FRITZ!Box has no internet: what you can check yourself

What the message looks like

Das WLAN ist da, aber Webseiten laden nicht. An der Box leuchtet die Internet-Anzeige nicht oder blinkt.

Common causes

• The line (DSL, fibre, cable) has a fault or is under maintenance.
• The box froze or did not start cleanly after a power cut.
• A cable between the box and the wall socket or fibre modem is loose or faulty.
• Only name resolution (DNS) is broken while the line itself is up.
• Only one device has a problem, for example because of wrong network settings.

Check

1. Is the box reachable on the home network?
   ping 192.168.178.1Copy
2. Is there internet without name resolution?
   ping -c 4 8.8.8.8Copy
3. Does name resolution work?
   nslookup example.comCopy
4. Where does the path break off?
   tracert example.comCopy

Fix

• Look at the box lights: a steady internet or DSL light is normal; blinking or dark points to a line problem.
• Check whether several devices are affected. If only one, the problem is that device and not the box.
• Restart the box: pull the power plug, wait about half a minute, plug it in and be patient for a few minutes.
• Check that the cables to the wall socket or fibre modem sit firmly.
• If ping 8.8.8.8 answers but nslookup example.com does not, it is a DNS problem; try another DNS server in the network settings.
• If the line light stays dark or keeps blinking, call your provider and tell them what you already checked.

FAQ

When should I call the provider?

When, after a restart and cable check, the internet or line light still does not stay on, or several devices have no internet.

Does a factory reset help?

Rarely. A restart is usually enough. A reset erases all settings and should be the last step.