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Troubleshooting

Why Does My Internet Cut Out at Night?

If your internet is fine during the day but drops or slows at night, the cause is almost always network congestion — either on your street or inside your home.

Updated 2026

  1. 1

    ISP congestion at peak hours

    Evenings (7–11pm) are peak internet usage hours. Every household on your street shares the same local connection to the ISP. More users = slower speeds and occasional drops.

  2. 2

    Run a speed test at different times

    Test at 6am and 9pm. A big gap between the two confirms ISP congestion. Report consistent evening drops to your ISP — they may be able to move you to a less congested node.

  3. 3

    Router overheating

    Routers left on constantly in warm rooms can overheat at night when they've been running all day. Feel the router — if it's very hot, ensure it's in a ventilated spot.

  4. 4

    DHCP lease renewal

    Some routers briefly drop connections when renewing DHCP leases. This causes a 1–2 second cut rather than a full outage. Check the router's lease time in DHCP settings.

  5. 5

    Scheduled ISP maintenance

    Some ISPs do automated line tests or maintenance between midnight and 6am. Brief drops during these hours are normal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my ISP throttle at night?
Some do on certain unlimited plans to manage congestion. A VPN test can reveal this — if speeds improve through a VPN at peak hours, your ISP is throttling specific traffic types.
Why is it only my device cutting out, not everyone's?
If other devices stay connected, the issue is specific to your device — check WiFi drivers, power saving settings, or whether the device is too far from the router.