How can I fix my home broadband connection?

In this article

If you’re having problems viewing web pages or there's an issue connecting to your router, take a look at our easy-to-follow video to fix your broadband connection.

Quick things to check

Quick things to check

Check your landline phone is working

  1. 1

    plug it into the same socket your router is connected to
  2. 2

    check there’s a dial tone and try to make a call
  3. 3

    if it’s not working, see how to fix home phone faults

Turn your router off and on again

It may sound simple but it really does solve most problems.

  1. 1

    hit the on/off switch on the back of the router
  2. 2

    shut down your computer or device
  3. 3

    wait 30 seconds and turn everything back on again – be patient, it can take 3-4 minutes before everything comes back online again

Bright Box router: if the router’s internet light still flashes yellow or aqua after a few minutes, move on to the step below.

Smart Hub: if the Hub light is red or steady/flashing yellow after four minutes, move on to the step below.

Is your broadband service active?

Is your broadband service active?

Check your service is active

If you’ve just joined EE or moved home, your broadband account might not be live yet.

Your service will start working after your activation date – please allow up to 24 hours before contacting us.

> Find out more about tracking your order

Is my broadband router set up correctly?

Is my broadband router set up correctly?

Got a Smart Hub?

Check your Smart Hub is set up correctly with our Smart Hub set-up guide or download our Virtual Support app to set up your Smart Hub

Check that your cables aren't mixed up and that all the cables are securely in place.

Is my Openreach modem set up correctly?

Is my Openreach modem set up correctly?

If you've got a Fibre Max 1 or Fibre Max 2 plan with an Openreach modem:

  1. ensure that your Openreach modem is connected to your Smart Hub router using the Ethernet cable provided (e.g. red connectors)

  2. this cable needs to be inserted into the "LAN" port on the Openreach modem and the red "WAN" port on the Smart Hub

  3. the grey broadband cable should then be connected from your master socket to the DSL port on the Openreach modem
If you've lost power and need to restore your connection:
  1. 1

    power up your Openreach modem
  2. 2

    wait until all of the lights on the modem are steady
  3. 3

    power up your Smart Hub

To understand what the lights on your Openreach modem mean:

Indicator Status Indicates . . .
Power Steady on The modem is powered on and has finished booting
Off The modem is powered off
DSL Steady on The modem is activated on the broadband connection
Blinking  
Off No connection is set up on the port
Internet Steady on The connection is set up
Off Broadband is activated and the connection is in the process of being set up or has not been set up
LAN Steady on The modem is connected to the Smart Hub properly
Blinking Data is being transmitted between the modem and the Smart Hub (blinks twice per second)
Off No connection is set up on the port

Are the lights on my router working?

Are the lights on my router working?

Make sure there are lights on your router 

Is the power light off?

Make sure the power cables are plugged into the router properly, that it's plugged into a power socket and switched on at the mains.

If you've got a Smart Hub you can check to see if any of your lights are indicating a fault with our Smart Hub lights guide.

If the lights are green on your router, or if you have a Smart Hub and the lights are steady aqua, then you can move on to checking your connection.

If this isn’t the case, check all your cables are set up correctly and then find out what your lights mean for the Bright Box or Smart Hub, depending on the router you have.

Is there a problem with my WiFi?

Is there a problem with my WiFi?

To check if there’s a problem with your WiFi, connect your device directly to the router:

  1. 1

    plug one end of the black Ethernet cable into any of the yellow Ethernet sockets on the back of your router
  2. 2

    plug the other end into the Ethernet socket on your device
  3. 3

    if you can access the internet when you plug your device directly into the router, there’s probably a problem with your WiFi

     

    > See how you can improve your WiFi speed and signal

     

If you still can’t access the internet then carry on to the next step.

Is there a problem with my wiring?

Is there a problem with my wiring?

Sometimes the wiring between phone and broadband sockets can cause problems.

If your phone line connects to a single wall master socket when it enters your home, try connecting your router to the master socket using a microfilter.

If this improves your connection but means your router is no longer near the centre of your home, you can buy a WiFi extender to boost your signal.

If you’re still having issues, try connecting directly to the BT test socket:
  1. 1

    unplug your router from the power supply
  2. 2

    make sure nothing’s connected to the phone socket
  3. 3

    unscrew the two screws on the bottom half of the socket
  4. 4

    remove the face from the bottom half of the socket – be careful not to move any wires
  5. 5

    the BT test socket is behind the faceplate – plug the broadband filter into the test socket

If you've got a Bright Box router, make sure your router is plugged into the broadband filter.

How do I restart my router?

How do I restart my router?

Disconnect your router from the main electricity supply for a few moments and switch it back on. Once back on, your router lights should start flashing again.

If the connection works after you've restart your router there could be a problem with the way your house is wired rather than with the broadband line or master socket. We would recommend you talk to a qualified engineer to fix the problem.

> Get in touch with us if your broadband is still not working

How do I know if my account has been cut off?

How do I know if my account has been cut off?

If you haven’t paid your bill, we might’ve put a pause on your account. This means you won’t be able to go online. You should have an email from us to explain this.

Check your account

You can log in to My EE to check if you have an outstanding balance on your account and to make a payment.

> Find out more about paying your bill

What do I do if I see the 'nearly there' page?

What do I do if I see the 'nearly there' page?

If you’re going online for the first time since connecting your router, or you’ve restored your router to its factory settings, you might see a page that says "nearly there". Don’t worry, it just means we’re working to get your broadband up and running.

If you still see this page on certain sites once your router is set up, you can:

  1.  

    restart your device
  2.  

    restart your router
  3.  

    clear your browser’s cache
  4.  

    reset your browser as a last resort
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