A ‘no internet’ error is a common error that occurs when trying to connect devices to the internet. This means that the device is able to connect to the local network (usually a Wi-Fi router or a modem), but it can’t connect to the internet.
There are a number of things which can cause this problem. This article will take you through all of the possible causes and solutions.
On Windows computers, this error is normally displayed as a yellow triangle with a black exclamation mark over the internet icon. On mobile devices, it’s often displayed as just a black exclamation mark. You are also likely to see a message saying ‘Wi-Fi connected but no internet’ or ‘connected, no internet access’.
Why am I connected to Wi-Fi but not the internet?
There is a number of possible reasons why you are able to connect to a Wi-Fi network, but not to the internet.
Common causes
- A cable is unplugged
- Your router is faulty
- Your Wi-Fi adapter is faulty
- Your internet service provider is down
- Your domain name server settings are wrong
- Your computer has an incorrect IP address
- Your wireless drivers are out of date
- Your DNS cache is corrupted
- Your DNS server settings are wrongly configured
There are a number of ways to find out what is causing the problem and to fix it….
What do I do?
First, find out where the problem is
The first thing to do is to find out whether the problem lies with the device you are trying to connect or with the router.
To do this, try connecting another device to the same network and see if it works. If it does, then the problem most likely lies with the device you are trying to connect. If your other device also doesn’t work, then the problem most likely lies with your router or internet service provider.
This will help you to narrow down your efforts and you will be able to rule out some of the fixes below depending on what is causing the problem.
Some things to do first
Before you do anything it’s worth making sure there isn’t an obvious solution
Wait…
Sometimes failure to connect to the internet can be caused by your internet service provider being down. They usually fix this problem themselves. If you have the patience then wait for about an hour to see if the problem resolves itself.
Check all the cables are plugged in correctly
If you have pets or children they might have unplugged the cables. Check that all the cables between the router and the modem are properly connected. Try unplugging them, blowing into them, and then plugging them back in.
Move closer to the router
You may just be too far away from your router to get a proper connection. Make sure that you’re close enough to connect properly. Move closer and wait for around five minutes to see if the problem resolves itself.
Restart your device
Sometimes restarting the device you are using will solve the problem. Restart it and check to see if you can access the internet.
Scan for viruses
Sometimes viruses can leave you connected but no internet. If you don’t already have one download an anti-virus and run a scan. You should perform regular anti-virus scans anyway and so it won’t hurt to give this a try.
One alternative….
If you’re trying to connect with a laptop and you’re in a rush to get an internet connection, use your smartphone as a hotspot to gain internet access.
Use your smartphone as a hotspot
Set up your smartphone as a hotspot and on your laptop click on the network and get connected. This will provide a quick short term solution to the problem.
Fix the problem
Option #1: Restart your router
This is a quick and easy solution that actually works a lot of the time.
- Turn your router off at the wall and unplug it
- Wait for at least 30 seconds and then plug it back in and power it back up
- Leave it for around ten minutes. While you are doing this you should also try restarting the device which is displaying ‘connected but no internet’
- Finally, see if you are able to get an internet connection
If you are using a modem, just follow the same procedure for your modem. If you’re using a router and a modem, then do this for both of them. Make sure they are both unplugged for at least 30 seconds.
If you still have no internet, then read on…
Option #2: Run the troubleshooter
The Windows Network Troubleshooter will also often solve the problem very quickly. This comes pre-installed on most versions of Windows.
One way to run the troubleshooter…
- Right-click on the internet icon in the bottom right hand corner of your screen
- Select Troubleshoot Problems
- Follow the onscreen instructions
- If Windows is able to find a solution it will prompt you to fix the problem
- Click okay
- Wait for 5 minutes and see if the problem with your internet connection is resolved.
Another way
If you aren’t able to follow the instructions above…
- Search for Settings in the taskbar
- Click on Network and Internet
- Click on Status and then click on Network Troubleshooter
- Follow the onscreen instructions
- If Windows is able to find a solution it will prompt you to fix the problem
- Click okay
- Wait for 5 minutes and see if the problem with your internet connection is resolved.
If your device still isn’t connecting to the internet, then here’s the next fix to try….
Option #3: Check your internet service provider is not down
Call your ISP and see if they are down. It’s always worth checking in with your internet service provider to see if they are experiencing a down. They will be able to tell you if they are and will give you a schedule for when they will be able to fix it.
You can also check this online on websites, such as downdetector.com.
Option #4: Update your wireless network adapter drivers
Try updating your driver to see if internet access is down because your wireless network adapter drivers are out of date.
- Search for Device Manager in the search bar
- Go to Network Adapters and then to Wireless
- Right-click on it and select Update the Driver
- Your computer should automatically update your wireless network adapter drivers
Once the process has completed, see if you are able to able to get an internet connection. If you’re still connected but no internet, try restarting your computer to see if the changes take effect after this.
Option #5: Flush your DNS cache
Your DNS cache stores files from recent websites that you’ve been to and use these files to work more quickly in the future. Viruses, unauthorized domain names, and technical glitches can corrupt the cache and cause problems with your Wi-Fi connection. To see if a corrupted DNS cache is causing the problem, try flushing it out using Command Prompt.
- Search for Command Prompt in the search bar
- Right-click on it and choose Run as Administrator
- Once it is open, type in ‘ipconfig /flushdns’ and press enter
- Then type in ‘ipconfig /release’ and press enter
- And then type in ‘ipconfig /renew’ and press enter
- Allow the process to finish by itself. It’s important that you allow the process to run and don’t stop it before it has finished by itself
This may solve the problem. After it has finished go to your home screen and see if you are still having issues. Click on the network icon and see if it is fully connected or still connected but no internet. If this hasn’t worked try restarting your device before moving on to the next step.
Option #6: Disable fast startup
If you have Windows 10 you may be running it with fast startup. This is a feature which allows your computer to start up more quickly by not closing all the running processes when you turn it off. Commonly, if there is a problem with your network adapter which would normally be resolved by restarting your computer, it will not be resolved if you have fast startup enabled.
- Search for Power Options in the search bar
- In the next window, click on Choose What the Power Button Does on the left hand side
- In the next window, deselect the box which says ‘Turn on Fast Startup’
After you have done this, try restarting your computer again and see if you are able to get internet access on Wi-FI. This may work if you have already tried restarting your computer without any luck but have just discovered that you had fast startup enabled.
If you’re still connected but no internet, then read on…
Option #7: Reset the Winsock catalog
Winsock is a programming interface and the supporting program which controls internet applications on Windows computers. If it is corrupted, performing a complete reset using Command Prompt can fix internet access and connection issues.
To reset the winsock catalog…
- Search for Command Prompt in the search bar
- Right-click on it and choose Run as Administrator
- Type ‘netsh winsock reset catalog’ and press enter
- Type ‘netsh int ip reset reset.log’ and press enter
- And then, type ‘netsh int ip reset’ and press the enter key
- Allow the process to finish by itself. It’s important that you allow the process to run and don’t stop it before it has finished by itself
After it has finished, restart your device and see if you’re able to access the internet. Hopefully, the network icon shows that you’re device is connected again.
If you still have no internet connection, then read on for our next fix…
Option #8: Check your IP address and DNS server address
Issues that may be causing a problem are your IP address and DNS server address. If they are incorrect your network internet connection will be lost.
- Go to the bottom right-hand corner of your screen and right-click on the network icon
- Choose Open Network and Internet Settings
- Click on Change Adapter Options
- In the next screen, select Properties and double click Internet Protocol Version 4
- Inside Internet Protocol Version 4 you will see a tick box enabling you to choose your IP address and DNS server address settings to be set to Obtained Automatically
- Tick this box
If your IP address and DNS server address settings are incorrectly configured you will be unable to access the internet. Setting your computer to obtain them automatically should fix the problem.
After you have finished, restart your device, try connecting to the internet and see if you have internet access.
If you’re still connected but no internet, then read on…
Option # 9: Manually change your DNS server address
You can try manually changing your DNS server.
- Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box
- Type ‘control /name Microsoft.NetworkAndSharingCenter’ and press okay
- On the next screen click Change Adapter Settings
- Right-click on Wi-Fi and select Properties
- On the next screen select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and click on Properties
- On the next screen, select Use the Following DNS Server Address
- In the Preferred DNS Server box type ‘8.8.8.8’ and in the Alternate DNS Server box type ‘8.8.4.4’
- Choose Okay
After you have finished this, you should restart your computer and see if you are able to connect to the internet. If this procedure doesn’t work, make sure that you return to option #8 and set your DNS server and IP address to be obtained automatically. Problems with your DNS server or IP address can be complicated and it’s best to use automatic processes where possible.
If you’re still connected but no internet, then here is our last suggestion.
Option #10: Reset your entire network
You can reset your network and see if this get you connected. This will reset your network back to its default state and will also remove network adapters. This can be a drastic option as you will have to set everything up again.
For devices on the iCloud Keychain, this will affect all of the connected devices not just one device.
You will have to update your default network adapters again (follow the instructions in option #4) and also reconnect to your local home network (i.e. reconnect to your router). On some devices this can take a while, but it does often solve many network internet problems.
- Search for Settings in the search bar
- Click on Network and Internet
- On the left hand side click on Status
- Go to Network Troubleshooter and choose Network Reset
- Follow the on-screen prompts and then allow the process to finish
After the process has finished restarting your computer. You will have no internet after you have restarted your device. Go to our instructions for option #4 and follow the steps to update your network adapters. Reconnect to your router as well. After this, hopefully, you will be an internet error-free and your network connection will be up and running.
A few other things to try…
If none of the above solutions have worked for you, there are a few other things you can try. We have provided a brief description, but you may have to do further research if you are unsure about how to carry out the following procedures.
Disabling Firewall
Sometimes Windows Firewall can interfere with your IP address, network connection, or your router. A firewall is used to keep your computer safe and so it’s best to have it turned on. Turning it off, will help you to locate the problem if the issue is resolved.
A firewall is found in Control Panel > System and Security > Windows Firewall
If you discover that this isn’t the cause of the connection issue, you should turn it back on straight away. Likewise, if you discover that it is then resolve the problem with Firewall and turn it back on. Leaving it turned off is not a good long term solution.
Carrying out a system restore
Your device may have picked up a problem recently and carrying out a system restore to a date before the problem occurred will resolve it.
On Windows 10, this is found in Settings > Update and Security > Reset This PC
You can choose to either keep files you have saved since the restore date or to remove everything. If you have saved anything important since the restore date you are setting your computer to, make sure that you choose to keep those files.
Uninstalling and reinstalling the network adapter driver
Uninstalling and then reinstalling the network adapter driver will fix network problems on some devices. This is found in Device Manager > Network Adapter. Try uninstalling and then reinstalling it. Afterward, you will need to restart your computer and see if the problem is resolved.
Third-party software
There is third party software available for various devices that can help to fix this issue. Have a look at what is available and see if any suits your device.
We hope that this guide has been able to help you solve your no internet error and you have full access to the internet again.
