The laptop shows a Wi-Fi icon. The network name is correct. The browser says “No internet” or spins forever. That means you joined the access point but did not get a working path to the rest of the world. The fault can be your PC, the router, or the ISP. Work from the cheap checks to the reset so you do not reboot the house network during someone else’s video call unless you have to.
What you need
- The Wi-Fi password, in case you have to rejoin
- A phone on mobile data, to see if the internet is down for everyone
- Physical access to the router if you get that far
In this guide
1. See whose problem it is
On your phone, turn Wi-Fi off and load a page on mobile data. Then turn Wi-Fi on and join the same network. If the phone also has no internet on Wi-Fi, the router or ISP is down — skip to the router step. If the phone works and the laptop does not, stay on this PC.
2. Airplane mode and a reconnect
Click the network icon on the taskbar. Turn Wi-Fi off, wait ten seconds, turn it on. Or use Airplane mode for the same effect. Forget the network (right-click it in Settings → Network & internet → Wi-Fi → Manage known networks → Forget) and join again with the password. A stale lease is a common cause after you return from another building.
3. Reset the Windows network stack
Settings → Network & internet → Advanced network settings → Network reset. Windows will warn you that you need to rejoin Wi-Fi. Accept, let it restart, then sign in to the network again.
If you would rather do it by hand: open Terminal as administrator and run these, one line at a time:
netsh winsock reset netsh int ip reset ipconfig /release ipconfig /renew ipconfig /flushdns
Restart after the first two. Then try a browser.
4. Try a public DNS
Sometimes you have a connection but your ISP’s DNS is dead, so names like google.com do not resolve. Settings → Network & internet → Wi-Fi → [your network] → Hardware properties → Edit DNS. Switch from Automatic to Manual. For IPv4 enter 1.1.1.1 and 8.8.8.8. Save. Open a new tab.
If that suddenly works, the internet was fine; name lookup was not.
5. Restart the router last
Unplug the router’s power (and the ISP modem if they are separate) for 30 seconds. Plug the modem first, wait until its online light is steady, then the router. Rejoin. Warn anyone else on the network. Do this once, not in a loop.
If the problem started after a firmware update or a new extender, the extender is a frequent culprit — test with the laptop next to the main router.
If only one site fails
Everything works except one page or one app
- That is not “no internet.” Clear that site’s cookies or try a private window. See the Chrome cache guide.
- A VPN left “on” in the tray can black-hole traffic. Disconnect it and retry.
- Corporate PCs may have a proxy. Settings → Network & internet → Proxy. If you are at home, it should not point at an office server.
Need the password for another device after you get back online? Windows still has it — how to read a saved Wi-Fi password.
Common questions
Should I reset the router first?
No. Check a phone on the same Wi-Fi first. If the phone works, the problem is the PC. If the phone fails too, then restart the router.
Is changing DNS safe?
Yes. 1.1.1.1 and 8.8.8.8 only change how names are looked up. You can set DNS back to Automatic anytime.
Network reset deleted my Wi-Fi?
It forgets saved networks on purpose. Rejoin with the password. That is expected.
