nbn® outage or internet not working? Start here

If your connection has dropped out completely, work through these steps in order

• Check for an outage
• Restart your equipment
• Check your hardware
• Contact your provider if the problem persists

If your connection is working but just feels slow, this is not the right page, see why is my nbn® slow instead. If the internet stopped working and you weren't expecting it, there could be a range of reasons. Connectivity issues can hinder your access to the internet so don't hesitate to contact your provider.

Check for a network outage

Before troubleshooting your own equipment, rule out a wider outage. Disconnect your phone from home Wi-Fi and use mobile data to check your provider's network status page. A status page will not update over a connection that is already down.

Outages lasting more than 30 seconds are tracked across major providers by the ACCC's Measuring Broadband Australia program. This program concluded in June 2026. 

Across its reporting period, the program consistently found that outages were relatively rare for most households. The large majority experiencing no more than one brief outage a day, and most of those lasting only a few minutes (ACCC 2026).

What you can do

If your provider confirms a wider outage, there is nothing to fix on your end, you will need to wait until it clears. If there is no reported outage, move on to the steps below.

Restart your equipment

Restarting is the single most effective fix for a dropped connection. Unplug your modem and restart your router, wait 60 seconds, then plug back in and allow up to a few minutes to reconnect.

What you can do

If restarting does not resolve it, reconnect your modem and check that every light on it is on and steady, not flashing or off. A flashing or missing light points to the next step.

Check your hardware and cabling

If the outage checks and restart have not fixed it, the problem could be something else. Often a loose cable, a faulty modem, or an issue between your device and the network are the cause.

• Check the power. Confirm the modem is firmly plugged in and the power light is on. Try a different power outlet if it is not.
• Check the cables. Confirm the cable from the wall socket and any Ethernet cables are firmly connected. A loose cable is a common and easy fix.
• Check for firmware updates. Log in to your modem's settings and install any available update, this can resolve connection bugs.
• Test with a direct connection. Plug a computer into your nbn® connection box with an Ethernet cable. If that connects but Wi-Fi still does not, the fault is in your router or Wi-Fi setup, not the network.

Rule out high latency

High latency shows up as lag or dropouts during video calls and online gaming rather than a connection that will not load at all. It is caused by distance from your provider's network and can be worse on satellite or older connection types.

What you can do

If pages load but calls and games lag or drop, this is a latency issue rather than a full outage. A wired Ethernet connection instead of Wi-Fi often reduces it.

When to contact your provider

If you have checked for an outage and completed everything on the list, it is time to contact your provider for a line test

If this keeps happening, compare nbn® plans and providers with Compare Broadband to see if a switch is worth considering.

Hayley Griffin Content Lead Hayley draws on over ten years of experience in technology, internet, and communications fields. Her experience spans across global clients, offering expertise on about the nbn, internet plans and hardware challenges facing Australian households, businesses and consumers. Read full bio

References

• ACCC 2026, Measuring Broadband Australia: final performance report, report 33, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, June, viewed 9 July 2026, (https://www.accc.gov.au/by-industry/telecommunications-and-internet/telecommunications-monitoring/measuring-broadband-australia-program/final-performance-report/report-33-june-2026)