Learn how to reset internet gear before problem hits

I was recently speaking to a friend who said that her home internet goes down at least once per day. She wanted to know whether anything could be done to prevent it. She said she usually just tries again later.

The fact that the internet comes back tells me the problem is probably not with her devices.

If you experience problems, you’ll need to get familiar with your internet gear and figure out how to reset it.

If your modem and router are combined, resetting them involves only one step. My Wi-Fi router is separate from my modem, so my first troubleshooting step is to figure out whether the internet is down at the modem or the Wi-Fi system is the issue.

My smart TV is connected directly to my internet modem with an Ethernet cable, so I check the TV to see whether Netflix works. If it does, then the issue is with my Wi-Fi.

Once you figure out which piece is responsible for the outage, you need to reset it.

You need to know where your broadband modem is located. Look at it and you’ll see at least two wires going to it: one for power and one that goes into the wall and out of the house and to the utility pole outside.

The power cord is the thinnest wire. All you need to do is unplug it, wait about 10 seconds, and plug it back in.

The modem will light up and in about 60 to 120 seconds, you should be back in business.

If your Wi-Fi router is built into the modem, you’ve done all you need to do.

If you have a separate Wi-Fi router, you might as well reset it when you reset the broadband modem. The same instructions apply: Find the power cable and unplug it for 10 seconds and plug it back in.