A growing number of users are reporting widespread Internet disruptions today, affecting popular applications like Spotify, Discord, and major cellular providers including Verizon and T-Mobile. According to Downdetector.com, these issues are impacting users across multiple networks and services, which points to a potential issue with common DNS servers — such as those operated by Google and Cloudflare.
Domain Name System, or DNS servers are the backbone of Internet navigation, translating domain names (like spotify.com) into the IP addresses your devices use to connect to websites and services. When these servers experience outages or delays, it can make it seem like the entire Internet is down — even when your physical Internet connection is still active.
A Quick Workaround: Manually Set Your DNS Servers
Before assuming your Internet connection is completely out, you may be able to restore access by manually setting your device’s DNS server.
Here’s how to try this on your computer:
For Windows:
- Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Change adapter options.
- Right-click on your active connection and select Properties.
- Select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click Properties.
- Choose Use the following DNS server addresses.
- Enter:
- Preferred DNS server: 8.8.8.8 (Google) or 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare)
- Alternate DNS server: 8.8.4.4 (Google) or 1.0.0.1 (Cloudflare)
- Click OK to apply the changes.
For Mac:
- Go to System Settings > Network.
- Select your active connection and click Details.
- Go to the DNS tab.
- Click the + button and add:
- 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 (Google)
- or 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1 (Cloudflare)
- Apply your changes and test your connection.
Manually specifying DNS servers can sometimes bypass the problematic automatic DNS assignments provided by your ISP or network.
Why You Still Need a Backup Plan
While switching DNS servers might get you up and running during certain outages, it’s not always a guaranteed fix — especially if a larger infrastructure issue is involved. This is where having a reliable backup Internet plan becomes essential.
Whether it’s a cellular failover connection, a secondary ISP, or a multi-WAN router that can automatically switch between different providers, having options can mean the difference between hours of downtime and a seamless transition to a working connection.
Even switching from your home Wi-Fi to a different cellular provider on your smartphone’s hotspot might get you back online while one network is experiencing trouble.
At 5Gstore.com, we recommend exploring solutions like:
- Multi-WAN routers with failover support
- Cellular backup plans
- DNS redundancy setup
- Mobile hotspots for quick connectivity switches
When one provider is affected, another could keep you going.
Check in with our team to discuss our available solutions!
