How Long Do Network Outages Typically Last?

Network Outages

January 27, 2025

Network outages can range from a few minutes to several days, depending on the root cause, the systems in place to detect and mitigate the issue, and how quickly recovery actions are taken.

‍

On average, network downtime for a typical incident is between 30 minutes and 4 hours, but global network outages or large-scale disruptions may extend much longer.

‍

Typical Durations by Cause

‍

Network outages are triggered by a variety of factors, each with its own average recovery time. Below is a simplification of these common causes and expected durations:

‍

Cause	Description	Specific Examples	Why Recovery Takes This Long	Typical Duration
Hardware Failures	Failures in routers, switches, servers, storage devices, or physical cables.	A failed network switch disrupting a local office; a damaged fiber optic cable cutting off connectivity.	Recovery depends on spare parts availability, technician response time, and complexity of the replacement.	30 minutes to 2 hours
Configuration Errors	Misconfigurations in firewalls, routing tables, VLANs, DNS records, or access control lists.	Incorrect DNS settings causing website inaccessibility; firewall misconfigurations blocking essential traffic.	Errors may require diagnosis across multiple systems; fixes must propagate across affected devices.	15 minutes to 4 hours
Power Outages	Power failures affecting network devices, data centers, or ISPs, potentially compounded by UPS or generator failures.	A regional blackout affecting an ISP’s data center; an office without a working backup generator.	Restoring power or switching to backup systems may take hours; damage to equipment extends recovery time.	1 to 8 hours (or longer)
Cyberattacks (e.g., DDoS)	Overwhelming network resources through maliciously high traffic volumes or targeted exploitation.	A botnet-driven DDoS attack flooding a financial institution’s website; ransomware locking critical servers.	Mitigation requires filtering malicious traffic, restoring affected systems, and strengthening defenses.	Several hours to days
ISP or Carrier Issues	Failures in internet service provider networks or backbone infrastructure like submarine cables.	An ISP outage disrupting connectivity in a specific region; submarine cable cuts affecting international traffic.	Repairs may involve complex coordination, especially for submarine cables requiring specialized ships.	1 hour to several days
Global Network Outages	Large-scale disruptions, often caused by failures in cloud providers, DNS services, or internet backbone infrastructure.	An AWS region outage affecting major websites; a DNS provider under attack leading to widespread service failures.	Requires coordination among multiple providers; global DNS updates take time to propagate.	1 to 6 hours, up to weeks

‍

Factors Impacting Outage Duration

‍

The time it takes to restore a network depends on several key factors:

‍

Detection Speed

If the outage isn’t detected quickly, recovery actions are delayed. Automated monitoring tools can reduce detection time to seconds.
Redundancy in Systems

Networks with built-in failovers (e.g., redundant servers, backup ISPs) often recover in minutes, while non-redundant systems may take hours or even days.
Scale of the Issue

Local issues (e.g., a misconfigured router) are resolved faster than global issues (e.g., a major cloud provider outage).
SLA Agreements with ISPs

Service Level Agreements can guarantee faster response times from ISPs or third-party service providers. Without them, repairs may take longer.

‍

Calculating the Cost of Network Downtime

‍

The cost depends on revenue loss, productivity impact, and repair expenses. Here’s a formula to calculate downtime costs:

‍

Downtime Cost = (Revenue Lost + Productivity Loss + Incident Costs) × Duration

‍

Example Calculation

‍

Assume your company generates $200,000/hour in revenue, employs 150 staff with an average hourly wage of $30, and experiences a 3-hour outage.

‍

The incident also incurs $20,000 in external repair costs.

‍

Revenue Lost: $200,000 × 3 hours = $600,000
Productivity Loss: 150 employees × $30/hour × 3 hours = $13,500
Incident Costs: $20,000 for repairs.

‍

Total Downtime Cost: $600,000 + $13,500 + $20,000 = $633,500

‍

The cost can multiply rapidly, especially for industries like e-commerce or finance, where downtime directly impacts customer trust and transactions.

‍

Global Network Outages—Special Cases

‍

Large-scale outages, such as global network outages, tend to last longer due to their complexity. These are often caused by issues like:

‍

Submarine Cable Damage: Repairs require specialized ships and can take several days to weeks, depending on the severity of the damage.
Cloud Provider Failures: Incidents involving AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud are usually resolved in 1 to 6 hours, but cascading dependencies may prolong recovery.
DNS Failures: DNS outages, often due to DDoS attacks or misconfigurations, typically last 30 minutes to 2 hours, but can have lingering effects as caches update.

‍

What to Expect During a Network Outage

‍

If you’re experiencing a network outage, here’s what you can realistically anticipate:

‍

Outage Type	Duration	Common Causes	Consumer Impact	Examples
Small Outages (Local)	15 minutes to 2 hours	- Misconfigured home router. - Localized ISP issue. - Minor hardware failure in your area.	- Temporary loss of internet. - Difficulty accessing websites or streaming services. - Interruption of work-from-home activities.	A router reboot resolves slow speeds; a minor ISP hiccup causes brief interruptions.
Medium Outages (Regional)	30 minutes to 6 hours	- Faulty regional ISP equipment. - Damage to local infrastructure (e.g., fiber cut).	- Extended inability to browse or stream. - Limited access to cloud-based services. - Possible mobile data reliance for work or communication.	A fiber optic cable is cut during construction; a regional power outage affects the ISP’s operations.
Large or Global Outages	6 hours to several days (or weeks)	- Submarine cable damage. - Cloud provider outages (AWS, Google Cloud). - Large-scale DNS failure.	- Complete loss of internet for extended periods. - Business disruptions, financial losses. - Delayed access to critical services.	AWS outage affecting multiple services; a submarine cable cut slows or blocks international traffic.