To check for an internet outage in your area, use the official outage checker or app for the provider that bills your internet account. Enter the full service address or sign in if asked; if no outage appears but your connection is still down, report the fault to the provider.
Check your provider’s outage status
- Identify the provider for the affected service. Use the company that bills the account. Fixed home internet and mobile service may have separate status information.
- Open its official outage checker, app, or support channel. Search for the provider’s service-status page, sign in if required, or call support. Use the full service address when prompted; a general location may not identify the status at your specific address.
- Read the incident details and updates. Check whether the provider lists an outage, gives a restoration estimate, or offers status alerts. Google Fiber says its account portal can show an estimated restoration time and provide SMS progress updates for a known outage. An estimate is the provider’s current projection, not a guarantee.
These provider pages illustrate the available routes; they are not a complete directory for every ISP or country:
- Google Fiber outage guidance describes checking through the app, a public address-based tool, or the signed-in account portal.
- AT&T’s outage checker provides outage checks and alerts.
- Xfinity’s outage map asks for the full service address.
Tool availability, labels, and incident information can change. Use the official status page for the provider and service that are affected.
If no outage is reported
A blank status page does not prove the network is working normally. The incident may not be listed yet, or the problem may be specific to your account, line, or equipment. Check for a provider account or billing notice, then do a few basic checks before contacting support:
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- See whether multiple devices are affected or only one.
- Check that the router is powered; for fiber service, check the optical network terminal (ONT) as well.
- If available, test with a device connected by Ethernet directly to the router. This helps distinguish a Wi-Fi problem from a broadband connection problem.
- Restart equipment only when appropriate for your provider and setup.
When you contact support, give the service address or account details, when the problem began, whether it is continuous or intermittent, which devices are affected, and the checks you have tried. Report a fault even if the checker shows no incident: providers may not yet know about an unlisted local issue. If nearby customers are also affected, mention that too.
Tell an area outage apart from a Wi-Fi problem
If one device cannot connect but other devices work, the issue may be with that device rather than the neighborhood network. If several devices have trouble only in one part of the home, Wi-Fi range, walls, interference, or the router may be involved. Ofcom’s broadband and Wi-Fi guidance explains that these factors can affect wireless performance. A slow Wi-Fi speed test by itself does not establish that the broadband line is at fault; compare another device and, if possible, a wired connection.
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Third-party outage-reporting services such as Downdetector can help show whether other customers are reporting similar problems. Treat those reports as corroboration, not a confirmed account-specific status or a replacement for reporting the fault to your provider.
Do not use the FCC broadband map as a live outage checker
The U.S. FCC National Broadband Map shows reported broadband availability and characteristics at locations and geographic areas. It is not a live outage map and does not show network performance. Use your ISP’s status tool for a current service interruption; use the FCC map for the separate question of what providers report as available at an address. The FCC also provides a challenge process for consumers to dispute availability information.
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- READY FOR THE DEVICES YOU ALREADY OWN: Your phones, laptops, and TVs work right out of the box. WiFi 6 delivers speeds up to 1.8 Gbps across 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. Backward compatible with WiFi 5 and earlier.
- COVERAGE IN EVERY ROOM: Covers up to 1,500 sq. ft. for up to 20 connected devices. Walls, floors, and interference can reduce range. Larger or multi-story homes may benefit from a NETGEAR Orbi mesh WiFi system.
When to escalate
Start with the provider that serves your account. In the UK, Ofcom says the provider is responsible for fixing faults even if another company owns the network. That guidance is UK-specific, but in any location your retail provider is the right first contact for service-specific status and fault reporting.
If you are in the United States and cannot resolve an internet service issue involving availability, speed, billing, or equipment with the provider, you can submit it to the FCC Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Center.
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