What Do to If a Lighting Storm Kills Your Internet

Every once and awhile lighting storms tend to hit and when the electricity goes out many "bad" things can happen. Once the storm passes and your back in the 21st century a few things may still be off. The worst case scenario is that your electronics have been zapped by the lighting bug, and sadly there is little to be done to revive them. But there are a few ways to potentially save yourself a hassle by knowing what to do if your internet is not working when your electricity returns.

Don't panic as if you have a cable modem generally it is hard for the zap to pass through the modem and zap either your router or any other peripherals you may have attached. Before doing anything though, call your service provider as the issue may be with them. Many times your provided was hit by the lighting as well, and the issue could be with their equipment, not yours. If that IS the case, then sit back and wait as your life in the 21st century will take just a bit longer to return.

If it seems your provider was saved by the lighting, but you still have no internet, then the first thing to do is to unplug everything. First unplug both your cable modem and your router, if you have one. Sometimes the issue is with either of the two and they must be power cycled in order to be reset. Power up your modem first and when the little lights on the front stop blinking you know its safe to plug your router back in. Give it a few minutes to warm back up and hopefully you'll see life back in your good old browser. If not, restarting your computer could help.

In the case that you still have no internet then it's time to check which of the two pieces of equipment got fried. Unplug your PC or laptop from the router and plug it directly into your cable modem. If your internet returns, then your router has sadly bit the dust. You may have a warranty that could help replace it for free but if not you'll have to buy a new one if you wish to stay connected. If you still have no internet after connecting directly to the modem then hook your router back up and see what happens. Your connection may be listed as being local, and if so then you know the router isn't having any issues. It then comes down to your cable modem, which hopefully will be replaced by your service provider with little to no fee.

These are just some tips to getting yourself back up and running after a power storm. Now I realize that if you are having these issues then you probably can't read this. So why not print out a copy today and hang it on your fridge for that off chance you do black out. Good luck and I hope I could help!