As the “computer” person in the family, I often get the phone call when the Netgear stops working and it is very easy to tell because the Internet no longer works or the wireless printer is no longer printing. I often get frantic phone calls from my parents saying, “The Internet’s down.”
Netgear does have a few problems many of which can be fixed very easily and in just a few minutes. We will go over a few of them right here so you can get your computer and your Internet running again.
How to Reset a Router
Sometimes cable modems need to be reset for lots of reason, which are more technical than you really want to know. It has to do with the way the information is routed from your house to the neighborhood to the main router across the city and through the state.
A hard reset will change this and make your connection a bit better. Think of it like one of those toys that keeps running into a wall. You pick it up, turn it over, and then it takes off.
- Turn off the computers
- Turn off the router
- Turn off the modem
- Wait 10 seconds
- Turn on the modem
- Wait for the lights to stop flashing
- Plug in the router
- Turn on the computers
Many times, just resetting the router will solve lots of Internet-not-working problems. It is hard to believe but yes the Internet will get “stuck” and a hard reset gets it back to working again.
Is the Wireless Turned On?
It may seem like a little thing but it happens. The wireless can accidentally get turned off fairly easily. Many laptops, desktops and printers have a little blue light to indicate the wireless is turned on. On my computer, the little blue light is on the bottom right hand side. On my parent’s, the light is on the top.
In any case, it is generally depicted as a small antenna with two little lines. It can be a key that you press to turn the wireless on and off or it can be a slider switch. On my laptop it is the F2 key. On my wireless printer, it is a slider key in the front. On my husband’s desktop, there is a slider key along the left hand side. Look for your wireless button or key to make sure it is turned on.
Time to Update Netgear Drivers
When a hard reset does not help, you know the wireless is on and the Netgear is still not working, then it is time to update the drivers. Drivers have to be updated every now and then to keep everything running smoothly. You have two choices when it comes to updating your drivers. You can either attempt to update them yourself by going through the Netgear website or you can use driver update software?
We do not recommend you trying to update the drivers yourself as this can be quite complicated. If you accidentally install the wrong driver, you could damage your computer. However, you can go to the Netgear site and get the driver you need.
It is much safer and easier to use driver update software. It will scan your computer and determine exactly which Netgear drivers you need. Then it will find and install the needed drivers for you. No hassles and no worry. You never have to worry about installing the wrong drivers again.
