Featured Contributor: Bryan Varnado
United Communications is proud to offer one of the fastest and most reliable high-speed internet services in Middle Tennessee. Still, there may be times when our customers have trouble connecting to the internet. The good news is that most problems can be easily resolved.
As a local internet service provider, we’re proud of the incredible men and women who support our customers. Our customer service and technical support teams are experts who care about helping others. For this article, we interviewed Bryan Varnado, Lead Customer Support Specialist at United Communications, to share the advice we offer customers who need assistance connecting to their high-speed internet.
3 Practical Steps for Troubleshooting Your Router
Here are a few specific steps you can take to troubleshoot your router on your own. However, if you continue to have trouble, you are always welcome to connect with a United technical support specialist who would be happy to help resolve the problem.
1. Start With Resetting Your Router’s Power Cycle
Restarting your router is the best place to begin troubleshooting any connection issues. Most of the time, even the reliable routers we provide for customers need a reset after prolonged service.
The most common router reset is referred to as a power cycle. To do this, simply unplug the power cord from the back of the router, wait 15 seconds, and then plug it back in. Power-cycling the router allows it to clear its internal memory and come back online refreshed. It only takes a few minutes for the router to reset.
Your router does not have a modem if you use United’s BLAST router on our fiber optic network. Instead, you have an ONT (Optical Network Terminal) that can also be power cycled the same way as your router. If you don’t know where the ONT is located, you may follow the ethernet cord that is plugged into your router (look for the WAN port) back to the ONT.
2. If You’re Still Experiencing Problems, Perform a Factory Reset
If a router becomes unresponsive and a regular power cycle does not correct its behavior, you can then try a factory reset. A factory reset will restore the router to its original programming and may also fix performance issues. To conduct a factory reset on a router:
1. Find a small tool like the end of a paperclip or a bobby pin.
2. Locate the small, recessed “reset” button on the back of the router.
3. Insert the small tool into the button, pressing it down for about 15 seconds before releasing it.
When you reset your home router to factory programming, you will lose any custom network settings. Custom network settings include the personalized name of the Wi-Fi network and its password. If you are not sure of your personalized settings and want to retain them, first call a United Communications team member at (800)-779-2227 for guidance.
3. Contact United’s Customer Support to Diagnose Any Continuing Issues
If power cycling your router or using a factory reset doesn’t work, the United customer support team is here to help. Customers who use BLAST high-speed internet routers can have United remotely check the router for updates and identify other potential obstacles, such as signal interference or bandwidth issues.
If we find that our router is the issue, we can replace it at no charge to you.
If it is time to replace your router, our team can also help you set it up with the same name and password as your previous network. That way, all your existing connected devices will connect automatically to your new network.
Get Fast, Reliable High-Speed Internet with Exceptional Customer Service
As a local internet provider, we’re proud to say that United does everything we can to take care of our customers, our neighbors, and our friends. We do that by offering the fastest and most reliable high-speed internet service in the area. But we don’t stop there. We go above and beyond to provide exceptional customer service.
Want to learn more? Visit our resources below:
- Additional internet troubleshooting tips
- Information about United’s high-speed and fiber internet services in Middle TN
- See what customers are saying about United’s customer service
Featured Contributor Bio:
Bryan Varnado
Lead Customer Support Specialist at United Communications
With two decades of experience, Bryan Varnado combines a relational focus with a commitment to high standards and a quality work ethic to provide exceptional customer experiences, contributing to United Communications’ success as having one of the highest customer satisfaction ratings in the industry. In his role as Lead Customer Support Specialist, Bryan helps to identify opportunities for improvement and establish new processes, in addition to helping customers and employees throughout the company. Bryan resides in Columbia, Tennessee, with his wife of 21 years and two children attending college.