When “the internet is down”, the fault can be in many places: the device, the Wi-Fi, the router, the line, DNS or a single website. The fastest way to find it is to check in order, from the nearest to the furthest.
1. One device or all of them?
Try a second device on the same network. If it works there, the problem is on the first one: switch Wi-Fi off and on, forget and rejoin the network, and check whether a VPN or proxy is active.
2. Does the device have an address?
Look at the device’s IP address in its network settings (or ipconfig on Windows, ip addr on Linux).
- 192.168.x.x, 10.x.x.x or 172.16–31.x.x: the router handed out an address, so the local network works.
- 169.254.x.x: the device got no answer from the router’s DHCP server and gave itself a link-local address. Check the cable or Wi-Fi and restart the router. See the reserved IP ranges.
3. Is the router online?
The router’s lights (DSL/Fiber, Internet) show whether it is synchronised with the line, and its admin page (often 192.168.1.1) shows whether it received a WAN address from the provider. Switching it off for 30 seconds often clears temporary faults.
4. Connection works, names don’t?
If the ipaddress.gr homepage opens but other sites don’t, or ping 1.1.1.1 answers while ping example.com does not, the problem is DNS. Try another resolver (for example 1.1.1.1 or 9.9.9.9) in your network settings. The DNS lookup shows whether a domain resolves correctly from our server, and the propagation check whether public resolvers agree.
5. Only one website?
If everything works except one site, the fault may be on its side. Check its TLS certificate (expired?), its redirects (a loop?) and its HTTP headers (which status code?).
6. Slow or unstable?
The latency test measures round-trip time and jitter from your browser. Compare Wi-Fi with a cable: a large difference points to your home wireless network (distance, interference, channel).
7. Problems only with IPv6?
If some sites hang for a moment and then load, IPv6 may be half-configured. Run the IPv6 test and read how to troubleshoot IPv6.
When to call your provider
When the router does not synchronise with the line or gets no WAN address, or when the problem persists on every device after a restart. Note what you tried and what you saw; it saves time with technical support.