Most Windows 10 users experience having been connected to their WiFi network but ended up having no internet connection. If you know you are updated with your internet subscription then the issue is most likely fixable. In this article, we will teach you how to fix WiFi connected but no internet access issue.

You are going to need a separate device to do this because there will be instances where you will have to restart your Windows 10 device. So share or copy the link of this article to your smartphone and view the instructions from there. Or if you have no smartphone with you right now, just bookmark this URL so you can access this after the restart.

Are you ready? Let’s start.

If your laptop cannot connect to the internet but other devices can…

When your laptop is the only device that cannot connect to the internet while others can, then your problem is isolated on your device. That means you do not have to look further and all we need to do is check the issues within your computers O.S. (operating system), which here is Windows 10.

Here is what you should do:

1. First, you have to see if the internet icon on the rightmost side bottom of your screen is showing a yellow exclamation point or showing a red “X” next to it.
2. If it is a red “X”, then you are not detecting any WiFi connection. Try to connect again. If your laptop cannot detect any WiFi signal when all others can, then it must be your hardware driver has malfunctioned or uninstalled. This happens when other people are using your laptop. They might have uninstalled it unintentionally. Download and install a new driver for your WiFi hardware. That should fix the issue. And do not forget to restart the laptop after the successful driver installation.
3. If it is a yellow exclamation point then you should try troubleshooting your device. On the WiFi icon on the rightmost bottom of your screen, right-click on it and click “Troubleshoot problems”.
4. A prompt will appear and it will start detecting the issue and will show some recommendation on what you should do to fix it. Typically, it will give you a how-to step regarding the recommended fix. Just follow it and see if it fixes the problem.

If all your devices cannot connect to the internet…

When all the devices inside the network range do not have internet access despite being connected then the problem could be outside your Windows operating system. If that is the case, we will broaden the areas which we need to diagnose and fix.

Here is what you should do:

1. Check if the modem router LEDs that indicate internet access are working. Every modem and router has different light indicators and behaviors so make sure that you recognize when it is connected or not. If it indicates that it does not have internet access then there probably are some loose connections. Check the wiring or make sure that they are properly plugged in or there are no damaged parts of the wire. Trace the wirings as much as you can or at least what your eyes can see. Or better yet, remove all the plugs and do a restart of the device. That should fix the internet issue.
2. If the internet access is still unavailable, the problem must be with your internet service provider or ISP. Call their hotline and ask if there is an existing maintenance going on in your area that they failed to inform you their subscriber.

Other possible factors

The temp files

When was the last time you delete all your temp files? Or do you even know what are the temp files or temporary files?

The temp files are the residues or remnants of the files that you installed. Sometimes, it also stores cache files of the sites that you visit or even simple tasks such as doing office works. The Windows operating system always makes a virtual copy of the software you are trying to install and it stores it in the temp file folder.

Most of the times, those temporary files don’ get deleted. So they stay and accumulate inside the folder. And the downside part of that scenario is that the Windows operating system reads those temp files on boot. That is why some of them still have access to yo

 

ur system.

Here is how to remove them:

1. First is you should open the Search feature of your local Windows 10 OS. Type in %temp% and press Enter.
2. The temp file folder will appear. If there are many files and folders inside, then there is a chance that one or two of those files and folders are the culprits. You will have to delete them all. Do not worry. It is safe to delete those files and folders as they pretty much not needed for your operating system to function.
3. Close the temp file folder and restart your PC again. You will notice that after you deleted those stuff inside the temp folder, there is an increase in the bootup time of your Windows machine.
4. Now connect again to your network and see if it fixes Windows 10 WiFi connected but no internet issue the problem. If it still does not work. Try this other fix.

Reset DNS

Resetting the DNS is quite easy so do not be worried about trying this out. As long as you follow the instructions carefully, you will be done in a couple of minutes.

Here is how it’s done…

1. The shortcut would be to right-click the internet icon on the rightmost bottom of your screen and click Open Network and Sharing Center. Or you can just open your Windows 10 Control Panel and look for the Network and Sharing Center.
2. If you chose the shortcut, find the Change Adapter Setting on the top left side of your screen and open it.
3. Highlight the active connection you are using and right-click to show properties.
4. On the Networking tab, scroll down to the (TCP/IPv4). Highlight it and click on the Properties button.
5. Under the General tab, tick the Obtain an IP address automatically and the Obtain DNS server automatically.
6. Click OK and then close the window. See if the connection is already established and that the internet is now accessible.
7. If it still does not work, repeat from number one and go to the Obtain DNS server automatically.
8. Tick the Use the following DNS server addresses. On Preferred DNS Server, type 8.8.8.8 and on the Alternate DNS server type 8.8.4.4. (Please make sure you don't type 192.168.l.l as it's the default router login IP Address and not the DNS Address, know more about 192.168.l.l.)
9. Click OK and see it should fix the issue now.

Flushing DNS

If those methods did not work, then perhaps this one will. This will be quick and involves some a little bit of system command so be sure to check the spelling and spaces because there will be some.

Here is how it’s done:

1. On your keyboard, press and hold the Windows button near the space bar and press X to show the Start menu.
2. Click on the Command Prompt (Admin).
3. If prompted by the administrator permission, just click YES.
4. On the Command window, type ipconfig/flushdns and press Enter.
5. Then type this as well, nbtstat -R. Note that there is a space between the letter T and the dash. Then press Enter.
6. Then type nbtstat –RR and press Enter again.
7. This time type this netsh int ip reset c:resetlog.txt then press Enter again.
8. Lastly, type netsh winsock reset and press Enter once again.
9. Once successfully done, restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
10. When the computer is rebooted, right-click on the internet icon on the rightmost bottom part of your screen. Click Open Network and Sharing Center.
11. Open the Change Adapter settings.
12. Highlight the WiFi adapter you are using and right-click and select Disable.
13. After 10 seconds, right-click again on the adapter and select Enable.
14. See if the internet is now accessible.

If those steps still don’t work, try uninstalling your current antivirus or antimalware application. Sometimes, it is just the built-in firewall settings and internet security feature of the software that malfunctioned. When all else fails, perhaps it is time to consult your nearest service center to fix the problem. This is most likely related to a broken WiFi hardware now. Hopefully, that is not the case because that will cost money.

If you have other ways to fix Windows 10 WiFi connected but no internet access issue, feel free to leave a comment on how to do it to help other people as well.