How to Check Internet Outage?

The Internet has been quite essential for humanity so much that we cannot even afford to disconnect it for mere seconds. That is because in today’s world there are very sensitive tasks that are being conducted on the internet for which it is required to have seamless connectivity without any sort of interruptions.

While businesses are running on the internet, corporate sectors are dependent on the internet as well as the complete education system today is working over the internet. That is why a disconnection can prove to be fatal because it can disrupt all the workings in an organization or can cause the loss of a business such as e-commerce, not only that but students’ education can also suffer in a major way due to internet disconnections. 

Definition of Internet Outages and their Causes

These disconnections can cause billions of dollars in losses, and that’s just a conservative estimate. Just like any other technology internet is also a technological medium that apart from its countless benefits suffers from a lot of problems and technical issues. And since this is a transmission-based technology any type of problem at any step of transmission can cause the whole system to fail. These failures are called internet outages. 

These outages are quite common and may be caused due to various reasons that can range from technical errors to human negligence. Plus it is also necessary to get information regarding what the exact problem is and how long is going to take to fix the outage so customers can arrange for alternatives for that time period.

Internet Outage and Customer Service

That is why it is recommended that always get in touch with the customer service of your ISP whenever you face a problem with the internet. Because customer service is a department that has firsthand info regarding the issue and can better assist customers in terms of the affected area, the magnitude of the problem, and the estimated time it’s going to take to solve the outage. For example, Cox customer service caters to 3.5 million internet customers and is always open 24/7 to assist their customers regarding any sort of problem with the internet including any outage information.

There are different types of internet outages, how they affect a regular user and how to identify them is our basic topic of discussion today.

Types of Internet Outages

There are different kind of internet outages that depends on the area they cover and the point of origination. Some outages are caused on the user’s end, they are easier to detect and fix. Usually, these types of outages are caused due to damaged equipment or wiring on the user’s end and are fixed quickly. However the other type of outages are originated from the service provider’s end, these types of outages can be due to various reasons including maintenance schedules, problems in the server, or faults in the transmission cable.

Plus, there are both planned and unplanned outages as well included in this category. Where planned outages are conducted for system maintenance and are usually done at time intervals where there is a minimum load on the system so users don’t get disturbed. Plus users are also conveyed about the said outage way prior so that they can set up alternate internet sources or finish up their work by then.

However, the most problematic types of outages are the unplanned ones that are often caused by technical errors either in the system or transmission cable. These types of outages affect a large area and take a significant amount of time to be detected and fixed. These types of outages are the ones that can disrupt the work routine and entertainment schedule of any regular user because an outage can last from somewhere around a few minutes to days as well.

Plus, with these large-scale outages, the internet isn’t stopped completely rather the speed is slowed significantly. An example of these types of outages can be the damage done to the undersea submarine cable by marine life like sharks. Or the coax cable powering a certain area with the internet is damaged during construction or excavation. Since there are no planned updates or information about these outages, users have to work out ways themselves to learn about such outages. 

Ways to Identify Internet Outage

Internet outages can be a real headache especially when you don’t know if the problem is with your connection or overall. Plus sometimes it’s better to check whether there is an outage in the first or you just forgot to plug the wire in the modem. In order to get rid of all such presumptions, we have listed some steps below that can help you identify if you are facing internet outages. 

Contacting Customer Service

This is the most logical way to find out any type of outages. Usually, some outages last for mere minutes so it’s better to wait a few minutes before making the call. However, if the disconnection persists then call your ISP’s customer service and let them know about the problems you are facing with your internet. Ask them if there is any kind of outage in the area because customer service is in touch with the technical department on the ground as well and can better guide you about the gravity of the situation.

Even if there isn’t any outage you can let the customer service know regarding the problem with the connection so they can provide you with the necessary technical assistance to fix the connection problem on your end.

Inquiring the Neighbors

Before reaching out to anybody else it’s better to investigate the situation in the vicinity. Ask your neighbors or friends in the area that use the same connection whether they are having any problems as well with the connection. This will help you figure out the affected radius and whether there is an actual outage or if the problem is only with your connection.

With this information in hand, you can contact the customer service team and request technical assistance in case of a problem with your connection or can inform them about the outage and ask for further assistance regarding that.

Using Online Platforms

This might sound weird, how can an outage be checked over the internet when there is no internet in the first place? This option is for people who are new in the area and don’t have friends or are introverts and they don’t want to talk to their neighbors regarding it. Plus, this option would only work for people who have an alternate medium of the internet like mobile data.

There are many online platforms like downdetector.com that collect real-time reports of users reporting outages and display any kind of outages in an area or outages by providers. This is a technological way of asking your neighbors regarding outages and can help users figure out whether an outage is there or if only their internet isn’t working.

Conclusions

The internet is an important technology and we heavily rely on it today that is why internet outages can cause a huge problem in our day-to-day tasks. But unfortunately just like any other technology internet also suffers from these technical problems. However, that doesn’t mean that a user can’t detect or prepare themselves for these outages. That is why we have written this piece with tips on how users can detect outages and can swiftly take countermeasures in case of an outage.