Is my broadband down — or is it just me?
Answer a couple of questions to work out whether your problem is your own kit or a wider outage. In short: if only one device is affected it’s that device; if everything is down, check your router’s lights and your provider’s official status page (linked below) and ask a neighbour. A long total outage may earn you compensation.
Last updated: · Written by The NetSorted team
Check your provider’s service status
The quickest way to confirm an outage is your provider’s official status page. Every link below goes straight to the provider’s own page — checked on 2026-08-02. Pick yours:
- BT Status page →
- Sky Status page → Checks your area from your Sky Talk phone number — no sign-in needed.
- Virgin Media Status page → Redirects to Virgin Media’s live status checker, which asks for your account details.
- TalkTalk Status page → Shows current network issues straight away, without signing in.
- EE Status page (sign-in) → EE only runs the area check once you sign in to your account.
- Plusnet Report a fault → Plusnet publishes no public outage checker — this is their official route to report a fault and have your line tested.
- Vodafone Status page →
- NOW Broadband Status page → NOW customers on the “powered by Sky” network may be sent to Sky for technical support.
- Community Fibre Status page → A network-wide notice board rather than a checker for your address: it states whether Community Fibre currently knows of any network issues, and does not ask for your postcode or account. No sign-in needed.
Not listed? Search “your provider + service status”, or ask a neighbour on the same provider whether they’re affected too.
Your provider, step by step
Each of these covers one provider: their status page and what it asks for, the 60-second them-or-me check, and what you’re owed if it drags on.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my broadband is down or it’s just me?
Check whether every device is offline or just one. If everything is down, look at your router’s lights and your provider’s service status page, and ask a neighbour on the same provider. If only one device is affected, it’s that device, not an outage.
How do I check if there’s a broadband outage in my area?
Visit your provider’s official service status page (linked below) and sign in or enter your details. You can also ask neighbours on the same provider, or check independent outage trackers, to confirm whether it’s a wider problem.
What should I do during a broadband outage?
If it’s a confirmed outage, there’s nothing to fix at your end — register for updates and use mobile data meanwhile. Note when it started: a long total loss of service may entitle you to automatic compensation.
Do I get compensation if my broadband is down?
You may. Under Ofcom’s automatic compensation scheme, a total loss of service that still isn’t fixed two full working days after you report it earns £10.34 for every calendar day it stays broken. Use our compensation calculator to estimate it.
Sources
- BT — Check service status — checked 2 August 2026
- Sky — Help for Sky Broadband & Talk | Service Status — checked 2 August 2026
- Virgin Media — Check your service status — checked 2 August 2026
- TalkTalk — Our Service Status — checked 2 August 2026
- EE — Check for network problems in your area — checked 2 August 2026
- Plusnet — Report a problem — checked 2 August 2026
- Vodafone — Network status checker — checked 2 August 2026
- NOW — Your service status | Technical checks — checked 2 August 2026
- Community Fibre — Community Fibre service status — checked 8 August 2026