Switch internet providers
Switching internet providers affects more than your connection: Wi-Fi devices, home phones, alarms, TV and even an email address can depend on it. Plan an overlap and switch without a gap.
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Your plan so far
9things this change touches
- critical0
- high2
- moderate5
- low2
Updates as you answer. Every item will explain why it’s there.
What could break
In a typical internet provider plan, these are the most serious things to get right.
Your internet provider email address may stop working
Critical · Phone & internet service
The address could stop working when the old service ends, along with every login and reset email that depends on it.
Alarm system or medical alert device
Critical · Home & utilities
Alarms or emergency alerts may not reach the monitoring service during or after the switch.
Book the new installation before the old service ends
High · Phone & internet service
Days without internet for work, school, security cameras or calls.
Keep the same Wi-Fi name and password so devices reconnect
High · Home & utilities
Devices drop offline until you reconnect each one.
Cancel the old service once the new one works
High · Phone & internet service
Cancel too early and you're offline; too late and you pay twice.
Check your current contract and cancellation terms
Moderate · Phone & internet service
Unexpected fees, or paying for two services longer than you need to.
Have a backup connection for installation day
Moderate · Phone & internet service
Missed meetings or deadlines while you wait for the technician.
TV and streaming bundled with your internet
Moderate · Subscriptions & billing
TV stops working, recordings are lost, or streaming subscriptions end unexpectedly.
Check your work VPN and remote access
Moderate · Work & school
You can't connect to work systems on your first day on the new service.
Secure the new router
Moderate · Home & utilities
Anyone who can reach the router could change its settings.
Before and after the change
Before you change it
- Check your current contract and cancellation terms
- Book the new installation before the old service ends
- Have a backup connection for installation day
- Your internet provider email address may stop working
- Alarm system or medical alert device
- TV and streaming bundled with your internet
- Check your work VPN and remote access
After the change
- Keep the same Wi-Fi name and password so devices reconnect
- Secure the new router
- Reconnect smart-home devices and printers
- Move autopay and billing to the new provider
- Test speed and check every device is back online
- Cancel the old service once the new one works
- Return the old provider's equipment
- Check the final bill, refunds and credits
Your own plan adds or removes items based on your answers, and explains why each one is there.
The safe order
Doing things in the right sequence is what keeps you from getting locked out halfway through.
Before the change
Step 1: Check your contract
Know your end date, fees and notice period before setting dates.
- Check your current contract and cancellation terms (moderate risk)
Step 2: Book the installation with an overlap
The new service should be working before the old one ends.
- Book the new installation before the old service ends (high risk)
- Have a backup connection for installation day (moderate risk)
Step 3: Sort out what else uses the old line
Email, home phone, alarms, TV and remote access.
- Your internet provider email address may stop working (critical risk)
- Alarm system or medical alert device (critical risk)
- TV and streaming bundled with your internet (moderate risk)
- Check your work VPN and remote access (moderate risk)
During the change
Step 4: Set up the new connection
Same Wi-Fi name and password, and a secured router.
- Keep the same Wi-Fi name and password so devices reconnect (high risk)
- Secure the new router (moderate risk)
Immediately after
Step 5: Reconnect devices and billing
Smart-home devices, printers and the new bill.
- Reconnect smart-home devices and printers (moderate risk)
- Move autopay and billing to the new provider (moderate risk)
Verify
Step 6: Test speed and every device
Easier to fix in the first few days.
- Test speed and check every device is back online (low risk)
Clean up
Step 7: Cancel the old service and return equipment
Only after the new service has worked for a few days.
- Cancel the old service once the new one works (high risk)
- Return the old provider's equipment (moderate risk)
Later
Step 8: Check the final bill
Fees, credits and refunds.
- Check the final bill, refunds and credits (low risk)
Why this change needs a plan
An internet switch looks like a single appointment, but a lot quietly depends on the old connection. Smart-home devices remember your Wi-Fi network, home phones and alarm systems may run over the line, and some people still use an email address the provider gave them.
The safest plan is to overlap the two services for a few days. Install the new one, move your devices and services across, test everything, and only then cancel the old service and return its equipment.
Contract terms, early cancellation fees and equipment return rules vary by provider and region, so check yours before you set dates.
Why it matters
A gap between services can cut off work from home, home security monitoring and medical alert devices, and a cancelled account can take an internet-provider email address with it.
What makes it risky
Risk is highest when you work from home, when an alarm or medical alert device uses the line, and when you use an email address supplied by the provider.
Common mistakes
- Cancelling the old service before the new one is installed and working.
- Choosing a new Wi-Fi name and password, then having to reconnect every smart device by hand.
- Forgetting that an email address from the provider may stop working when you leave.
- Not telling the alarm or medical alert company about the switch.
- Missing the equipment return deadline and being charged for the old modem or router.
Frequently asked questions
Should I cancel my old internet before or after the new one is installed?
After, in most cases. Overlapping the two for a few days avoids a gap if the installation is delayed. In the UK, the new provider usually arranges the switch and the old service ends automatically under Ofcom's switching process.
Will my smart-home devices work with a new router?
Usually, if you give the new Wi-Fi network exactly the same name and password as the old one. Some older devices may also need the same security type or a 2.4 GHz network. Otherwise, reconnect each device through its app.
Can I keep my internet provider email address?
Sometimes. Some providers let former customers keep the address; others close it. Ask before you cancel, and if you can't keep it, move your accounts to a new address first.
Can I keep my home phone number?
Usually you can transfer (port) it to the new provider. Start the transfer through the new provider before cancelling the old service, because cancelling first can release the number.
Will I have to pay to leave my contract early?
You might. Check your contract for early cancellation fees, notice periods and equipment charges. In Canada, the CRTC's Internet Code sets rules for large providers' contracts, and in the UK, Ofcom's switching rules require providers to tell you about charges before you switch.
Regional notes
General information, not legal advice. Check the official source where you live.
- Canada
- The CRTC's Internet Code sets rules for large internet providers' contracts, including how early cancellation fees work. The Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS) handles complaints.
- United Kingdom
- Under Ofcom's One Touch Switch process, you contact the new provider and it arranges the switch. Your old service should end automatically once the new one works.