The Internet...
Only ten years ago, the Internet was only being used by gamers and "geeks". Now it's an essential "lifeline" for many people. When we want to know how to get somewhere using public transport we use the Journey Planner at the TFL website and when we want to find something at the cheapest price, we head towards Google Products. We are all using the Internet more and more in almost every avenue of life. The Yellow Pages, Wikipedia, the Oyster Card and Congestion Charges are just some of the services that are only practical to be using with an Internet connection. We are all using the Internet for our banking, blogging and email and more people than ever before are using it as their main source of information and news.

Why have I suddenly lost the Internet?
There are many possible reasons for a sudden break in a connection. The fault could be your Service Provider's in which case there will be nothing you can do except wait until they have fixed the problem. These days, most ISPs are very good about getting you back online quickly and efficiently. They usually have a service number that you can call to hear recorded announcements concerning current service problems in your area.
Other common are the loss or corruption of your PC's TCP/IP settings and the overwriting of your router's PPPoE configuration. These problems are not always easy to troubleshoot. Here's how I see it - if I have a leak in a water pipe, I call a plumber. It always amazes me however, how many people are ready to "muck about" with the settings of what is probably the most complex kit that they own. A general rule is, if you don't know what you are doing then get somebody who does to do it!

Some Tips - The Obvious...
The most obvious thing to try is resetting your cable modem and/or router. Switch off your PC then unplug your modem. If you have a router then unplug that too. Heavy "traffic" can often block up your PC's ports and resetting your router can be an easy way to unblock them. Keep both router and modem unplugged for 20 seconds or so and then plug them both back in again. If you do have a cable modem and router then plug in the modem first and wait a minute or so for all the various lights on the front of it to start flashing. Most cable modems have an "activity" light on the front. This should be almost solidly lit although it may flicker from time to time. Now plug in your router and follow the same procedure. Routers also have such a light on the front that is usually marked "Link". It should be constantly lit.

Some not-so-obvious Tips...
There could be a problem translating the address names that you type into your browser into the numbered addresses that the Internet uses. This translation is done by sort of big "telephone book", on a server somewhere. You type "google.co.uk" and the address of Google is looked up and a numbered address returned very quickly. You PC then requests this number rather than the name "google.co.uk". It is a process that happens very fast and one that happens invisibly. Try typing the number for Google into the address bar of your browser instead of "google.co.uk" to see if you can get to Google (Try typing everything inside these quotes, including the full stops "66.249.93.104". If you make it through to Google using this number then there could be a problem either with the settings in your own PC (called DNS settings) or there could be a problem with your Service Provider's DNS servers; they could have stopped returning addresses because they have crashed or are down for maintenance. If you try "google.co.uk" in your address bar an hour or so later and it is still not being translated into a number and returning a page then it will be unlikely to be the fault of your Provider as they can usually fix this sort of problem very quickly. The problem is probably to do with your own PCs DNS settings.

The Dirty Dozen...
In all honesty, there are at least a dozen or so different reasons why your PC could suddenly loose its Internet connection and for obvious reasons, fixing the problem is something that is beyond the abilities of the average Internet user. If you need help in this respect and you are living in or near one of the locations shown on the top of the home page of this website, then either use the contact page to leave me your details or just use the telephone number on the same page to contact me.