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Home / Service Outages / Verizon Outage โ€“ Causes And 7 Fixes Guide 2023

Verizon Outage โ€“ Causes And 7 Fixes Guide 2024

Have you been dealing with Verizon Outage on TV or internet services then this updated 2024 guide will help you get back up and running again with minimal effort.

Verizon Outage Possible Causes And 7 Easy Fixes

While technology is a good thing and has changed our lives for the better, itโ€™s not indestructible. Almost every type of technology experiences a service outage at some point.

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Verizon is one of the major service providers in the United States. As such, where there is a Verizon service outage, for any reason, itโ€™s bound to affect thousands of people in the particular area.

Outages are often rare but can be quite frustrating. If you notice that your Verizon service is down, first find out whether the issue is affecting everyone else or just you.

Fortunately, this guide covers how to fix the outage issue or at least know whatโ€™s happening.

How to tell whether Verizon is down?

A Verizon outage is characterized by the inability to connect with or access Verizon services. There are often issues browsing online, checking email messages, making VOIP phone calls, and even sending texts.

That said, youโ€™ll need to know whether there is a network outage in your area or youโ€™re the only one experiencing the issue. The steps here will help you find out if the outage affects everyone.

1. Sign up for outage notifications

First off, you should get an alternative internet connection. Then log in to your Verizon account and go to the page where you can set preferences for notifications.

Turn on notifications for outage alerts in your area. Whenever there is a Verizon outage in your area, you should receive an SMS notification or email alert.

2. Check the Verizon website

If youโ€™re getting an outage notification, chances are the issue is nationwide. However, if youโ€™re seeing no notifications or alerts, log into Verizonโ€™s website to see whether there isnโ€™t an outage in your area.

On the main page, click on the My Verizon button and then click again on Account Settings. Under โ€œalertsโ€ option, tick checkboxes to receive outage alerts. This way, you donโ€™t sit around waiting for the problem to resolve when itโ€™s originating from your end.

3. Check social media accounts

Verizon has active social media accounts on Twitter and Facebook pages where users can post questions and get quick responses from the company.

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Twitter is especially the most active social media account. In case service is down in a large area, people will tweet about it for sure. So, take a few minutes to confirm your Verizon outage on Twitter.

From time to time, Verizon also posts updates on these pages about service issues or enhancements. Like any other service provider, when thereโ€™s a Verizon outage, you should read the comments section of its social media accounts for details and resolution to your issue.

4. Use a third party site to check the outage

Independent websites like Downdetector and Outage. The report provides a service that allows you to monitor and report outages for various internet services.

You only need to enter your city or region so this site can get started checking whatโ€™s happening with Verizonโ€™s network.

The servers are updated almost every minute, so if thereโ€™s anything wrong, the site will definitely list it within minutes. Itโ€™s one of the fastest ways to know for sure if the Verizon internet is down.

The outage reports provided by these sites are often more detailed. It shows region-wise outage percentages and the expected duration of the downtime in minutes or hours.

These websites also list down services and platforms affected by the Verizon outage and exactly where theyโ€™re down.

The causes of Verizon outages

The truth is its unpleasant when service suddenly drops and you canโ€™t do anything. It leaves you feeling stranded and unproductive.

If you were in the middle of an important project, youโ€™ll have to reschedule until the problem is sorted out and service restored.

Even worse is when itโ€™s not just you who canโ€™t send text messages, make calls or use the internet, but everyone else too. For that reason, itโ€™s essential to at least have an idea of what causes network outages.

Power outages

Is there anything worse than a power outage in the middle of a workday? Perhaps thereโ€™s nothing more stressful than having to operate under a power cut-out.

It only means you canโ€™t use the phone, text messages will go undelivered and people wonโ€™t be able to reach you. So, itโ€™s easy to see why power outages are the number one cause of network outages.

In addition, power outages can impact a wide area too, so cell towers and other equipment need to be restored before service is resumed everywhere.

In these situations, it could take as much as 24 to 48 hours for power to be restored. However, if thereโ€™s a power outage that only affects one tower or a small number of towers, you could have service restored within a few hours.

Software Issues

When it comes to network outages, sometimes thereโ€™s nothing wrong with the hardware; the problem is software based.

Over the years, there have been cases where networking equipment got infected with malware and this caused a lot of problems. But in most cases, software faults occur due to human error.

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For example, Verizon might update its network routing protocol or transmission protocols without testing things out properly first.

When that happens, everything breaks down and service either completely fails or is hardly reliable. With this type of Verizon outage, you could schedule a time for the service to be restored and itโ€™ll be back on track within a few hours.

Service Maintenance

Sometimes, there is service maintenance ongoing on Verizonโ€™s end. This means that Verizon technicians are working to resolve an issue or enhance the network.

While this is happening, itโ€™s only fair that youโ€™re able to use your service without any hiccups or breaks in connectivity.

However, some service maintenance issues take longer than anticipated and if they arenโ€™t fixed within 24 hours, this results in an outage.

Packet Loss

Itโ€™s possible for packet loss or also known as random internet lag, when your device is trying to connect with the network but thereโ€™s too much traffic on Verizonโ€™s servers.

Your phone may show a strong signal, but youโ€™ll still have difficulty making calls, receiving texts, or using the internet. Even though it may only affect your device, packet loss can cause other users problems because thereโ€™s another layer of blocking.

Cell phone towers and equipment

You donโ€™t just need a working network to connect with Verizonโ€™s servers; you need at least one of its towers in good working condition.

This is why there are limited options on where you can use your device when service is interrupted. There might be one or two towers in your vicinity that can still connect with Verizonโ€™s servers, but the majority of them are down.

Even though cell phone towers are outfitted with backup systems, they can malfunction at any time. Whether itโ€™s an issue with the hardware or software, youโ€™ll have to wait until it gets fixed before service is restored.

Interference from other networks and devices

It could be that another network is interfering with Verizonโ€™s, so it has to limit the strength of its signal. It might also be that a neighbor has a device that interferes with your own and this causes connectivity problems.

The same goes for networks and devices that affect Verizonโ€™s and vice versa.

Even though most of the issues weโ€™ve mentioned here are unlikely, they do happen from time to time. If this ever happens to you, donโ€™t panic.

Verizon is working on getting your service reinstated as soon as possible. So before you panic, be sure to contact their customer support team to let them know of the problem.

What to do when Verizon is down?

When an outage is caused by issues on Verizonโ€™s side, rest assured they are doing everything in their power to restore service.

However, if you donโ€™t see any reports of an outage in the area, there might be something wrong on your end. In that case, we have a couple of suggestions on what to do when Verizon is working for everyone else, except for you.

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1. Restart the router or modem

This is a classic solution that has always fixed a variety of issues. It should be the first thing to try. Sometimes, it may be that your router or modem has some leftover data in its cache and this is whatโ€™s causing the problem. But if you restart the device, this will clear out any old data and make sure everything is working properly right away.

2. Confirm your Verizon account is paid up

Oftentimes, an unpaid bill will result in a service interruption. If this is the case, you need to pay your bill in full before Verizon restores service. As soon as your account is paid up, it should start working normally.

Sometimes, service can be interrupted even when you have a paid-up account. If this is the case, what you need to do is call Verizonโ€™s customer support team so they can see if there are any issues within their systems.

3. Clear browser cookies and history

If youโ€™re using a web browser on your device, it may be that youโ€™ve been browsing the internet from another network and this is whatโ€™s causing odd behavior.

However, itโ€™s also possible that there are cookies or temporary files that remain in your browser cache even when connecting with Verizon. In any case, the best solution will be to delete all cookies and temporary files, which should solve the problem right away.

4. Check your computer for malware

If youโ€™re using a PC or Mac to access the web, make sure your device is not infected with malware. This can cause strange behavior on different applications and browsers, which may lead you to believe that Verizonโ€™s service isnโ€™t working when in fact it is.

5. Update your Wi-Fi routerโ€™s firmware

This is similar to restarting your router or modem, but a firmware update is usually more effective. Youโ€™ll need to download the firmware from your routerโ€™s manufacturer and install it on your device manually if one isnโ€™t offered through your browser. This should solve any connectivity issues you might be experiencing.

6. Change settings to cellular calling

Whether youโ€™re using Verizon or another carrier, you can switch to cellular mode when making phone calls. This will always let you stay connected even if the Wi-Fi isnโ€™t working. Simply go into Settings of your device and change the preferred network type from โ€œWi-Fiโ€ to โ€œCellular.โ€

7. Contact their customer support team

If these solutions donโ€™t work, thereโ€™s a chance that somethingโ€™s wrong on their end. In this case, contacting the customer support team might be your only option when Verizon is down.

One of their representatives will be able to tell you if a service outage or maintenance is going on and how long itโ€™ll take before the problem is fixed.

Conclusion

That should be it! We hope these tips helped you to get Verizon working again. As mentioned before, many different things can go wrong, but a lot of these problems have simple solutions.

If you follow the steps weโ€™ve talked about here and nothing works, contact Verizonโ€™s customer support team to see if they have any issues on their end.

FAQs

How do I report a Verizon outage?

You can call customer support and report an outage in your area. Take the opportunity to confirm the outage and get more info on how long it will take before things start working normally.

What do I do if my Verizon service isnโ€™t working?

The first thing you should do is restart your device to eliminate any existing bugs and errors. Secondly, check for an outage that may have interrupted service in the given area.

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Vanesa Charna
Vanesa Charna
Capturing lifeโ€™s moments through her lens, Vanesa is a photography enthusiast with a lifelong thirst for learning. Her seasoned experience in event planning marries well with her love for streaming and writing, bringing a unique flair to our team.
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