I just woke up to find that my internet is completely down. All the lights on my router and modem look normal, except for one globe icon on the router that indicates there's likely no outage in my area. However, Windows troubleshooting keeps telling me that it 'Can't reach DNS server'. I've tried changing the DNS servers in my router settings, but that didn't help. I also attempted to release or renew my IP through both CMD and my router settings, but nothing worked. I've even reinstalled my network adapter and restarted my devices, but still no luck. Could this be caused by someone sabotaging my connection? I mean, it doesn't feel like a random network issue, right? What could have triggered this problem all of a sudden, and why isn't my computer accepting any attempts to fix the DNS issue?
5 Answers
The globe on your router typically indicates the status of your internet connection. If it's off, it could suggest a localized outage instead of a widespread one. You might want to contact your ISP to confirm the status in your area. The fact that you see no outages reported on their site could mean there’s an issue on their end that hasn’t been recognized yet. Double-checking with a neighbor could also help.
It sounds frustrating! Since your router looks fine, it might be worth testing another device to see if it connects to the internet. Have you done a network reset on your PC? Sometimes issues like these can be fixed that way.
I haven’t tried resetting the network settings on my PC yet. I’ll give that a shot and see what happens.
I totally get your sabotage theory! It’s a possibility, especially if your connection dropped out of nowhere. Have you checked for any physical issues, like damaged cables? Sometimes critters can cause havoc. Also, try putting your phone on airplane mode and then connecting it to WiFi to see if the issue is with the router or your computer.
Just a heads-up: be cautious about connecting to any suspicious WiFi networks. If you see one that looks like your old WiFi but isn’t quite right, it could be a Man-in-the-Middle attack. Keep an eye out for anything unusual around your place too, like someone hooking up devices to your outlet.
Can you run a ping test to see if you can reach your gateway and an external IP like 8.8.8.8? That might help narrow down where the issue lies.
I pinged the gateway and got all 4 replies, but nothing for the external IP. It says ‘destination net unreachable’.
I already checked with my neighbors, and they reported no outages either. The ISP’s site literally says ‘all good!’ Maybe they need to update their info more frequently.