Why your parent's WiFi keeps 'breaking' (and how to fix it for good)

Your parent's WiFi is not broken. It is one of five very fixable things. Here is the diagnostic to run once, so the calls stop.

The five real causes

1. The router needs a power cycle. 60% of the calls.
2. The device fell off the network. 20% of the calls.
3. The wrong device is connected to a guest or neighbor's network. 8%.
4. The internet is actually out at the ISP level. 7%.
5. The router is too old and needs to be replaced. 5%.

The fix order goes in that priority.

Fix 1: The router power cycle

This is the answer to most "the WiFi is broken" calls. The router is a small computer. Like all computers, it gets weird. The fix is the same as for any other computer.

1. Find the router. It is a black or white box with antennas, usually somewhere your parent has hidden it behind books.
2. Unplug the power cable from the back of the router.
3. Wait 30 seconds. Actually 30. Not 5.
4. Plug it back in.
5. Wait 2 minutes for the lights to settle.
6. Try the WiFi.

Works on 60% of calls. If they have a separate modem (a smaller box with one cable going in), unplug that too and bring it back online first, then the router.

Fix 2: The device fell off the network

Sometimes the router is fine but one specific device (her iPhone, his Mac) has lost the connection. Check by trying the WiFi on a different device. If the other device works, the problem is the original device.

Fix on iPhone:

1. Settings > WiFi.
2. Tap the (i) next to the network name.
3. "Forget This Network."
4. Go back to WiFi list.
5. Re-pick the network. Re-type the password.

Fix on Windows or Mac is the same shape: forget the network, re-add it.

Fix 3: The wrong network

This is sneaky. Routers often broadcast multiple networks. A 2.4 GHz one and a 5 GHz one. Sometimes a guest one. Your parent might have accidentally picked the guest network, or the neighbor's open WiFi.

On their phone, Settings > WiFi. Read the name of the network they are connected to. Does it look right? If not, switch.

Fix 4: The internet is actually out

If you power cycle the router and lights are still red or yellow, the issue is upstream. Their internet provider (Comcast, Spectrum, AT&T, etc.) is having problems or their service got disconnected.

Check the provider's outage map. Spectrum's is at spectrum.com/account. Comcast's is at xfinity.com/support/status. AT&T's is in the AT&T app.

If there is an outage, just wait. There is nothing to fix. Call the provider only if it is still out in 2 hours.

Fix 5: The router is too old

Routers older than 6 years start to fail. If you are power-cycling weekly, it is time to replace. A new mesh router (Eero, Google Nest WiFi, TP-Link Deco) will last 5+ years and cover the whole house. Budget $150 to $300.

Set it up while you are visiting. Take a photo of the WiFi name and password and stick it to the fridge.

Make the next call easier

Two things help dramatically:

Label the router

Use a permanent marker. Write "WIFI BOX" on the front. When you tell your parent over the phone "unplug the router," they will know which box you mean.

Print the WiFi info

Tape a card to the underside of the router with:

• WiFi network name
• WiFi password
• "If WiFi is not working: unplug this for 30 seconds, plug back in, wait 2 minutes."

This single piece of paper handles half of all future calls.

The version that absorbs the call entirely

If you do not want to be the one walking your mom through "unplug the router, count to 30," let Kinline do it. She calls the number, says "the WiFi is broken," Kinline walks her through the power cycle, the device reconnection, and the upstream check in order. You get a text saying it is fixed.

For other recurring calls, see our complete WiFi-broken playbook and how to set up a printer remotely.