(Solved) Wi-Fi connected but no internet windows 10 – How to fix

Connected but no internet’ is one of the most frustrating problems Windows users face. It’s a very frequent problem with relatively easy fixes depending on what’s causing the issue. The following is guide on how to troubleshoot and resolve this problem.

If you’ve had a Windows computer before, then you have probably encountered this problem. Fortunately, it’s a relatively easy problem to fix provided is hasn’t occurred because of something too serious.

So what’s the most effective way to resolve a‘connected but no internet error’ on Windows? Easy, just restart the router and laptop. Majority of the times, no internet on Windows 10is initiatedby changes in settings in the operating system and a restart resolves this problem.

Troubleshooting can be done either by using troubleshooting commands on CMDor manually by the user. The following table shows the best commands to use for Wi-Fi troubleshooting.

Troubleshooting your Windows 10 computer

Alternatively if you prefer to troubleshoot your PC yourself, here are the steps to follow.

Identify whether the issue is the PC or router

The most natural first step is to first determine whether the problem lies in your computer or router or modem. To do this, connect other devices to the network such as your phone and check whether they can connect to internet. If your phone does connect to the internet, it means that your computer is problematic. Otherwise, if your smartphone or tablet also doesn’t connect to the internet, it may mean your router or modem has a problem.

Now that you know the router or modem has a problem, the next step would be to fix it. The easiest fix to many routers and modems is to simply restart the device. A restart flushes the caches and any software issues the router may have. If you have both a router and modem, restart both of them in the following steps.

• Turn the devices off
• Leave them off for 45 seconds
• Turn on the modem followed by the router
• Try to connect your computer again and see if it connects to the internet

If the issue still persists, go to the next step

Issue with internet connection

Now that you’ve restarted the router and you’re still getting no internet, the problem may simply be a service disruption. This can be brought onthrough broken cables or a supply problem with you internet provider. Check whether the internet lights on the router or modem are blinking like they usually do. Usually, if there is a service disruption, the router green light may turn red. And if this is the problem, call your internet provider. Additionally, if everything seems to be working fine and devices are still offline, call your ISP.

Problem with your computer

If you went through step one and found that other devices are connecting to the internetsuccessfully, then the issue certainly lies in your Windows 10 computer. The first thing you should do here is to restart it. Just like the router, restarting the computer solves any software related issues. But if that does not fix your problem, here’s what you can do.

• Right click on the Wi-Fi icon in the bottom right of the screen. Click on the ‘Troubleshoot problem’ option
• Clicking on this will automatically start a diagnosis process
• Wait as the diagnosis to end and if there is an issue, Windows will tell you what the problem is and automatically rectify it.
• If Windows in unable to rectify the problem, it will also tell you and prompt you to find a solution online. Do this using another device

If this does not solve the problem, go to the next diagnosis

DNS-Cache Conflict

Your computer stores all recent visits to websites in the DNS Cache. This is done so that web pages are loaded faster since all their information are directly fetched from the cache. When you enter a web address, the computer checks whether the request is available in the cache and takes it from there rather than downloading it again from the internet.

The DNS cache sometimes gets corrupted due to technical glitches and software issues. This may happen after visiting dangerous sites with malware and viruses. The best fix for DNS cache conflict is to clear the cache. This can be done through the following steps

• Press Windows + R and type: cmd. This opens the command prompt interface
• Type the following command: ipconfig/flushdns. This clears the cache
• Restart the computer and check whether the problem is resolved

If the problem persists, try the next solution

Delete temp files

Temp files are automatically created and saved on your computers when you install new apps, visit new websites and many other tasks. Because of this, temp files occupy a considerable amount of hard disk space and also contain files that may affect internet connectivity. To delete them,

• Press Windows key + X and this opens a menu on the bottom left of the screen
• Click on File Explorer. This opens a window
• On the address bar of the window, type: C:\Windows\temp and press Enter
• It will prompt for an admin permission. Click on Continue and enter the admin account password if required
• With the Temp files now open, press Ctrl + A to select all of them and Shift + Delete to delete them
• Reconnect to the Wi-Fi network and see whether the problem is fixed. If the problem still isn’t fixed go to the following step

Update the network driver

If you have an old and outdated network driver, this can be the root of your connectivity problems. To update it,

• Press Windows key + R and type msc
• Go to Network Adapters and right click on it
• Click on Update Network Driver and then Search Automatically for Updated Driver
• Windows will automatically update the driver for you

Conclusion

There are very many reasons your computer may refuse to connect to internet and correctly diagnosing it is the most important step when finding a fix. If you’ve tried all the above solutions to no success, consider taking the computer to a professional as it may be a hardware problem.

FAQs

1. What do I do if the problem persists?

If you have tried all the above fixes and the issue is not resolved, consider taking the device to the repair shop.

2. What is the main reason for Wi-Fi issues on Windows 10?

Outdated operating system. Windows 10 regularly receives updates and failing to update for a long time usually causes malfunctions such as intermittent Wi-Fi connections.