There are a number of widely known techniques that make computing much easier. Sadly, some of these are not taught to novice users. For example: losing connection to a wireless router is a basic problem with a simple fix many users do not know about that will eliminate a vast majority of the problems that cause this symptom.
When you drop your connection to your wireless router, power cycling the modem and router will likely resolve the issue completely. A number of users do not know how to perform this simple task. It s a sad fact that just about any router and modem on the market will need an occasional power cycle. They run constantly and will at times run into conflicts that can be resolved with a simple restart.
If you try to resolve the problem by calling for support, you ll probably experience the following: aAfter wasting an hour on hold with the internet service provider, you will be lead through a series of unnecessary steps to rule out serious but not terribly common problems. Since so many of these issues can be quickly resolved by power cycling, it makes sense to learn this technique before calling up tech support.
To power cycle your modem and router, all you need to do it unplug both devices. That s it. If your modem has a battery, reset it after you ve unplugged the wireless router. While each device is somewhat different, you should wait an average of two minutes before plugging back in both devices. If either unit feels unusually hot, you might want to wait until they cool down a bit before powering up.
Once enough time has passed, plug in your modem. Allow your modem to completely boot and conenct back up to the internet. After it is back online, plug in your wireless router. Once your router is also functional, attempt to connect your computers to the network.
It can sometimes be helpful to reboot your computers before connecting them to the router. This will allow them to connect using a fresh IP address. IP address conflicts are an all too frequent cause for network connectivity issues.
It is regretable that modems and routers aren t made with a technical mechanism that can solve this issue for inexperienced users. Since it is such a common and needed practice, it really should be clearly indicated to every user as an aspect of proper network maintenance. If internet service providers offered instructions on power cycling to each new customer, it would probably save a bundle on phone support costs. Countless hours of technical support service are wasted on a procedure that will be necessary for nearly every user. In fact, this is something that most people will have to do quite frequently.
As this issue requires changes in the states of both the modem and router, it is difficult to create the type of uniform process that would be needed for a purely technical solution. However, it is not a huge undertaking to enable even the casual user to solve this problem without further complications. Education is the only realistic answer. While it certianly isn t the biggest challenge facing humanity, there is a value in solving this communication issue. Routers and modems need frequent power cycling, and most people do not know how to do it.
Author Resource:
Gregg Housh holds the position of Technician Manager at Geek Choice. At Geek Choice we solve computer problems such as: Slow computer, Virus Removal, Spyware Removal, Computer startup problems, and much more.
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