BT broadband outage explained: what to do if your internet goes down
Wondering whether BT broadband is down or it’s just your connection? BT’s Service status page should be able to tell you within minutes. This troubleshooter scans your line and connection and lets you know right away if the issue is inside your home, or in your general area affecting multiple households.
If BT says there’s a problem in your area, you can rest assured the issue isn’t relating to a fault with your device or the broadband in your home specifically. It’s still worth reporting the fault though, and be sure to make a note of the date and time you do so. If you’re due any compensation, that’s the point it’s calculated from.
If BT’s check comes back with the all clear, it may be a problem with your equipment or Wi-Fi. Read on for expert advice on dealing with a BT broadband outage.
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What to do in a BT broadband outage
If you've experienced a sudden loss of broadband connection, you should try to understand what may be going on.
Contact BT for support
If your connection’s down and you see a known network issue on the BT Service status page, you can notify them that you're experiencing the same problem.
The BT Broadband troubleshooter tool is your first port of call and is linked to the Service status page. Simply log in to your BT account, and the tool will run a series of line tests, which should only take a few minutes. This will either confirm there’s a known fault and suggest next steps, let you report the fault if it’s unknown, or book you a slot with an engineer.
You can also contact BT at 150 from a BT mobile or on 0330 1234 150 to report a broadband outage or ask what may be causing your internet problems.
It’s worth downloading the My BT app to your phone too. This tells you if there are issues and can also run connection tests, even if you aren’t at home.
If none of that works, text HELP, followed by your landline number, to 61998, reach out on Facebook or message an expert on the BT website (Monday to Friday, 8 am to 9 pm, and 8 am to 8 pm on weekends).
To learn more about how broadband outages happen, plus which areas of the UK get the worst internet outages, you can read our dedicated guide.
How to check if you have a home internet issue
If your broadband has stopped working but there are no reported BT outages, it may be worth checking your home internet connection.
Here are a few simple checks to see if you can fix your connection issue yourself.
1. Check your BT Hub is working
You may experience the odd connection issue because your router needs resetting, or it's not connected properly to your outside broadband line.
Here's how to check whether your Wi-Fi router is working properly.
Check the lights on your Hub
If you want to check whether or not your broadband is working properly, take a quick look at the lights on your BT Hub.
If there are no lights on, the Hub might not be connected to the mains or the lights may have been turned off in the Hub Manager settings. Double-check it’s plugged in at the mains, then check your Hub Manager settings.
- A steady blue light means the Hub is connected to broadband.
- A flashing orange light means the Hub is trying to connect. Give it a few minutes to turn blue before trying anything else.
- A steady orange light means the Hub’s fine but it can’t connect to the internet. Try restarting it and if that doesn’t work check BT’s service status page.
- A red light means there’s a problem somewhere. Try turning the power button off and on again first. If the light still won’t turn blue, use a paperclip to press the factory reset button. If you’ve done this but broadband still doesn’t work, you may need to contact BT.
BT provides several Hubs, so if your lights seem different it’s worth having a quick look at BT’s Hub lights page to match up the advice with your exact Hub model.
Restart your Hub
Broadband connection problems can usually be resolved by simply turning your BT Hub off and on again.
Press the power button until all the lights go off, wait for five minutes and then press it again until all the lights come back on. It may take a few minutes for the lights to settle, but a stable green light means the connection is restored.
2. Check your landline is working
With many broadband providers, you need a working phone line to get broadband. If you’re having issues with your internet, there could be a problem with your landline.
Check if you can make a phone call and listen out for any noise on the line. If the landline is down, you can use the BT landline troubleshooter to identify the problem.
However, not all BT broadband packages require a landline, so make sure you know whether your two are linked.
Can I get compensation from BT for broadband outages?
Yes, if you’ve experienced BT broadband issues, you may be able to get compensation.
Late broadband activation
If BT doesn‘t activate your broadband on the day they promise, you’ll automatically receive £6.46 compensation, paid for each calendar day your service is delayed.
Late repair of broadband
You get £10.34 automatic compensation if there’s a total loss of service (no internet access at all) and it’s not fixed within two working days. This is paid for each calendar day that the service isn’t repaired.
Missed appointments
If a BT engineer misses a scheduled appointment or cancels with less than 24 hours' notice, you can get £32.31 in compensation.
Note the compensation figures quoted above are correct at the time of writing.
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