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Is EarthLink Down?

Troubleshoot your EarthLink internet and learn how to get help in case of an outage

If you’re an EarthLink customer and you can’t get on your home Wi-Fi network, there are a few steps you can take to see if the problem is on your end. We’ll walk you through the basics, then help you reach out to EarthLink customer support to see if the problem is on its end.

We can’t promise you’ll find easy answers, though. EarthLink piggybacks on the networks of multiple providers, including AT&T and Verizon. If any of these services are down and EarthLink is using their infrastructure, your internet will be down too.

How to find out if EarthLink is down

Step 1: Try using a different phone, tablet, or computer to access your EarthLink network.

Step 2: Make sure your internet equipment is plugged in securely.

Step 3: Check for notifications on your EarthLink account.

Step 4: Restart or power cycle your router or fixed wireless gateway.

Step 5: Delete the EarthLink Wi-Fi network from your device and try to add it back again.

Check the signal on your router

EarthLink offers a wide variety of modems, routers, and gateways. What you get depends on your connection type, when you signed up, and where you live. Some customers use their own Wi-Fi equipment too.

Most of the time, a series of lights on the router can help you determine whether the internet is down.

EarthLink Wireless Home Router. Image sourced from EarthLink.net and is property of EarthLink.
EarthLink Wireless Home Router. Image sourced from EarthLink.net and is property of EarthLink.

Still can’t get online? Contact EarthLink

If you can’t get online by trying different devices and resetting your router, the EarthLink network might be down in your area. Most of the time, this is due to an outage on the network EarthLink is renting from another local provider.

To find out what’s going on, call EarthLink at +1-888-327-8454 or text support at +1-888-441-9144. You can also reach out to the online chat service, but you’ll need to enter your name and phone number to start a conversation.

If you don’t have access to the EarthLink network but you can get online on your phone, you might be able to get help through your myEarthLink app.

Pro tip:

if you can’t call EarthLink and can’t get help on the app or online, try checking social media. Check the EarthLink page on X (formerly Twitter), or check out the official EarthLink page on Facebook.

Learn more in our expert resource library

Customer-reported EarthLink outage information

EarthLink doesn’t post network uptime figures or publish an outage map, so we asked customers themselves how often they have problems with the service.

Based on our most recent data, EarthLink customers experience slowdowns more often than average, with only 40% of EarthLink customers saying they rarely or never had slowdowns. That’s 11 points worse than average—51% of customers from all internet providers in the U.S. say they rarely or never have outages.

Results from the 2023 Customer Satisfaction Survey. Data is self-reported. Image by Kayla Fischer | HighSpeedInternet.com
Results from the 2023 Customer Satisfaction Survey. Data is self-reported. Image by Kayla Fischer | HighSpeedInternet.com

EarthLink customers had more outages too. Only 40% of EarthLink customers reported never or rarely experiencing outages, compared to 59% of internet customers, on average.

Results from the 2023 Customer Satisfaction Survey. Data is self-reported. Image by Kayla Fischer | HighSpeedInternet.com
Results from the 2023 Customer Satisfaction Survey. Data is self-reported. Image by Kayla Fischer | HighSpeedInternet.com

The reliability numbers are interesting, but they should be taken with a grain of salt.

EarthLink rents space on internet infrastructure owned by competing internet providers, so its users should hypothetically have the same number of slowdowns and outages as customers of those other networks.

Understanding the EarthLink customer experience

Since EarthLink uses the networks of other providers, the main way it differentiates itself is through customer service.

Let’s get into it.

EarthLink was rated highest for customer satisfaction in 2020, the first time it appeared in our national customer survey. It also took top honors in our 2021 and 2022 customer surveys, but fell to last place in our 2023 report (in a tie with Spectrum).

Digging deeper, we found that EarthLink customers appreciate the company’s customer service, but ranked the company below average overall. They also ranked EarthLink below average for speed and reliability.

Results from the 2023 Customer Satisfaction Survey. Data is self-reported. We did not include EarthLink in our 2024 annual provider review. Image by Kayla Fischer | HighSpeedInternet.com
Results from the 2023 Customer Satisfaction Survey. Data is self-reported. We did not include EarthLink in our 2024 annual provider review. Image by Kayla Fischer | HighSpeedInternet.com

If customer service is important to you and you don’t mind paying slightly higher prices for internet access, an EarthLink plan might be right for you. For even better service, you can try EarthLink’s EasyTech service for $9.95 per month (starting with a free 30-day trial).

Refunds for EarthLink outages

EarthLink does not offer refunds for outages or slowdowns, and performance isn’t guaranteed for EarthLink’s fully wired residential customers.

Its terms and conditions for fixed wireless customers also say it does not guarantee any bandwidth specifications and can’t be held liable for unavailability or quality of service.

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How EarthLink compares

EarthLink uses third-party infrastructure to provide internet access to most of its customers, and that means its plans are more expensive than comparable plans from those providers. EarthLink also requires two-year contracts, though contracts are becoming less common industry-wide.

DSL plan comparison

Here’s a look at how EarthLink’s DSL plans compare. Plans and speeds available will vary based on your exact location.

ProviderStarting priceSpeeds up to
EarthLink 50 Mbps Internet $59.95/mo.*50Mbps
CenturyLink Simply Unlimited Internet 140 Mbps $50.00/mo.80Mbps
Brightspeed Internet DSL $50.00/mo.40Mbps

Fiber plan comparison

Fiber internet is much faster and more reliable than DSL, but costs about the same as DSL. Here’s a look at how EarthLink’s fiber plans compare against other major providers.

PlansStarting priceSpeeds up to
EarthLink Fiber 300 $49.95/mo.*300Mbps
AT&T Fiber Internet 300 $55/mo.300Mbps
Verizon Fios 300 Mbps $49.99/mo. ‡w/ Auto Pay300Mbps

Fixed wireless plan comparison

EarthLink offers wireless internet too. In some cases, EarthLink piggybacks off networks from other 4G LTE and 5G providers. In other cases, it offers traditional fixed wireless plans.

Most EarthLink fixed wireless plans come with strict data limits, ranging from 100GB to 300GB. If you use up your data, you’re cut off from the internet for the rest of the month unless you buy more or upgrade your plan. If you go with the unlimited data plan on an EarthLink fixed wireless connection, you still get throttled speeds after 300Mbps, but your connection won’t be cut off.

Other fixed wireless companies offer unlimited data, but may deprioritize your connection after 1.2TB. That’s four times more high-speed data than you get from EarthLink.

Here’s how prices compare.

BrandStarting priceSpeeds up to
EarthLink 100GB per month $99.95/mo.*100Mbps, with a 100GB data cap
$55.00/mo.225Mbps
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet Unlimited $50.00/mo.245Mbps

Read more provider comparisons

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EarthLink FAQ

How do I know if EarthLink is down in my area?

Why is EarthLink not working?

Why is my EarthLink Wi-Fi connected but I don't have internet?

Does EarthLink work when the power is out?

Disclaimers

DSL plan comparison

Fiber plan comparison

Fixed wireless plan comparison

Author -

Chili Palmer covers breaking news, satellite internet, mobile connectivity, and streaming services for HighSpeedInternet.com. Previously writing under the name Rebecca Palmer, Chili is passionate about providing accurate and accessible information any time you're trying to connect … whether you already speak geek or just got your first smartphone.

Editor - Jessica Brooksby

Jessica loves bringing her passion for the written word and her love of tech into one space at HighSpeedInternet.com. She works with the team’s writers to revise strong, user-focused content so every reader can find the tech that works for them. Jessica has a bachelor’s degree in English from Utah Valley University and seven years of creative and editorial experience. Outside of work, she spends her time gaming, reading, painting, and buying an excessive amount of Legend of Zelda merchandise.