How can I fix my home broadband connection?

Check your landline phone is working

Turn your router off and on again

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

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.

Make sure there are lights on your router 

If not, check the power cables are plugged into the router properly and that it's switched on at the mains.

Check that your cables aren't mixed up or loose.

Your router set-up should look like this:

Or, if you have a dual socket, it should look like this:

Check that all the cables are securely in place.

If that doesn't work then move on to the next step below.

Got a Fibre Max 1 or Fibre Max 2 plan with an Openreach modem?

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

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

The grey broadband cable should then be connected from your master socket to the DSL port on the Openreach modem.

To understand what the lights on your Openreach modem mean:

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 onto the next step for 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.

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

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

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

If your phone line connects to a single wall master socket (like the one shown below) when it enters your home follow the steps below to check your wiring.

Connect 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:

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

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

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.

> Find out more about paying your bill

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: