diff --git a/frontend/src/App.tsx b/frontend/src/App.tsx
index b9aa348..0cc57ae 100644
--- a/frontend/src/App.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/App.tsx
@@ -1,16 +1,39 @@
-import { Routes, Route } from 'react-router-dom';
+import { useEffect } from 'react';
+import { Routes, Route, useNavigate, useLocation } from 'react-router-dom';
 import Login from './pages/Login/Login';
 import ErrorPage from './pages/ErrorPage/ErrorPage';
+import { pingServer, registerServerDownHandler } from './services/apiClient';
 
 export default function App() {
+  const navigate = useNavigate();
+  const location = useLocation();
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    // Register global handler for any API fault
+    registerServerDownHandler(() => {
+      navigate('/500', { replace: true });
+    });
+
+    // Skip ping if already on an error route
+    if (location.pathname === '/500' || location.pathname === '/403' || location.pathname === '/404' || location.pathname === '/422') {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // Startup ping to verify server connectivity
+    pingServer().then((isOnline) => {
+      if (!isOnline) {
+        navigate('/500', { replace: true });
+      }
+    });
+  }, [navigate, location.pathname]);
+
   return (
     <Routes>
-              <Route path="*" element={<Login />} />
-              <Route path="/403" element={<ErrorPage kind="not-authorized" />} />
-              <Route path="/500" element={<ErrorPage kind="server-down" />} />
-              <Route path="/422" element={<ErrorPage kind="file-corrupted" />} />
-              <Route path="/404" element={<ErrorPage kind="not-found" />} />
-
+      <Route path="/500" element={<ErrorPage kind="server-down" />} />
+      <Route path="/403" element={<ErrorPage kind="not-authorized" />} />
+      <Route path="/422" element={<ErrorPage kind="file-corrupted" />} />
+      <Route path="/404" element={<ErrorPage kind="not-found" />} />
+      <Route path="*" element={<Login />} />
     </Routes>
   );
 }
diff --git a/frontend/src/config/api.ts b/frontend/src/config/api.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1fa43a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/config/api.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+// Central API Configuration
+// Currently points to placeholder URL until server configuration is shared
+export const API_BASE_URL: string =
+  (import.meta as { env?: { VITE_API_BASE_URL?: string } }).env?.VITE_API_BASE_URL ||
+  'https://example.com';
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/Login/Login.tsx b/frontend/src/pages/Login/Login.tsx
index 7181b30..8abd43b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/Login/Login.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/Login/Login.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { FormEvent, useState } from 'react';
 import { useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom';
 import styles from './Login.module.scss';
+import { apiFetch } from '../../services/apiClient';
 
 type Mode = 'signin' | 'signup';
 
@@ -11,6 +12,7 @@ export default function Login() {
   const [password, setPassword] = useState('');
   const [confirmPassword, setConfirmPassword] = useState('');
   const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null);
+  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false);
   const navigate = useNavigate();
 
   function toggleMode() {
@@ -21,18 +23,47 @@ export default function Login() {
   async function handleSubmit(e: FormEvent) {
     e.preventDefault();
     setError(null);
+    setLoading(true);
 
-    if (mode === 'signup') {
-      if (password !== confirmPassword) {
-        setError('Passwords do not match.');
-        return;
+    try {
+      if (mode === 'signup') {
+        if (password !== confirmPassword) {
+          setError('Passwords do not match.');
+          setLoading(false);
+          return;
+        }
+        const res = await apiFetch('/api/auth/signup', {
+          method: 'POST',
+          headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
+          body: JSON.stringify({ name, email, password }),
+        });
+        const data = await res.json();
+        if (!data.success) {
+          setError(data.message || 'Signup failed.');
+          setLoading(false);
+          return;
+        }
+      } else {
+        const res = await apiFetch('/api/auth/login', {
+          method: 'POST',
+          headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
+          body: JSON.stringify({ email, password }),
+        });
+        const data = await res.json();
+        if (!data.success) {
+          setError(data.message || 'Login failed.');
+          setLoading(false);
+          return;
+        }
       }
-      // await signup(name, email, password);
-    } else {
-      // await login(email, password);
-    }
 
-    navigate('/profile');
+      navigate('/');
+    } catch {
+      // apiFetch automatically triggers server-down navigation on network fault
+      setError('Unable to reach server.');
+    } finally {
+      setLoading(false);
+    }
   }
 
   return (
@@ -78,7 +109,9 @@ export default function Login() {
 
         {error && <p className={styles.error}>{error}</p>}
 
-        <button type="submit">{mode === 'signin' ? 'Sign In' : 'Sign Up'}</button>
+        <button type="submit" disabled={loading}>
+          {loading ? 'Please wait...' : mode === 'signin' ? 'Sign In' : 'Sign Up'}
+        </button>
 
         <p className={styles.switch}>
           {mode === 'signin' ? "Don't have an account?" : 'Already have an account?'}{' '}
diff --git a/frontend/src/services/apiClient.ts b/frontend/src/services/apiClient.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5470c0c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/services/apiClient.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+import { API_BASE_URL } from '../config/api';
+
+export class ServerDownError extends Error {
+  constructor(message = 'Server is unreachable') {
+    super(message);
+    this.name = 'ServerDownError';
+  }
+}
+
+// Global listener for server unreachability / fault
+let onServerDownHandler: (() => void) | null = null;
+
+export function registerServerDownHandler(handler: () => void) {
+  onServerDownHandler = handler;
+}
+
+export function triggerServerDown() {
+  if (onServerDownHandler) {
+    onServerDownHandler();
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Pings the server health/status endpoint.
+ * Returns true if server responds with 2xx status, false otherwise.
+ */
+export async function pingServer(timeoutMs = 3500): Promise<boolean> {
+  const controller = new AbortController();
+  const timer = setTimeout(() => controller.abort(), timeoutMs);
+
+  try {
+    const res = await fetch(`${API_BASE_URL}/api/auth/status`, {
+      method: 'GET',
+      signal: controller.signal,
+    });
+    clearTimeout(timer);
+    return res.ok;
+  } catch {
+    clearTimeout(timer);
+    return false;
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Global wrapper around fetch for server API communication.
+ * Automatically triggers server-down navigation if the server is unreachable or faults.
+ */
+export async function apiFetch(endpoint: string, options: RequestInit = {}): Promise<Response> {
+  const url = endpoint.startsWith('http') ? endpoint : `${API_BASE_URL}${endpoint}`;
+  try {
+    const response = await fetch(url, options);
+    if (response.status >= 500) {
+      triggerServerDown();
+      throw new ServerDownError(`Server error (HTTP ${response.status})`);
+    }
+    return response;
+  } catch (err) {
+    triggerServerDown();
+    if (err instanceof ServerDownError) {
+      throw err;
+    }
+    throw new ServerDownError(err instanceof Error ? err.message : 'Network error');
+  }
+}
diff --git a/frontend/tsconfig.tsbuildinfo b/frontend/tsconfig.tsbuildinfo
index 70a4da1..98ed9a7 100644
--- a/frontend/tsconfig.tsbuildinfo
+++ b/frontend/tsconfig.tsbuildinfo
@@ -1 +1 @@
-{"root":["./src/app.tsx","./src/main.tsx","./src/vite-env.d.ts","./src/context/themecontext.tsx","./src/pages/errorpage/errorpage.tsx","./src/pages/login/login.tsx"],"version":"5.9.3"}
\ No newline at end of file
+{"root":["./src/app.tsx","./src/main.tsx","./src/vite-env.d.ts","./src/config/api.ts","./src/context/themecontext.tsx","./src/pages/errorpage/errorpage.tsx","./src/pages/login/login.tsx","./src/services/apiclient.ts"],"version":"5.9.3"}
\ No newline at end of file