High-Speed Internet (DSL) Troubleshooting Tips

We are always happy to serve our customers. You are welcome to call our 24-hour Internet support line toll-free (888) 276-8059. There are six steps to try prior to calling for help. Following is a six-point checklist created to give you an opportunity to troubleshoot your connection problem.

1. A good place to start is to take note of which modem lights are active when the modem is in normal operation. Those lights usually consist of a solid Power Light, a solid DSL Light, a flickering Ethernet light, and a flickering Internet Light. Sometimes in place of a flickering Ethernet light you might have a flickering USB Light.
   
   
   1. If your DSL connection stops working, you can compare the normal lights you noted earlier with what the modem lights are in the failed state.
      
      
   2. If you are using more than one computer and have a second device such as a router, take note of those lights on normal operation as well so you can compare them when you can't surf.
      
      
2. Non-ADSL devices such as fax machines, answering machines, phones alarm systems or satellite TV controllers that share the same phone number as your DSL account require a filter. These filters must be installed at the wall with the phone line running from the filter to the phone device. Ensure NO filter or a special DSL splitter filter, is installed at the wall for the phone line going to the DSL modem.
   
   
3. If the DSL light is flashing:
   
   
   1. Check the phone line going to the modem to make sure it hasn’t been chewed by a pet and that it is secure in the jack. Unplug and then replug the line to ensure a good connection. Do this on both ends, the one going to the modem and the one to the wall jack. Wait for a minute to see if the DSL light goes solid. It will take a while as it negotiates a connection.
      
      
   2. If the DSL light continues to flash, unplug all telephones, fax machines, and satellite TV controllers including their filters leaving only the modem connected. If the light goes solid, you can start to reconnect each device one at a time waiting a minute or two between each device to see if the DSL light starts flashing again. If the light does start to flash, disconnect the last device you connected and wait for the DSL light to go solid again. Continue to plug in the remaining devices, leaving the one that caused the DSL light to flash disconnected.
      
      
4. Cycle power:
   
   1. Turn off the power to the modem (on/off switch or just remove the power cord).
   2. Turn off the computer.
   3. Wait about 15 seconds and then turn on the modem.
   4. Wait for the modem lights to go through their start up cycle and return to their normal operating state. The Ethernet or USB light will be off while the computer is off.
   5. Turn on the computer. Either the Ethernet or USB light will then turn on.
   6. Try to browse the Internet.
      
      
5. If the modem DSL light is normal and you are unable to get on the Internet, you may have an Ethernet issue. Check the Modem for a lit Ethernet light. This light usually flickers.
   
   
   1. If the light doesn’t light at all, check the Ethernet cable for proper connection similar to how you checked the phone lines. Disconnect and reconnect the connector from the Modem to see if the Ethernet light lights back up. Do the same on the back of the PC then check the modem Ethernet light to see if it is lit.
      
      
   2. If the light stays out, you may need to replace the cable.
      
      
   3. If the light is on and you can’t browse, your Ethernet port might have been shut off or become disabled. What you need to do is get to your control panel, and locate your network connections panel. In here, you can check to verify your Local Area Connection is enabled. You should not see a red "X" in the description of the connection unless you know you put it there by disabling that particular connection. You can right click on the Local Area Connection and see if it can be enabled. If you have the option to enable the connection, go ahead and enable it. The description might also say that there is a network cable unplugged. This means that the cable we reset in step “a” might be bad or is still not properly connected or that the actual port on the computer is not recognizing the cable. At this point, you will want to take your computer to a professional to have the Ethernet port further diagnosed.
      
      
6. There are times when antivirus / firewall programs will block access to the Internet as a sort of security measure by the manufacturer when your subscription expires or they distribute a bad antivirus definition update. This can be checked by temporarily disabling the antivirus program or firewall and check if you can browse. Since there are a large variety of antivirus providers with just as many ways to temporarily disable their product, we really can’t go into that here except to advise you to contact the vendor for help.
   
   
7. Finally, if you have tried all these steps and you are still unable to connect, please feel free to call support at 1-888-276-8059.