--- title: "Network Connectivity Issues Template" description: "Template for communicating network outages, CDN problems, and regional connectivity issues to affected users." author: "openstatus" publishedAt: "2026-01-19" category: "template" faq: - question: "How do I identify which region or users are affected?" answer: "Use monitoring data from multiple geographic locations, check CDN provider dashboards, and review user reports by location. Tools like uptime monitors with multi-region checks can quickly identify geographic patterns in outages." - question: "Should I provide a workaround like a direct IP address?" answer: "Yes, if safe and practical. Direct IPs, alternate endpoints, or backup URLs can help users during CDN or DNS issues. Just ensure the workaround is secure and won't create additional problems once the primary issue is resolved." - question: "What if my CDN provider is having issues but hasn't acknowledged it?" answer: "You can still communicate transparently without waiting for your provider. Say 'We're experiencing connectivity issues that appear related to our CDN provider. We're investigating with them and will update you shortly.' Users care about your transparency, not your provider's timeline." --- Use this template when experiencing network-related issues affecting user connectivity, including CDN problems, regional outages, or ISP issues. ## When to Use This Template - Regional network outages - CDN degradation or failures - DNS resolution problems - ISP-specific connectivity issues - DDoS mitigation impacts ## Template Messages ### Investigating We are aware of connectivity issues affecting some users. The issue appears to be network-related and we are investigating the root cause. Our team is working to restore connectivity as quickly as possible. ### Identified We have identified the cause of the connectivity issues. Our team is working with our network provider to implement a fix. ### Monitoring Network connectivity has been restored. We are monitoring the situation to ensure stability across all regions. ### Resolved The connectivity issues have been fully resolved. All users should now have normal access to our services. ## Real-World Examples ### Fly.io: "Network instability in IAD region" **Context**: Regional infrastructure problem **Location**: IAD (Ashburn, Virginia) **Approach**: Geographic specificity **What they did well**: - Named the specific region affected - Used technical but clear naming ("network instability") - Focused on infrastructure layer vs vague "connectivity problems" **Why it worked**: Users in that region immediately knew they were affected, while users elsewhere knew they weren't experiencing issues. ### GitHub: Infrastructure with Specific Impact Areas **Context**: Multi-service infrastructure issues **Approach**: Service-by-service breakdown **Sample structure**: ``` We're experiencing connectivity issues affecting: - Issues and Pull Requests: 10% error rate - GitHub Actions: 5% job failures - API: Elevated latency Other services operating normally. ``` **Why it worked**: Users could quickly assess if their workflow was affected. ## Geographic Specificity Best Practices ### Be Specific About Location ✅ Good: - "Users in Europe experiencing connectivity issues" - "Network problems in AWS us-east-1 region" - "CDN degradation affecting Asia-Pacific" ❌ Vague: - "Some users having problems" - "Network issues" - "Connectivity degraded" ### Example: Regional Communication **For global outage**: ``` We're experiencing network connectivity issues affecting users globally. Our network provider is investigating. We'll provide updates every 30 minutes. ``` **For regional outage**: ``` We're aware of connectivity issues affecting users in the EU region. This appears to be related to our CDN provider. US and Asia-Pacific regions are operating normally. ``` **For ISP-specific**: ``` We're receiving reports of connectivity issues from users on [ISP Name]. We're working with the ISP to resolve. Users on other networks should not be affected. ``` ## CDN-Specific Communication When CDN issues affect your service: ### During Investigation ``` We're experiencing degraded performance due to issues with our CDN provider. Users may see slower load times or intermittent connectivity. We're working with [CDN Provider] to resolve this quickly. ``` ### When Switching to Backup ``` We've temporarily switched traffic to our backup CDN to restore performance. You may experience brief disruptions during this transition. ``` ### After Resolution ``` CDN performance has been fully restored. All traffic has been returned to our primary provider, and we're monitoring closely for any recurring issues. ``` ## DNS Issues Communication ### Initial Report ``` We're aware of DNS resolution failures affecting access to [service]. Some users may receive "site cannot be reached" errors. We're working with our DNS provider to resolve this immediately. Workaround: If you have our service's IP address cached, you can still access via direct IP. ``` ### Resolution ``` DNS resolution has been restored. Changes may take 5-15 minutes to propagate globally due to DNS caching. If you still can't access the service, try clearing your DNS cache or waiting a few minutes. ``` ## Providing Workarounds Always include workarounds when possible: ### Example 1: CDN Issues ``` While we work on the connectivity issue, you can access the service directly via: https://direct.yourservice.com (bypasses CDN) ``` ### Example 2: Regional Issues ``` Users in affected regions can temporarily use our US endpoint: https://us.yourservice.com ``` ### Example 3: API Connectivity ``` If experiencing timeouts, try reducing request rate or adding retry logic with exponential backoff. We'll send an all-clear when issues are fully resolved. ``` ## DDoS Mitigation Communication ### During Active Mitigation ``` We're currently mitigating a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack. Some users may experience: - Slower response times - CAPTCHA challenges - Temporary access blocks These are protective measures. Your data and account remain secure. ``` ### Post-Mitigation ``` The DDoS attack has been successfully mitigated. All protective measures remain in place. Service performance has returned to normal. ``` ## Timing Expectations Set clear expectations about updates: ``` We're investigating network connectivity issues in the APAC region. We'll provide updates every 15 minutes until resolved. Next update: 10:15 UTC ``` Then honor that commitment: ``` [10:15 UTC Update] Still investigating. Network provider has identified the issue and is implementing a fix. We expect resolution within 30 minutes. Next update: 10:30 UTC or sooner if resolved. ``` ## Multi-Region Status Example For services with multiple regions: ``` Current Status: - 🔴 EU-West: Major connectivity issues - 🟡 US-East: Minor latency increases - 🟢 US-West: Operating normally - 🟢 Asia-Pacific: Operating normally We're prioritizing restoration of EU-West and monitoring other regions closely. ``` ## Third-Party Provider Communication When the issue is with a third-party: ✅ **Be transparent but professional**: ``` We're experiencing connectivity issues due to problems with our CDN provider, Cloudflare. They are working on a fix. We're monitoring their status page and will update you as we learn more. ``` ❌ **Don't blame or criticize**: ``` Cloudflare is down again! Not our fault! 🤷 ``` ## Follow-Up After Resolution ### Short-Term (Same Day) ``` Connectivity has been fully restored across all regions. We're continuing to monitor for any recurring issues. ``` ### Medium-Term (Next Day) ``` Yesterday's connectivity issues were caused by [root cause]. We're working with our network provider to implement additional safeguards to prevent recurrence. ``` ## Related Templates - Use **API Service Disruption** if network issues primarily affect API calls - Use **Database Performance** if network latency affects database connections - Use **Security Incident** if connectivity issues are attack-related