Why Your Internet Keeps Dropping (and How to Fix It)
An internet connection that drops every few minutes usually points to one of a handful of fixable causes. Work through these in order.
1. Overheating or aging router
Routers that run hot or are more than ~5 years old drop connections under load. Make sure it's ventilated; consider replacing very old hardware.
2. WiFi interference
Microwaves, baby monitors and neighbours' networks crowd the 2.4GHz band. Switch nearby devices to 5GHz and change your channel to 1, 6 or 11.
3. Loose or damaged cables
Check the coax/fibre/DSL line into your modem and the Ethernet cables. A loose connector causes intermittent drops that look like ISP problems.
4. Packet loss on the line
Run our test and check packet loss. Consistent loss above 1–2% points to a line or ISP issue worth reporting — show them your results.
5. Overloaded connection
Too many devices or heavy bufferbloat can cause apps to time out and feel like drops. Enable QoS and test again.
When to call your ISP
If you see steady packet loss or drops across multiple wired devices, it's likely outside your home — contact your provider with your test results in hand.
Free, instant, no app — see your download, upload, ping & bufferbloat.
Run the speed test →