Wi-Fi connected but no internet
What you see: the Wi-Fi icon says "Connected" (or "No internet, secured"), but browsers and apps can't reach anything. Windows has a good local link to your router — the internet beyond it is broken somewhere. There are exactly two possibilities, and one 30-second test tells you which side you're fixing.
The fast answer — the isolating test
Check another device on the same Wi-Fi. Phone also dead → it's the router/modem/ISP side: go to Step 3. Only this PC is dead → it's PC-side: start at Step 1 and work down. This is Microsoft's own documented first step, and it prevents the classic mistake of rebuilding your PC while the ISP is having an outage.
Step 1 (PC-side) — Run the network troubleshooter
Windows 11's current path is the Get Help app (the old Settings > Advanced network settings location is legacy): open Start, type Get Help, search "connect to network and internet", and run the diagnostics. It detects the common DHCP/DNS failures by itself.
Step 2 (PC-side) — Forget and rejoin the network
- Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > Manage known networks.
- Select your network > Forget.
- Reconnect from the Wi-Fi list and re-enter the password — this rebuilds a fresh Wi-Fi profile, which fixes stale-profile corruption.
Step 3 (router-side) — Restart modem and router, in order
- Unplug the modem (or modem-router combo) from power.
- Wait 30 seconds, plug it back in, and let it fully come up (lights settle, usually 1–2 minutes).
- If you have a separate router, power-cycle it the same way next.
Step 4 (PC-side) — Renew the network configuration
Open Command Prompt as administrator and run:
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /flushdns
netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip resetRestart the PC after the netsh commands (they require it). Quick diagnostic
while you're here: ipconfig showing an IP starting with
169.254. means the PC never received an address from the router —
a DHCP failure, now fixed by the commands above.
Step 5 (PC-side) — Update or reinstall the Wi-Fi driver
Device Manager > Network adapters > right-click your Wi-Fi adapter > Update driver. If that finds nothing, Microsoft documents uninstalling the device (with "attempt to remove the driver" checked) and rebooting — Windows rebuilds it clean.
Step 6 — The DNS diagnostic
If everything else works except name resolution, temporarily switch DNS to
8.8.8.8 (Google) or 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare):
Settings > Network & internet > [your adapter] > DNS server
assignment > Edit > Manual. Microsoft frames this as a diagnostic:
if switching fixes it, your router's DNS forwarder was the problem.
You'll know it worked when
The Wi-Fi icon's warning triangle disappears and pages load. Belt-and-braces
check: open Command Prompt and run ping 8.8.8.8 — replies mean
the internet path is genuinely working.
Still broken?
All devices affected after the router restart → call your ISP (it's an outage or line fault). One PC still stuck after every step → Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Network reset (reinstalls all network adapters; you'll re-enter Wi-Fi passwords), then your manufacturer's latest driver.
When the router itself is the problem
Dead zones and daily reboots are router retirement signs. A mesh system fixes both — compare current top-rated kits.
Compare mesh systems →