Network Troubleshooting Basics: A Step-by-Step Guide
Published by Uplink Wireless | Serving Henderson County & East Texas
Before you call anyone — your ISP, a technician, or me — run through this checklist. You might fix the problem yourself. And if you can't, you'll have exactly the information a technician needs to help you faster.
The 10-Step Troubleshooting Checklist
Is it just one device or all devices?
If only one device is slow, the problem is that device — not your internet.
→ One device = device problem. All devices = network problem.
Restart your modem and router
Unplug both for 30 seconds. Plug the modem in first, wait 2 minutes, then plug in the router.
→ This fixes about 30% of all internet problems. Seriously.
Check the lights on your modem
If the Online/Internet light is off or blinking red, your ISP connection is down.
→ No internet light = ISP problem. Call them.
Run a wired speed test
Plug a laptop directly into the router with an ethernet cable. Go to fast.com.
→ This tells you what your router is actually getting from your ISP.
Run a WiFi speed test
Disconnect the cable and run the same test on WiFi from the same spot. Then test from other rooms.
→ Compare: If wired is fast but WiFi is slow, it's a WiFi problem.
Related Fixes & Resources
Ready to Fix This?
Book a Network Health Check — I'll come out, test everything, and tell you exactly what's wrong and what it costs to fix. No obligation.
Serving Athens, Mabank, Cedar Creek Lake & Henderson County.
Uplink Community
Share your experience or ask a question
Got a question about this topic? Had a similar experience? Drop a comment below. I read every one and respond personally — usually within a few hours.
Important note about visibility
Right now, community posts are saved per-device (in the visitors browser). That means you can see what you posted from your device, but you wont automatically see what someone else posted from theirs. I still receive every post and can feature the best ones publicly.
Community Guidelines
- Be specific about your setup (ISP, router model, location) — it helps me give better answers
- Share what worked for you — your experience could help someone else in East Texas
- Questions are answered personally by Bruce, usually within a few hours
- Keep it respectful and helpful — we're all neighbors here