Comcast Outage? What to Do If Your Business Internet Goes Down

So much of our modern office work is conducted online these days that each and every minute of an Internet outage at your business can be extremely painful. Due to our reliance on cloud applications and Voice over IP phone systems, losing Internet connectivity can lead to a major loss of productivity and revenue.

Here’s what to do if your business Internet goes down and leaves your company stranded:

1. Troubleshoot.

When your web browser displays the dreaded “there is no Internet connection” page, try troubleshooting your network connection first and foremost. Sometimes all you need is a quick router reboot to get your Internet up and running again. Check the connectivity of your network cable or router, then try restarting the modem or router. However, if that doesn’t work, it’s time to find out if your service provider is indeed experiencing an outage.

2. Hop on your mobile phone or create a mobile hotspot for your computer.

The following steps will require Internet access, so grab your phone or other device that has 4G wireless connectivity.

3. Check for reported outages in your area.

Learn the lay of the land by finding out if there’s a widespread outage or if your outage is localized. A widespread outage may indicate a more complex issue (like a major fiber cut) and a potentially longer outage time, while an outage limited to your block, building or suite may be a quicker fix.

If you have Comcast business Internet, you can do this by:

• Checking your service health online in your Comcast Business My Account, where you can also live chat with a customer support representative.
• Calling Comcast Business Support at 1-800-391-3000
• Browsing Comcast’s Twitter account at @comcastbusiness to check for a Comcast outage notification (also, browsing for the #comcastoutage hashtag can help you see if others in your area are experiencing problems)
• Visiting downdetector.com to view reported outage maps

4. Report your outage and request ongoing updates until resolution.

Even if a widespread outage has been reported and your service provider has stated they are working on a resolution, it’s still important to report your outage so they have a formal trouble ticket on file.

5. Follow up on account credits.

If you have a contract with your service provider that offers credits for downtime, be sure to monitor your invoices to ensure you receive any credits that may be owed.e.

6. Make a plan for next time.

Once you’re back online and business is running again, it’s time to plan ahead for the “next time.” Create a business continuity plan that details what processes your IT team and your employees will follow if your Internet goes down. How will you handle client communications during this time? How will you communicate with employees? How long will you require employees to stay at the office during an outage before sending them home? How will you access critical data? What backups or failovers can you establish to reduce the impact of outages? In addition to planning for Internet outages, your business connectivity plan should also account for power outages, natural disasters, and cyberattacks.

7. Look into backup provider options.

If your business depends on the Internet to get work done, then depending on a single primary Internet connection may be short-sighted. There’s a wide range of unpredictable, force majeure events – like construction fiber cuts, winter storms, floods, and labor strikes – that can take out a connection. Adding a secondary, redundant Internet connection with automatic failover will greatly improve the reliability of your Internet. It’s important for a backup connection to be diverse from your primary connection, either by using a different provider, or by using a provider like Allied who can offer diverse pathways. Additionally, finding a provider with a Service Level Agreement that guarantees uptime is a smart move for a business that can’t afford to be offline.

 

Looking for another option for business Internet? Allied has primary and backup Internet solutions that can keep your business always on. Learn more here!