Starter troubleshooting flow

No internet on all devices

Use this flow when every device on the network loses internet. The goal is to separate ISP or modem sync problems from router WAN problems before you erase evidence or factory-reset anything.

Category: Networking Playbook: PB-NET-001 Triage: safe to continue

Safety first: do not factory-reset the router until you have a config backup and ISP credentials if needed.

Symptom

What this flow is for

No device on the network can reach the internet. That still leaves modem sync, WAN IP, router state, and DNS separation unresolved.

Quick checks

First safe checks

Take a photo of modem and router LEDs before rebooting.
Check whether the modem appears online or synced.
Test one known-good wired device.
Reboot modem and router in order only after you record their state.

Evidence requests

Ask for the best first proof

LED photo

Capture modem and router status LEDs before any reboot.

Wired test

Check one known-good wired device so you are not guessing from Wi-Fi alone.

WAN state

Note whether the router receives a valid WAN IP after startup.

Likely causes

Most likely problem buckets

ISP or modem outage

The modem never syncs or loses the provider connection.

Router WAN failure

The router is up locally but does not receive or hold a WAN IP.

DNS separation issue

Local connectivity exists, but name resolution fails after the WAN path is up.

Next safe steps

Take one step at a time

ACT-NET-001

Record modem and router LED state before changing anything.

ACT-NET-002

Check whether the modem regains sync and whether the router receives a WAN IP.

ACT-NET-003

Test one known-good wired device so the troubleshooting path starts clean.

ACT-NET-004

Ping the gateway, then a public IP, then a hostname to separate local, WAN, and DNS failure.

Next question

Best follow-up ask

Before rebooting anything, what do the modem and router LEDs show, and does one wired device also have no internet?

Escalation

When to stop and hand off

Escalate when the modem never regains sync, the WAN IP stays absent, or the outage clearly sits with the provider.

Support links

Need another angle?

Switch paths when the problem gets narrower

If the outage becomes a Wi-Fi-only complaint or a one-device reachability problem, move into the closest symptom page instead of staying on the full-outage path.

Open Wi-Fi drops guide Open modem, router, and AP basics