How to troubleshoot your Home Wireless Access Point problems

Have you ever experienced problem with your Wireless at home ? Below, I provide you a simple troubleshooting steps on how to resolve the problem on your own.

Look at one of the icon below. 

A) No WiFi signal

 It means, no WiFi signal is detected.  You may try to move closer to your WiFi access point, or move the WiFi access point closer to you.

B) WiFi signal is detected, but not connected

See the yellow dot ? It means, your computer can detect WiFi signal, but unable to connect to WiFi access point.

How to resolve above situations ?

1) Try to reboot your WiFi access point.  You can login to your WiFi access point, and select restart / reboot (if you know the password/configure it yourself), or you can simply unplug the power and plug it back in.  PS : Remember to keep your WiFi access point in a well-ventilated area, provide a proper ventilation, or put a small fan towards the device.  You will shorten your WiFi access point device life if you keep it (say) in a drawer, cramped with other stuff, because it will cause your WiFi access point to get overheated.

2) Try to flush the DNS.  Sometimes, you will need to flush the DNS of your computer (because you may have used your computer in office, in school, at public place like Starbucks, etc).  One of the reasons to flush your DNS, so it can pick up the DNS from your Wireless Access Point / from your Internet Service Provider at home.  To do this, in your computer (I assume you use Windows-based machine), click on Start - Run - type cmd - then a command prompt will show up.  

Type ipconfig /flushdns

C:\Users\user>ipconfig /flushdns

Windows IP Configuration

Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.

C:\Users\user>

3) Check your Internet connection with other device.  If you have other device, such as Smartphone, iPad, etc - test your Internet connection using thise (remember to turn off the data connection from mobile device, so your device is solely connect using WiFi).  If your other device can connect to Internet solely using your WiFi, but not your computer - it means your computer network connectivity is the culprit.

4) Call your Internet Service Provider.  There are times, the problem is coming from them.  Call them if you have tried everything else and fails.