Internet Goes Out Same Time Every Day (15 Causes, Fixes)

Same-time internet failure has become a common issue among internet users.

Some people report their internet cuts out in the evening, and others say it does so in the morning.

Some experience the issue several times a day, and others just at a certain time every day.

The duration may also vary from person to person.

In some cases, it reconnects a few minutes later, and other times, the outage lasts for several hours.

Whatever the case, the situation tends to repeat itself just like clockwork, and it’s getting really annoying.

Be it your fault, the ISP’s fault, or a malfunction with one of your devices, we’re here to help you out.

Here are 15 top reasons your internet might be going out at the same time every day and how you can fix it.

Every device, including your PC, tablet, and smartphone, needs a distinctive IP address to communicate with a network.

That being so, the DHCP server allocates a temporary IP address to each system, which will expire after a while.

The amount of time a DHCP reserves for each IP address—the so-called lease time—is set at 24 hours by default.

If you’re not around for more than a full day, the router eliminates your IP to make room for newer clients.

For that very reason, you have to request a new IP to rejoin the network, making you feel the internet drops every day around the time you arrive home.

You can resolve the issue by simply extending the lease time to a few days.

If your internet drops every night around 7 or 8 pm, you’re likely a victim of internet traffic overload.

This can especially occur if you use cable internet as, in that case, you share your bandwidth with other households around you.

That’s because most people finish their daily tasks at that time, and it’s time for social media, streaming videos, gaming, and whatever online entertainment they engage in.

You have three options to deal with the situation:

Sometimes, the rush hour problem has nothing to do with your neighbors.

Your household members may come home at specific times, link to the router all at once, and limit your internet bandwidth performance.

This can be pretty likely if you have a large family with many devices and heavy internet demands.

To check, disconnect all the internet-based gadgets when you’re getting close to that specific hour, and ask other people at home to do the same.

If the trouble seems to vanish by turning off some devices, you need a connection with higher bandwidth.

While a 2.4 GHz band supports internet speeds up to 600 Mbps, a 5 GHz bandwidth accelerates your connection to 1000 Mbps.

Before ordering a service plan with more bandwidth, make sure your router is dual-band.

You may also need to change its settings to keep up with the higher speed.

If you don’t want to pay for a better plan, just try disconnecting your inactive devices whenever everybody’s home.

For example, if you’re working with your PC, turn off your mobile WiFi, and if you’re playing with your PlayStation, make sure you’re not connected via PC, tablet, etc.

You can also take turns using the net.

If you think the internet failure occurs only at peak times, and still, the above solutions couldn’t figure it out, maybe someone has hacked your WiFi to use your internet for free.

In this case, follow these instructions:

(It’s usually “192.168.0.1” or “92.168.1.1,” but if none works, you can also check the bottom of your router or try these methods to find it).

(Unless you’ve changed it yourself, the default ID and password are “admin” and “password”, respectively).

Note: Passwords containing a combination of letters, symbols, and numbers have proven to be stronger, hence more immune from attackers.

Note: If this solution fixes your problem, make sure you do not give your password to anyone you don’t trust.

Repeat this process every month or so to ensure it never happens to you again.

If you don’t have one, install a reliable antivirus application to spot any virus, malware, or malicious activities on your system.

There is a lot of free and premium software available to do the trick for you.

Delete all of the dangerous files if you find any, and then check if the regular downtime issue disappears.

Some encryption protocols have higher security than others.

Besides that, swapping between different protocols can increase your chances of keeping intruders away.

Here’s what to do.

Another culprit for same-time internet outage is that you’ve connected the router to the same circuit as a heavy-use household item, such as a microwave, AC unit, washing machine, or dryer.

Ensure your router is on an individual breaker, and if not, use an extension cord to transfer it to a different room or floor.

It’s also useful to look over your splitter or surge protector, as a bad power conditioner can prevent power flow to your router.

Ideally, you can plug the router directly into the outlet and see if the problem disappears.

Sometimes, even a short electrical failure, surge, or outage can knock your internet out.

Even if the outage lasts only a few milliseconds, it will switch your router off.

Since it takes a couple of minutes for the router to restart itself, you may misinterpret this as a network mishap.

The next day when your internet drops at its regular time, check if other electronic devices disconnect and reconnect to the power.

For example, you might see the lights dim, or your fridge lights flicker for a moment.

If so, call the electric distribution company of your region and report the difficulty.

Eating up the router’s needed power isn’t the only way home appliances obstruct your connection.

Some wireless devices such as Bluetooth-enabled televisions, remote controls, cordless phones, microwaves, and smart kitchen appliances produce electromagnetic fields around the house.

This can interfere with your WiFi signals, causing your network signals to drop completely.

Check if the internet failure occurs simultaneously when you use another wireless tool in the house.

Then, try shutting it down to see if things return to normal.

If so, you have two options to get rid of the situation:

Note: Even if wireless interference has nothing to do with your internet breakdown problem, setting a new channel for your WiFi can improve your speed.

Note: Wireless confliction can also originate from your next-door neighbor.

If there’s nothing wrong with your internet package, your home gadgets, and how you place them, your modem may be your main source of frustration.

Here are a few possibilities and their fixes.

Some network providers tend to cheap out on routers, so your equipment may have lost its functionality sooner than expected, affecting your internet performance.

Other times, you may have a dying unit that has lived its life and is no longer capable of meeting your needs.

In both cases, you need a replacement.

Only buy a new router as your last resort when you’re 100% sure it’s the only culprit for your problem.

Note: This case can also be true for your modem.

Even if your router isn’t broken or low-grade, it may be lagging behind current trends.

Routers are manufactured to fulfill the present-day technologies, and no one guarantees what you bought a few years ago can stay accountable for today.

Even if you pay for the latest internet plan and fastest speed, they won’t make up for your interruptions without the help of a solid router.

Make sure to invest in a router that supports the latest wireless networking standard, which is now WiFi 6.

This WiFi generation covers up to 12 channels, allowing 30 devices to use each one simultaneously.

It also offers a maximum of 12 Gbps of broadcast frequency, operates in both 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz bands, and reduces latency.

WiFi 6E, a new edition of this standard, extends this frequency range to the 6 GHz band.

Note: Not all computers and mobile devices are compatible with WiFi6.

Therefore, it’s important to do your research before replacing your router.

If your devices aren’t compatible, consider upgrading to WiFi 5 instead, as it’s much faster than its predecessors.

As odd as it seems, placing your router under a window or exposing it to sun rays can overheat the case, hence obstructing its functions.

If your internet is dropping every day since summer started, or if the issue tends to come up in the morning or noon hours, a scalded router could be to blame.

Switch the unit in a cooler place, maybe under the air conditioner, away from any windows to see if the issue lingers.

An obsolete firmware can sometimes be the main reason for a weak signal, low security, and, therefore, internet blockage.

Here’s how to update your router’s firmware:

(Keep your router’s model number in mind when doing so to find a compatible file).

(You can find this option in a tab called Administration, Management, or Advanced, depending on your router’s brand.)

(Don’t press ESC, turn off the router, or use the internet during this period since any interruptions can halt its function.)

Note: Some Router models demand you to transfer the files into a flash drive and insert it into the router instead of uploading them through the administrative page.

If you couldn’t find any options in step 5, check the manufacturer’s website for instructions.

If the Internet drops only on your laptop or desktop computer, chances are you haven’t updated the network adapter drivers for a while.

These drivers let your OS identify and activate your router operations, creating a link between the hardware and your PC software.

Your internet may start malfunctioning if you have damaged, dated, or wrong drivers installed on your PC.

Here’s how to update them.

If the Internet disconnection occurs only on the PC, and mostly at midnight, it’s likely that your Windows Clock has lost track of time.

You may have selected the wrong time zone or inserted the wrong time manually.

Synchronize your Windows clock and make sure to pick a valid time zone.

Otherwise, the Windows manages to return to the wrong time whenever you restart it.

If the issue didn’t go away, check if there’s something wrong with your Windows Time service, BIOS, CMOS battery, or Internet Time server.

This article helps you fix the above time-related issues.

Another place to check is your cable connection.

Probe into your Ethernet cables, phone cords, coaxial cables, as well as Ethernet jack on the wall and LAN port at the back of the router.

Ensure the wires aren’t loose, detached, fraying, or corroded, and the ports are in an all right situation.

A system clash happens when two electrical or mechanical objects—such as your modem and PC—mismatch with each other.

It can have many reasons, but whatever it is, you may be able to solve it by a simple restart or power cycling method.

Just turn off all the connected clients in your house, including your laptop, mobile phone, modem, and router.

Ideally, unplug the cords from their outlets, and plug them back in after some seconds.

You may find everything fresh and fine after restarting the devices.

Lastly, the issue might be out of your hands and could only be solved by the ISP due to its technical nature.

You may want to contact your provider to resolve the issue if none of the above techniques worked.

If they seem unable or unwilling to get to the root of your problem, you can quit your provider and join another one.

That’s because an inadequate ISP with low coverage or defective infrastructure takes a lot of time to help resolve your hassles.