Changed Broadband Provider and Now Your Wi-Fi Isn't Working? How to Fix It

You've switched broadband provider, or had full fibre installed, and the new router is in. Then the problems start: the printer won't print, the smart speaker has gone quiet, the TV says "no connection", and the Wi-Fi doesn't reach rooms it used to. It's one of the most common reasons we're called out, and the good news is it's almost always fixable in a single visit.

1. Your Devices Are Still Looking for the Old Wi-Fi

Every router has its own Wi-Fi name (SSID) and password, usually printed on a sticker on the back. Phones and laptops are easy to reconnect, but many other devices need to be set up again from their own app or settings:

• Printers: use the printer's Wi-Fi setup menu or its app.
• Smart TVs and streaming sticks: go to the network settings on the TV.
• Smart speakers, plugs, bulbs, doorbells and cameras: reconnect them through their own apps, such as Alexa, Google Home, Ring or Hive.
• Games consoles, e-readers and Sonos speakers: each has its own network settings.

2. Smart Devices Won't Join the New Network

Many smart devices only work on the 2.4GHz band, but new routers often combine 2.4GHz and 5GHz under one name, which confuses some devices during setup. Stand close to the router while reconnecting, and if it still fails, temporarily separate the bands in the router's settings. Our guide to smart devices that won't connect to Wi-Fi covers this in detail.

3. The Wi-Fi Is Weaker Than Before

With full fibre, the router usually has to sit next to the box the engineer fitted where the fibre enters the house, often in a hallway or front room. If your old router was more central, the signal may no longer reach upstairs, the kitchen extension or the garden office. Options, best first:

• Run a network cable from the new router to a more central spot and put a mesh unit or access point there.
• Use a mesh Wi-Fi system with a unit close to the router and others where coverage is weak.
• Ask your provider whether it offers Wi-Fi boosters or discs with your package.

4. Your Mesh System or Extenders Stopped Working

If you had a mesh system (such as Google Nest Wifi, Eero, Deco or BT Whole Home) or extenders, they were set up to work with the old router. They usually need to be reconnected to the new one, and sometimes reset. Running your own mesh system with a provider's router can also cause "double NAT", which breaks some games, video calls and smart devices. See our guide to using mesh Wi-Fi with a provider's router.

5. No Internet at All

• Check the switch-over date. The new service usually goes live on a set day, sometimes not until later in the afternoon.
• Check the router is in the right socket. Full fibre routers plug into the fibre box, not the old phone socket. The cable usually goes into the router's port marked WAN or broadband.
• Unplug the old router completely. Two routers connected at once can cause problems.
• Restart everything in order: the fibre box first, then the router, then wait five minutes before testing.
• Using your own router? Some providers need specific settings or login details. Ask your provider for them, or use their router to test.

If devices show "connected" but nothing loads, see Wi-Fi connected but no internet.

6. Things People Forget When Switching

• Email addresses from your old provider, such as an old BT, Sky or Virgin address, may stop working or start charging. Move important accounts to a new address first.
• Your home phone, which now usually plugs into the router. Check any personal alarm still works. See our landline switchover guide.
• Parental controls and security settings set up on the old router.
• Work-from-home equipment, such as a VPN, docking station or second screen on a cable, that needs reconnecting.

How We Handle It

A new broadband setup visit usually takes an hour or two. Whether you've moved to BT, Sky, Virgin Media, Vodafone, TalkTalk, Community Fibre, Hyperoptic or another provider, we put the router in the best possible place, reconnect every device in the house, including printers, TVs, smart speakers and cameras, fix weak spots with mesh or an access point, set up security and parental controls, and test everything before we leave. See our new broadband and router setup service.

Related Reading

• Wi-Fi Connected but No Internet? How to Fix It
• How to Fix Wi-Fi Dead Spots in a Large House
• How to Get Wi-Fi in a Garden Office (That Actually Works)