Internet Slow in Nepal? Why Cloudflare is Down Today
Is Your Internet Slow in Butwal? It’s Not Just You (and It’s Not WorldLink/Vianet’s Fault Today)
If you are in Butwal (or anywhere in Nepal) and struggling to load websites like X (Twitter), ChatGPT, Discord, or even some local news portals right now, stop! Do not restart your router. Do not call the WorldLink or Vianet support hotline yet.
Here is the technical breakdown of why the internet feels “broken” today.
The Big Issue: Cloudflare is Down Globally
The problem is not your local fiber connection in Rupandehi. The issue is a massive global outage at Cloudflare.
- What is happening: Cloudflare, the “security guard” that protects and speeds up millions of websites (including major apps and Nepali portals), is experiencing a critical “System Degradation” today (Nov 18).
- The Symptoms: You are likely seeing “500 Internal Server Error” or “502 Bad Gateway” messages.3 This means your request left Butwal, reached the server, but the server failed to answer.
Why Butwal Users are Affected
Even though the servers might be in Singapore or the US, your connection relies on them.
- Slow Loading: When Cloudflare struggles, traffic gets “jammed.” It’s like a traffic jam at the Mugling roadeven if your car (internet speed) is fast, you can’t move because the road ahead is blocked.
- App Failures: Popular apps like Discord, ChatGPT, and X rely heavily on Cloudflare. If they are down for you, they are down for everyone in Kathmandu, Pokhara, and New York too.
Is it a Local Fiber Cut? (How to Check)
Before you blame your ISP, do this quick check on your router (ONU device):
- Look at the “PON” or “LOS” light.
- ✅ Green Light: Your physical line is fine. The problem is global. (This is 99% the case today).
- ❌ Red “LOS” Light: This means your specific fiber cable is broken or cut in your area. In this case, call support.
What Should You Do?
- Do NOT Reset Your Router: Resetting it won’t fix a global server error and might just mess up your settings.
- Wait it Out: These outages usually last 1–2 hours. Cloudflare engineers are already fixing it.
- Use Mobile Data? It likely won’t help. NTC and Ncell also route traffic through the same global gateways.
Stay updated with Tech Aware Nepal. We are monitoring the situation and will update you once the servers are green again.
Tag a friend in Butwal who is probably restarting their router right now! 👇
