A Wi‑Fi icon only shows that your device can talk to the router. It does not guarantee that the router can reach the internet.
1. Check for a service outage
Look at the lights on your modem or router. A red or blinking internet light can mean the provider connection is down. Check your internet provider’s status page using mobile data, or call them if the outage lasts.
2. Restart the router once
Unplug the router and modem from power. Wait about 30 seconds. Plug the modem back in first, wait until its normal lights return, then power the router. Give the network a few minutes to reconnect.
3. Forget and rejoin the Wi‑Fi network
On Windows, select the Wi‑Fi icon on the taskbar → Manage Wi‑Fi connections. Open the known network’s options and choose Forget, then join it again using the correct password. Do not do this if you do not know the password.
4. Check for a sign-in page
Hotel, airport, café and public networks often need a browser sign-in page. Open a new browser window and visit a simple non-secure test address such as http://neverssl.com to trigger the sign-in page. Never enter private account passwords on an unfamiliar public-network portal.
5. Restart the affected device
Restart the phone, tablet or PC. On Windows, also check that Airplane mode is off and that the correct Wi‑Fi network is selected.
6. Do not reset everything immediately
A factory reset of the router removes its settings and is rarely the first answer. Save it for the router maker or your provider to advise, especially if you use smart-home devices, custom Wi‑Fi names or a separate internet modem.