Troubleshooting: Can not Browse/Surf the Internet

This issue can be caused by several different things. The first step is to do some basic troubleshooting. If you do not have a cable modem and instead have a "Fiber to Home" connection, read our article on Fiber to Home Troubleshooting. Click on one of the topics below for more information on troubleshooting high speed connections using cable modems.

Issues:
Is the Cable Modem Online
Error: Limited or No Connectivity
How To Check The Configuration Settings
Error: The Page Cannot Be Displayed

How To Tell If Connected

There is a simple way to determine if an Internet Connection exists:

• For Windows users, a small 'networking' icon appears on the right-hand corner of the task bar (by the time). It looks like two small computers (or two lights) that flash blue when the modem is sending or receiving data.
• To disable the connection to the modem, click on the networking icon. This will display a 'status' window. Click on the 'Disconnect or Disable' button within the status window and the connection will disconnect the user from the Internet. Click 'Enable' to try to reconnect.
• The user can also use the networking icon as an indicator of whether his or her modem is active (i.e. if a web page is still downloading or has stalled) - if the icon is flashing, then the modem is active and sending or receiving data.
• In the status box, it also gives useful statistics, including how much data the user has sent and received during the current Internet session.