Toshiba Laptop Connected To Wi-Fi But No Internet Access – How to fix

It’s quite frustrating and confusing when you’re connected to Wi-Fi but not the internet. All laptops may suffer from this problem once in a while. However, today we’ll look at the best and quickest ways to fix this error on Toshiba laptops.

If you have a laptop, then you must have stumbled upon this error. While it is connected to the Wi-Fi, you still cannot access the internet. I’ve had this problem recently on my Toshiba laptop and it was quite a problem to fix. There are a number of reasons this problem occurs in laptops. However, the main cause of this problem is the changes in settings of your operating system after a system update. Many users have said that this problem occurs soon after they have just updated their operating system.

So what’s the best way to fix a ‘connected but no internet problem’? It’s easy, simply restart the router and Toshiba laptop and the issue should be resolved. However, since the problem can be due to different reasons, you will have to try a number of fixes to find the one that suits your problem.This is referred to as troubleshooting. The section below highlights the steps and processes of troubleshooting your laptop.

Troubleshootinginternet connectivity on your Toshiba laptop

Internet connectivity problems

One of the most common causes your Toshiba laptop may fail to connect to internet is simply a problem of connectivity. This may arise from broken cables, server issues by your internet service provider or router issue. In general, the problem is something beyond the user’s control. That said, it is important to check for the internet light on the router before anything else. The light will indicate a loss of signal (either through broken cable or server problems). Depending on the router or modem you have, the DSL light may be red or not blink at all to indicate a connectivity error. In this case, calling your internet service provider will solve the connectivity problem.

Laptop issue

Another common problem is that yourToshiba laptop may be faulty. To diagnose this problem, check whether other devices such as your phone, tablet or console is connecting to the internet. If you find that other devices have connectivity, the issue is certainly in your laptop. It may mean that your wireless adapter is faulty and needs replacement. However, there are other issue that bring out about this problem other than a faulty network adapter. Before anything else, first restart your laptop to check whether it fixes the problem. Software problems usually get fixed by a simple restart. If this doesn’t fix the problem, the next section will highlight other fixes.

DNS cache issues

When you open any webpage or site on your computer, the DNS cache is responsible for storing these visits. This is done to quickly load the web pages. What this means is, when you enter and load a URL into the search bar, the operating system looks up the address in the DNS cache. If the search matches records, the OS loads the pages from the cache memory.

The DNS cache sometimes gets corrupted causing a failure in internet connectivity. This happens when there are technical glitches or when third party software such as viruses corrupt the system. Such software can be found on pop up ads and banners on unregulated websites. This is why it’s important that you have antivirus software and pop up ad blockers.

Out of date wireless standards

Laptops and other devices with wireless connectivity are regulated by a universal wireless standards. You may have stumbled upon the modes: 802.11ac, 802.11b, 802.11n and 802.11g. These are the current wireless standards used by wireless devices. While ‘b’ is the oldest and slowest, ‘ac’ is the most recent and the fastest standard. Issues arise when your laptop and router support different standards. If your Toshiba laptop for instance has a ‘b’ or ‘g’ rating while your router supports ‘ac’, you will not be able to connect to the internet until you fix your router settings. To fix this, login to your router and change the wireless mode to match your laptop’s standard. Restart the router and see if issue is resolved.

Troubleshooting your Toshiba usingtroubleshooting tools

How to fix connectivity problems

Now that you have identified where the problem is, the following are solutions to the above problems.

Solution 1: Change your computer’s DNS server

After you have identified the problem as a DNS cache problem, take the following steps to fix it.

• Press the windows key and R simultaneously and on the search bar type ‘control /name NetworkAndSharingCenter’ and press Enter
• Go to Change adapter settings and right click on Wi-Fi
• Select Properties and go to Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and then click on Properties
• There, click Use DNS server address for 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 and then click OK
• Check if connection is back. If not, go to the next solution

Solution 2: Flush your DNS cache

• Press the Windows key and R at the same time and type cmd
• Right click on cmd and run as admin
• In the black or blue cmd panel, type the following commands:

ipconfig /flushdns
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew

• Close the cmd window and check whether internet connectivity is back. If not, try the next solution

Solution 3: Disable fast startup

• Press the Windows key + R at the same time and type ‘cpl’ and click OK. This will take you to Power Options settings
• Go to ‘Choose what power button do’
• Click on Change settings that are currently unavailable
• Uncheck the box on Turn on fast startup and save changes.
• Restart the laptop and if the problem persists, go to the following solution.

Solution 4: Remove conflicting programs

Antivirus software such as McAfee are notorious for messing with internet connectivity. This happens during first time installation or after updating it. In addition, connectivity may fail after installation of a new software. If this happens, remove that app and see if your problem is resolved.

Conclusion

Connectivity problems are fairly common in Toshiba laptops and are quite easy to fix. However, it is best to prevent it through constant OS updates, downloading genuine software and having an antivirus program.

FAQs

1. Do these solutions apply to Toshiba laptops only?

No. They work for every Windows powered computer.

2. What is the purpose of the DNS server?

The DNS server stores web page information in a cache to improve pages loading time.