Troubleshooting

Sometimes problems can be resolved with a few quick steps; if not, we’re here to help!

If you have our Managed Wi-Fi system, please feel free to jump straight to opening a ticket in our client portal, calling us, or sending us an email at contact@forcebb.com.

Is it us, or something else?

Our standard internet service involves getting internet to your home - what happens once it makes it there is something else. In cases where you don’t have our Managed Wi-Fi system, we can see & test to our equipment all the way up to the point that we hand off an ethernet line for you to plug into your router.

Due to the frequency in which issues are isolated to “something else”, particularly when our equipment is testing appropriately, customer-provided routers are often the prime suspects. Please read on to learn more about common causes of network problems, and how to determine if the issues you are experiencing are being caused by our equipment/network or something else.

If you are uncomfortable going through the below processes or otherwise don’t want to handle Wi-Fi troubleshooting, that’s exactly what our Managed Wi-Fi systems are for! Please reach out to learn more.

Good First Steps

  • Finding out if it’s an issue with the service/website you are trying to use, the device you’re trying to use it with, your internal network configuration/router, or our service is important.

    In General:

    • If only one website or service has issues, it’s often an issue with that website or service. Try other websites or services and/or check Down Detector.

    • If only one device has issues, it’s often an issue with the device. Try other devices.

    • If you’re completely offline or a speed test (built-in to the router or as performed below) shows good speeds, it’s likely either an issue with the router, the internal network configuration, or something else. Proceed reading through the steps below, starting with the power-cycle of your router.

  • Unplug the power from your router for 120 seconds, plug it back in, and check for an improvement. A surprising number of issues are resolved with this simple step!

    “Have you tried turning it off and on again?”

  • A pending firmware update may resolve the issues you are experiencing. Check your router to see if any updates are available. If so, apply them, reboot, and test again!

  • Has your router reached its “end of life” with its manufacturer? It may no longer be receiving updates that allow it to work well with modern equipment, or may even be physically incapable of handling the speeds our service provides. Manufacturers typically recommend replacing your router every three to five years.

  • Unplug the ethernet cable that goes from our equipment into your router and plug it back in so you hear the audible *click*.

    Do this one end at a time- if you don’t hear the click, try swapping out the ethernet cable!

  • Please refer to the section below to run a speed test on your equipment. This can help determine where issues are originating from

  • We’re going to want to try to identify if the issues you are having are being caused by our network/equipment, or something else. If possible, please attempt a proper speed test as detailed in the section below. After this test (or if the test is not possible) please open a ticket on our client portal for more help!

    We can mobilize a technician to troubleshoot issues you are having: Do note that if the issue is determined to be a result of a failure in our network/equipment, any costs (trip charge, labor, material) to resolve any issues with our network/equipment are entirely waived.

Running a proper speed test

There are many speed test methods and services that will give wide ranges of results- none are perfect but some are more accurate than others. If your router does not have a built-in speed-test, here is how we recommend running a test:

  1. Plug a device directly into your router with an ethernet line. Tests over Wi-Fi will be inconsistent and unreliable since the use of Wi-Fi introduces a number of variables that affect your speed

  2. Go to www.speedtest.net

  3. Ensure you have selected the Force Broadband Monument, CO server by selecting “Change Server” (Why?)

  4. Click “Go”

  5. Note the Download and Upload speeds, are they reflective of the speeds you are seeing on devices that seem slow? Are they relatively close to the speed plan you are subscribed to?

If the above test returns speeds that are reasonably near your service plan, there may be an issue with the client devices that you’re trying to use, your router, or your internal network configuration- but that would otherwise confirm that we are providing the appropriate speeds to your router. There is likely something going on between your router and the devices you are trying to use.

If the above test returns speeds that are not reasonably near your service plan, please open up a ticket in the client portal. This can indicate that something is wrong with our network/equipment/configuration, or even something else still. Opening a ticket with a full-screen screenshot of your test results is particularly helpful!