Wi-Fi connected but no internet: how to fix it

"Connected, no internet" means your device has reached the router, but the router, the modem or your provider isn't passing traffic on to the internet. In most cases a restart of the modem and router, in the right order, fixes it. If it doesn't, the checks below find the broken link in a few minutes.

The trick is to work outward from your device, one link at a time: device, Wi-Fi, router, modem, provider. Each check rules out one of them.

Step 1: Check whether it's one device or all of them

Pick up a second device on the same Wi-Fi network and try to load a site you don't usually visit (so it isn't cached).

• Every device fails. The problem is the router, the modem or the provider. Skip to step 2.
• Only one device fails. The problem is that device. Skip to step 5.

This one check halves the search. Don't skip it.

Step 2: Restart the modem and router in the right order

Most "no internet" problems are a modem or router that has lost its connection to the provider and not recovered on its own. A full restart forces both to reconnect.

1. Unplug the power from the modem (or fiber box) and the router. If they're one combined box, unplug that.
2. Wait about 30 seconds.
3. Plug the modem back in first. Wait until its lights settle, which can take a few minutes.
4. Plug the router back in and wait another minute or two.
5. Try a website again.

The order matters. The router needs the modem to be online before it asks for an internet address. If you're not sure which box is which, the modem is the one connected to the wall (coax, phone line or fiber), and the router is the one making the Wi-Fi.

Step 3: Read the lights on the modem

Modem lights vary by brand, but most have one labelled "Internet", "Online", "WAN" or a globe icon.

• Internet light off, red or blinking for a long time: the modem can't reach your provider. That points to an outage, a loose cable at the wall or an account problem. Check the provider's outage page or app on mobile data.
• Internet light solid green or white: the modem is online, so the problem is probably between the modem and your devices, meaning the router.

Check the cable from the wall too. A coax connector that has worked loose or a fiber cable that has been bent sharply can cause exactly this.

Step 4: Bypass the router

If the modem looks fine but nothing works, take Wi-Fi and the router out of the picture.

1. Plug a laptop directly into the router with an Ethernet cable. If that works and Wi-Fi doesn't, the problem is the router's Wi-Fi.
2. If it still fails, plug the laptop straight into the modem, skipping the router. Restart the modem first, because many modems only hand an address to the first device they see.

If the direct modem connection works, the router is at fault. Try a factory reset (you'll need to set the Wi-Fi name and password again) or a replacement. If even the direct connection fails, the problem is the modem or the line, and it's time to call your provider. Tell them what you've already ruled out; it shortens the call.

"Ethernet connected but no internet" follows the same path. Try a different cable and a different port on the router before blaming anything else.

Step 5: Fix a single device

When only one device is stuck, the cause is usually a setting or a stale connection on that device.

Forget the network and rejoin. In Wi-Fi settings, tap the network, choose Forget, then reconnect and enter the password again. This clears saved settings that may no longer match the router.

Look at the device's IP address. If it starts with 169.254, the device gave itself a self-assigned address because the router never gave it one. Toggle Wi-Fi off and on, or renew the lease:

• Windows: open Command Prompt and run ipconfig /release, then ipconfig /renew.
• Mac: System Settings → Network → Wi-Fi → Details → TCP/IP → Renew DHCP Lease.
• Phones: forgetting and rejoining the network does the same job.

Turn off VPNs, proxies and "private DNS". A VPN that has lost its server can block all traffic while Wi-Fi still shows connected. Disconnect it and test again. If that fixes it, read why a VPN can slow or break your internet. On Android, also check Settings for a "Private DNS" entry pointing at a provider that no longer works.

Restart the device. It's dull advice, but it clears network stacks that have got stuck after sleep or an update.

Step 6: Rule out DNS

DNS turns names like example.com into addresses. If your router's or provider's DNS fails, everything looks offline even though the connection works. Signs of a DNS problem: apps that use direct connections (some games, messaging apps) still work while web pages fail with "server not found".

To test, switch the device's DNS to a public resolver such as Google Public DNS or Cloudflare's 1.1.1.1. On Windows you can also run ipconfig /flushdns to clear stale entries. If pages load after the switch, the original DNS was the fault. Our post on whether DNS affects internet speed explains what changing it does and doesn't do.

Step 7: Check for a sign-in page

Hotel, airport, café and office networks often show "connected, no internet" until you accept a sign-in page (a captive portal). If the page doesn't appear by itself, open a browser and go to a plain address such as http://example.com; the network should redirect you to its login page.

When the internet is back

Confirm it's really working. Open What is my IP: if it shows your public IP address, you're online again. Then run a quick internet speed test to make sure the connection came back at full speed rather than limping. If it's slow rather than down, the slow internet troubleshooting guide is the better next step.

If the connection keeps dropping, write down when it happens and what the modem lights show. A pattern, such as every evening or whenever it rains, is the most useful thing you can give your provider.