TROUBLESHOOTING 101:

NO INTERNET

[There are too many variables which can cause something like this to happen so I will only address the most frequent causes]

So, it's Sunday morning as you stumble toward your PC to check email and news. Your fingers know the routine but by the time you can actually read the screen you find a blank Internet page telling you ERROR 404 - PAGE NOT FOUND. Some 20-30 refreshes later (not to mention trying most of your favorites), you are defeated, angry, and loathe those evil words "ERROR 404 - PAGE NOT FOUND". Worst of all (I mentioned it earlier) - it's a Sunday. One whole lousey stinking day without Internet. A few hours later when your wife wakes up and begins looking for you, she finds your body curled up in a fetal position in a corner next to your computer desk......

Start with the obvious - call your internet provider (Comcast, Windstream, etc.), usually they have an automated message when calls come in from an area that has problems they are aware of and are currently working on it.

Next - Look at the lights on your wireless router, as well as your modem. It they look good, GREAT. But if your modem lacks a solid DSL light, or if your Cable modem  lacks a solid Cable light, make sure the correct cables (phone line for DSL, coax cable for Cable) are connected at both ends (modems and at wall). If it all looks good, call your internet provider again, choosing the line for technical support.

"At this point all it takes is gravity to pull it out completely"

But what if the lights are all normal? Look at the back of your desktop PC, where everything connects, and see if there is a light lit by the jack where the network cable plugs into. What? there IS NO CABLE PLUGGED IN? Let's get that sucker plugged in then. It's a common problem with the CAT5 cable, where the clip, that holds the cable in the jack - breaks. At this point all it takes is gravity to pull it out completely, or just enough to where all the pins are making a good connection.

Your wife hoses all the sweat off you (again) as you begin to turn into the HULK. It's time to take a break. When I taught computer trouble-shooting back in the day, that would be my advice: If this were a professional job, make an excuse to leave the room, but if you are home, go out and get the paper, wave a "HOWDY" to the guy across the street. Go back inside and get a cup of coffee or a soda, and sit down with a blank piece of paper - pen in-hand. Take your time, keep your cool, and just crudely make a diagram of your network [ed.- like my crude example below].

As you can see, I doodled two possible configurations. Now if you had the first configuration (wall-to-modem-to-wirelessrouter-to-pc) how could you figure out where the problem might be? Going back to the classes I taught, I would try to get them to cut the problem in half to make things easier. EXAMPLE: You're not sure if it's the modem, router, or even your PC at this time correct? well, take the router of of the equation and connect the pc directly to the modem. If it works, you have cat5 cable or router issues. If it doesn't, shutdown computer, unplug power from modem, and disconnect the cable from the wall. Wait a couple minutes then screw the cable back onto the modem, plug the power cord into it, and boot up your PC. If it still doesn't work, just look at your diagram - it's fairly simple: computer cable problem, modem or Internet service issue, network card in your PC, or yes, it could even be a virus. Most homes have at least two computers and possibly several laptops. Substitute your laptop for your pc. If you get the same results, it's unlikely it is the network card or virus in the computer. Take another break.....

I've given you enough to think about for one day, and down-the-road I'll continue with PART II. As my instructor taught me, and I then taught other classes, I would tell them to keep one word in your memory - KISS (keep it simple stupid). I keep that in mind on every call I go to.