, intermittent service, or a slower internet speed.
Environmental factors can also impact internet services in several ways: Weather Conditions: Extreme weather events such as storms, heavy rain, snow, or high winds can damage physical infrastructure like cables, antennas, or satellite dishes, leading to service disruptions. Physical Obstructions: Buildings, trees, hills, or other structures can obstruct wireless signals, reducing the range and quality of internet connections, especially for Wi-Fi networks. Temperature and Humidity: Extreme temperatures or humidity levels can affect the performance and lifespan of networking equipment, leading to hardware failures or degraded performance.
In case of weather and heavy rains fiber optics line can get damaged the receivers can be damaged, power cut is also a reason for internet outage. Environmental factors do play a role in the quality of internet service provided.
Finally, internet service interruptions can also be caused by user errors. These are mistakes or oversights that you or someone else makes that affect your internet connection. User errors can include incorrect settings, configuration, or installation of your equipment or software, accidental disconnection or deletion of your service or account, or unauthorized access or tampering with your network. User errors can often be avoided or fixed by following the instructions and guidelines provided by your service provider, device manufacturer, or software developer. You should also secure your network with a strong password and encryption, and update your equipment and software regularly.
Users are those for whom the service was deployed and who will experience the quality of the service. Users are not necessarily those who pay for the service or those tasked with ensuring service availability. However, users are often the ones with least knowledge of the contract behind the service they utilize. That ignorance could result in acts that negatively impact the service. Making the user aware of the service specifics can ensure certain mistakes are avoided. These can range from capacity management to operating conditions of devices.
The aforementioned causes are great ones. In recent times, the inadvertent user enforced errors have come to light causing wide spread outages. For example: BGP is a crucial protocol on which Internet runs. A minute misconfiguration in BGP can cause widespread outages that can cascade into service disruptions across the globe. Having appropriate security with network components updated to latest patches, adopting encryption like FIPS 140-2 level 4 encryption and strong oversight over network automation are few top measures that can collectively minimize the risks.
Sometimes misconfigs like using manual IP allocation instead of DHCP can give you nightmare in terms of internet woes, incorrect settings like using proper DNS servers also is a major problem in misconfigurations.
User-related issues impacting internet services include: Incorrect Configuration: Users may misconfigure network settings, such as IP addresses or DNS servers, leading to connectivity problems. Software Malfunctions: Malware infections, software conflicts, or outdated applications can affect internet performance. Device Limitations: Older or underpowered devices may struggle to handle modern internet demands, resulting in slow speeds or connectivity issues. Unauthorized Access: Unauthorized users accessing the network can consume bandwidth, compromise security, and cause performance issues. Inexperienced Users: Users with limited understanding of networking concepts may inadvertently disrupt network settings or configurations.
Service provider outages are common due to technical issues, maintenance or other related factors i.e severs failures, media damages, software glitches.
Lack of redundancy and human error are the leading causes of internet outages. Period. There should never be anywhere between the host and the consumer where a single point of failure can result in an outage. All hardware should have redundancy and automatic switchover. Software and configuration errors are human error and extremely hard to predict or prevent.