Your device says it is connected to Wi-Fi, but nothing loads. This guide helps you work out whether the fault is your device, your router or your internet provider — and fix the ones you can.
Step 1: Find out where the problem lives
Check another device on the same Wi-Fi, such as a phone. If the phone also has no internet, the problem is the router or the provider, not your computer. If the phone works fine, the problem is only on the first device.
This single check saves you from changing settings on the wrong machine.
Step 2: Restart the router the right way
Unplug the router from power, wait 30 seconds, then plug it back in. Give it two to three minutes to fully start before testing again.
If the router has a separate modem, restart that too, modem first, then router.
Step 3: Check for a provider outage
Use your phone's mobile data to visit your internet provider's status page or social media. If there is an outage in your area, no setting on your side will fix it — you simply wait.
Step 4: Fix it on the device
If only one device is affected: forget the Wi-Fi network and reconnect with the password, then restart the device. On Windows, run Settings → Network & internet → Advanced network settings → Network reset as a last resort — note that this removes saved Wi-Fi passwords, so have them written down first.
- Turn off any VPN temporarily — a stuck VPN is a very common cause of 'connected but no internet'.
- Check that the date and time are correct; wrong time can break secure connections.
Step 5: When to call the provider
If every device is offline, the router has been restarted and there is no reported outage, call your provider. Tell them what you already tried — it shortens the call considerably.
Tips and tricks
- A router that needs restarting every few days is often overheating or wearing out — give it airflow and consider a replacement.
- Keep the Wi-Fi password and the router's admin password written down somewhere safe at home.
- If Wi-Fi drops only in one room, the problem is coverage, not the internet — a mesh system or extender helps.
In most homes the fix is a router restart or a forgotten network. If you have worked through all the steps and are still offline, request a Digital Checkup and we will narrow it down together.