How To Fix Connected To WiFi But No Internet?

If you’re using a wireless connection, you might get the ‘WiFi Connected – No Internet’ error message. This means your computer is connected to the modem or router but not to the internet.

The World Wide Web is great but only as long as you can connect to it. Internet connectivity problems can happen from time to time and there are different reasons behind this.

Your computer might be showing no connectivity whatsoever or it might be showing there is connectivity but you still can’t connect to the internet.

In order to fix this issue you need to find out whether only one device is affected or the whole network. This will determine the best solution to try to fix it.

What Can Cause This Error?

The ‘WiFi Connected but No Internet’ error will show as a black exclamation mark in a small yellow warning triangle on a Windows PC.

It will show as a black exclamation mark on a mobile device.

The error message might say ‘connected, no internet access’ or ‘WiFi connected but no internet’.

This means the device is connected to the modem or router but something is blocking internet access.

These are some possible causes:

  • The DNS server settings are wrongly configured.
  • The wireless drivers might be out of date.
  • Your PC has an outdated wireless mode.
  • The computer’s WiFi adapter is defective.
  • Your router is defective.
  • The DNS cache is corrupted.
  • The internet service provider is down.
  • The PC has an incorrect internet protocol (IP) address.
  • Your security software (antivirus) is preventing internet access.

You need to figure out whether it’s only one device that’s affected or the whole network. Knowing this will help you decide which solution is the most likely to work.

Devices With A Wifi Connection But No Internet

If no device is connecting, then it’s possible your internet service provider is down or you have a modem or router problem.

Now let’s take a look at several solutions based on whether you have a ‘WiFi Connected but No Internet’ error message on one device or on all of them.

Solutions 1 through 7 are for the error on a single device. Solutions 8 and after are for the error on all your devices.

How To Fix “WiFi Connected But No Internet” Error on Single Device

If your other devices are connecting to the internet fine, then the culprit could be an IP address problem, DNS issues, faulty drivers, faulty WiFi adapters, or a wrongly configured setting.

These are possible fixes if you have the issue on a single device:

Solution #1: Try The Windows Network Troubleshooter

It’s possible the Windows Network Troubleshooter might be able to solve the issue immediately, so it’s a good fix to try first:

  1. Type “Settings” in the search bar on your PC.
  1. Click “Network & Internet“.
  1. Click on “Status” in the left hand side menu and select “Network Troubleshooter“.
  1. Run it to see if it resolves the connection issue.

Solution #2: Disable Fast Startup

Do you use this setting to shut down and switch on the PC faster? If so, it might interfere with your internet connection.

This is how to disable it:

  • Press the Windows key + R to open the “Run Dialog” box and type in “powercfg.cpl” (press OK to open the Power Options menu).
  • Click “Choose what the power button does” on the left side.
  • Than click “Change Settings Currently Unavailable” under the “Define tab“.
  • Find the “fast startup” option under “Shutdown Settings“, uncheck this option and press “Save“.

Restart the PC to see whether you can connect to the internet now.


Solution #3: Flush The Dns (Domain Name System)

Technical glitches or a malicious code can corrupt the DNS cache. This will result in an IP address mismatch which means you can’t get online even if you have WiFi available. This is how to flush the DNS:

Type Command Prompt in the search bar and right-click on it.
Run it as an administrator.

Type in these commands, pressing Enter after each:

ipconfig /flushdns
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew

Now close the Command Prompt and test the internet connection.


Solution #4: Update The Network Adapter Drive

You might have a communication error between your PC and the hardware drivers if you update the PC often but not the drivers.

It might be the case that you have a network adapter driver which is out of date.

This is how to update it:

  1. Type Device Manager in the search bar and open it.
  2. Click on “Network Adapters” to expand the selection.
  3. Right-click the “Wireless” option and click on “Update the Driver“.

If the PC won’t update the driver automatically you might need to do it manually from the website of the PC or motherboard manufacturer (obviously you’ll need a device that’s connected to the internet to download this!)

You can tell which is the wireless adapter because it says it’s for a wireless connection or it has a wireless mode (eg 802.11).


Solution #5: Check The Validity Of Your Ip Address

An incorrect IP address can cause a PC not to be able to access the internet.

This is how to check the IP validity:

  • Right-click on the network icon in the taskbar at the bottom right of your screen.
  • Click on “Open Network & Internet Settings“, than “Change Adapter Options” and double-click the network you want to use.
  • Click “Properties” at the bottom of the window that opens and find + double-click “Internet Protocol Version 4” (make sure the DNS server address and IP address are set to automatic).
  • Press “OK” and try to access the internet again.

Solution #6: Change The Dns Server Address

Your DNS server settings might have been wrongly configured, especially if you are setting up the PC or network for the first time.

This is how to change the DNS:

  • Open the Run menu by pressing the “Windows + R” and type this in the text bar:
control /name Microsoft.NetworkAndSharingCenter
  • Click on “Change Adapter Settings” in the top left of the window that is open and select “WiFi” then “Properties” to open another window.
  • Find and click on Internet “Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)“.
  • Click on “Properties” to open another window showing how your DNS server and IP address are obtained.
  • Change the setting to “Use the Following DNS Server Address“.
  • Enter 8.8.4.4 for “Alternate DNS” and 8.8.8.8 for “Preferred DNS“.

Solution #7: Uninstall Applications Which Might Be Conflicting

Some programs and applications can stop the PC from being able to get online even if the PC says there’s a connection.

Antivirus software is the usual culprit in this scenario, so you can try to disable your third-party antivirus program to see whether that helps.


How To Fix WiFi Connected But No Internet Error On Multiple Devices

These are possible fixes if you have the issue on every device:

Solution #1: Check Whether Your Internet Service Provider Is Down

If every device you have has an internet connection but won’t access the internet, this might mean you have a service provider outage.

You will need to use cellular data to look at the ISP website or social media profile. Alternatively you can call your ISP to ask.

If you can use cellular data to get online you can visit a site such as DownDetector to see whether other users are having the same issue or if there is an outage in your area.

If not, then your router might be to blame for the error.


Solution #2: Reset Or Reboot The Router Or Modem

Switching the router and modem off and on again can sometimes resolve the issue. Do you have a router only?

Power the router down and unplug it from the wall. Wait a minute then plug it in again and switch it on. Do you have a modem as well as a router?

Power both off and unplug them. Wait a minute then plug the modem back in and power it on. Wait another minute and plug the router in.

When everything has powered up (this can take up to 10 minutes) you can test whether your devices now access the internet.


Solution #3: Reset The Whole Network

If you have got this far and still see the ‘WiFi Connected but No Internet’ error, you might have to reset the entire network.

This puts all network settings back to default values and removes all the network adapters.

You will have to set it all back up afterwards, including updating your default network adapters and also reconnecting to the local network.

Make sure you know the password for the internet network, since you need it to do this:

  • Open windows settings and select “Network & Internet“.
  • Click “Status” in the left hand side menu.
  • Scroll down to find “Network Troubleshooter“, select “Network Reset” and follow the instructions shown on the screen.

When the network is reset, you can click the internet’s taskbar icon to reconnect to the internet.

You might have to find your network from the list of available ones, and then connect to it.


Conclusion

It can be frustrating when you can’t access the internet, but it is very likely one of the above solutions will solve your connection issue so you can get online again.

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