Wi-Fi connected but no internet in Windows 11: how to fix it

Applies to: Windows 11 PCs where the Wi-Fi icon shows a connection, usually with a small globe or a “No internet” label, but websites and apps can’t get online. Most steps work the same in Windows 10, though a few Settings paths differ.

Three nearby problems have their own guides. If the Wi-Fi option or your network isn’t listed at all, see Wi-Fi not showing in Windows 11. If the connection works and then keeps cutting out, see Wi-Fi keeps disconnecting. If only Chrome shows a DNS error while other apps work, our DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_BAD_CONFIG guide is the closer match.

What “No internet” actually means

Windows decides whether you have internet with a feature called the Network Connectivity Status Indicator (NCSI). According to Microsoft’s NCSI FAQ, Windows 11 sends a small HTTP request to a Microsoft test address, www.msftconnecttest.com/connecttest.txt, and expects a short fixed text reply. If the reply never arrives, or comes back different, the icon changes.

That has two practical consequences. The Wi-Fi link to the router can be perfectly healthy while the label still says No internet, because the break is somewhere past the router. And now and then the label is wrong: a proxy, firewall or VPN can block Windows’ test while web pages load fine. The last section of this guide covers that case.

Find where the connection stops

Microsoft’s own troubleshooting page uses a ping test to the router to split the problem in two. Open Command Prompt and run ipconfig. Under the Wi-Fi adapter, note the Default Gateway address (your router), then ping it, replacing the example address with yours:

ping 192.168.1.1

What you see	What it points to	Start with
Phones and other devices on this Wi-Fi are offline too	Modem, router or the internet line	Step 4
Ping to the router gets replies, but nothing loads	Modem, provider or DNS	Step 4, Step 7
Ping to the router times out	The PC’s address or the router’s Wi-Fi side	Step 5
Only on a hotel, airport or guest network	A sign-in page that hasn’t been completed	Step 2
Only on a work laptop, or with a VPN app running	Proxy, VPN or company network rules	Step 3
Label says No internet, yet websites open	Windows’ internet check is blocked	Last section

If the ping to the router fails, Microsoft suggests connecting the PC to the modem with an Ethernet cable as a further test. If the cable works, the Wi-Fi router is the likely problem; check for a firmware update and its documentation.

1. Quick checks: Wi-Fi toggle, airplane mode, troubleshooter

These take a minute and are the first items on Microsoft’s list for a No internet icon:

• Toggle Wi-Fi. Turn Wi-Fi off in Quick Settings, turn it back on and reconnect. This makes Windows ask the router for a fresh connection.
• Check airplane mode. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Airplane mode and make sure it’s off.
• Run the troubleshooter. Open the Get Help app and run the Network and Internet troubleshooter. It runs diagnostics and tries automatic fixes, and its findings can tell you which step below to try.
• Restart the PC. Use Start > Power > Restart rather than closing the lid, so the network stack actually starts over.

2. Sign in to the network (hotels, airports, offices)

Many public and guest networks let you join, then hold all traffic until you accept terms or enter a room number on a web page, often called a captive portal. Until you do, Windows shows No internet, and Microsoft’s NCSI FAQ says it opens a browser for that sign-in by design.

If no page appears, open a browser yourself and try to visit any ordinary website that doesn’t start with https, so the network can redirect you; this is a common workaround rather than a Microsoft step. Some portals time out after a day or after the PC sleeps, so you may need to sign in again. A VPN that starts automatically can also hide the sign-in page; pause it until you’re through.

3. Turn off a proxy or VPN you don’t need

A proxy sends traffic through another server, and if that server is gone or misconfigured nothing loads. Microsoft’s fix for a No internet icon includes this check:

1. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Proxy.
2. Under manual proxy setup, turn off the proxy if one is set and you didn’t set it up on purpose.
3. Try a website again.

On a work or school PC the proxy may be required, so ask IT before you change it. Leftover proxy settings from old VPN, ad-blocking or “privacy” software are a frequent culprit on home PCs; uninstalling that software usually removes them, though that varies by product.

A VPN can cause the same symptom when it connects but routes everything through a tunnel that isn’t passing traffic. The NCSI FAQ lists VPN setup delays and forced tunneling among the reasons Windows reports no internet. Disconnect the VPN and test again. If company Wi-Fi or VPN stopped working after the October 2026 update, see our NTLMv1 and MS-CHAPv2 guide.

4. Restart the modem and router

When every device in the house is offline, the PC is fine and the problem is upstream. Microsoft’s restart order matters, because the router needs the modem to be ready first:

1. Unplug the router, then the modem. If the modem has a backup battery and its lights stay on, take the battery out.
2. Wait about 30 seconds.
3. Put the battery back if you removed it, plug in the modem and wait until its lights stop blinking.
4. Plug in the router and give both a few minutes to finish starting, then reconnect the PC.

If you have a single box that is both modem and router, restart just that one. If nothing comes back after a restart, check your provider’s outage page or app, or call them. Router lights and admin pages differ by maker and model, so use its manual to tell whether the internet light means the line is down.

5. Check the IP address for 169.254

Every device on your network needs an address from the router. To see the PC’s, go to Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi, select your connected network, and look at IPv4 address. You can also run ipconfig in Command Prompt.

• Starts with 169.254: Windows didn’t get an address from the router and gave itself one that can’t reach the internet. Microsoft’s advice is to check that DHCP is turned on in the router, using its documentation, then restart the router (Step 4) and renew the address (Step 6).
• A normal-looking address, such as 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x: the PC joined the network properly, so look further out: the modem, the provider or DNS.
• An address you typed in yourself: a static address left over from another network can stop the PC from reaching the router. In Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > Manage known networks, select the network, choose Edit next to IP assignment, and set it to Automatic (DHCP) unless you need a fixed address.

The same 169.254 problem on a wired connection has its own walkthrough in Ethernet doesn’t have a valid IP configuration, which covers the DHCP Client service and router-side checks in more depth.

6. Renew the address and reset TCP/IP

If the address is wrong or the network settings are in a bad state, these commands from Microsoft’s page rebuild them. Search for Command Prompt, select Run as administrator, then run them in this order:

netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /flushdns

The first two reset Windows’ networking components to their defaults, and the release and renew pair asks the router for a new address. You’ll lose the connection briefly between /release and /renew, which is expected. Restart the PC afterward so the resets take effect. If /renew fails or hands back a 169.254 address again, the router isn’t answering the PC’s request; go back to Step 4.

7. Test DNS and switch servers

DNS turns website names into addresses. If the DNS server isn’t answering, the PC is online but can’t find anything, which looks exactly like no internet. Microsoft suggests finding the DNS server and pinging it:

ipconfig /all | findstr /c:"DNS Servers"
ping 192.168.1.1

Replace the example with the address the first command shows. If that address doesn’t respond, Microsoft’s advice is to try a different public DNS server. Microsoft’s network settings page gives the path:

1. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > Manage known networks and select your network.
2. Next to DNS server assignment, select Edit.
3. Choose Manual, turn on IPv4, and enter a Preferred DNS and Alternate DNS address.
4. Select Save.

Public resolvers from Cloudflare (1.1.1.1) or Google (8.8.8.8) are common choices; that’s general knowledge, not a Microsoft recommendation. Some routers don’t answer ping even when DNS works, so a failed ping alone doesn’t prove DNS is broken. If pages load once you switch, keep the new servers or fix DNS on the router. Set the network back to Automatic (DHCP) when you take the laptop elsewhere, especially to networks with a sign-in page.

8. Forget the network and join again

A saved network profile can carry settings that no longer match the router, for example after a new router or password. Removing it makes Windows start over:

1. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > Manage known networks.
2. Select the network and choose Forget.
3. Reconnect from the Wi-Fi list and enter the password.

Have the password ready before you forget the network; it’s often printed on a label on the router.

9. Reinstall the Wi-Fi driver

A damaged or mismatched driver can leave the adapter connected but unable to pass traffic properly. Before you start, download the latest driver from the PC maker’s support site, ideally onto a USB drive, since the PC may have no connection while you work. Microsoft’s steps:

1. Search the taskbar for Device Manager, open it and expand Network adapters.
2. Right-click the Wi-Fi adapter, select Properties, and note the version and date on the Driver tab.
3. Select Uninstall device, select Attempt to remove the driver for this device, then select Uninstall.
4. Restart the PC. Windows should reinstall the driver automatically; if it doesn’t, install the one you downloaded.

While you’re in Device Manager, Microsoft also suggests clearing Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power on the adapter’s Power Management tab, if that tab exists. Then check Settings > Windows Update for pending updates.

10. Network reset

Warning: network reset removes and reinstalls all network adapters and puts their settings back to defaults. Afterward you may need to reinstall VPN software or Hyper-V virtual switches, rejoin saved Wi-Fi networks, and networks may switch to the public profile. On a work PC, ask IT first.

1. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Network reset.
2. Select Reset now, then Yes. Save your work, because the PC restarts.

If the PC still shows No internet after a reset while other devices on the same Wi-Fi are online, try a USB Wi-Fi adapter or a cable to rule out the built-in adapter, then contact the PC maker.

When Windows says No internet but pages load

Sometimes the browser works but the taskbar keeps showing No internet, and apps such as Office or the Microsoft Store refuse to sign in or sync. Microsoft’s NCSI FAQ treats that pattern as a problem with the connectivity check itself rather than with the connection. The causes it lists include:

• Proxy settings that send Windows’ test request somewhere it fails, including a misconfigured proxy script.
• Firewalls that block the outbound test request, including router or company firewalls. Microsoft recommends allowing the test hostnames rather than fixed IP addresses.
• VPN routing that leaves the test with no path to the internet.
• Third-party software that intercepts or delays the test, such as some security or network filtering tools.

At home, try disconnecting the VPN and pausing security software that filters web traffic, one at a time, and watch whether the icon changes. On a managed work PC, this is one for IT, since NCSI behavior can be set by company policy. Don’t edit NCSI registry values on a home PC; the FAQ advises non-enterprise users not to change them.

Related guides

• Wi-Fi not showing in Windows 11: how to fix it
• Wi-Fi keeps disconnecting in Windows 11: how to fix it
• Ethernet doesn’t have a valid IP configuration: 7 fixes
• DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_BAD_CONFIG: 7 ways to fix it on Windows
• Wi-Fi or VPN stopped connecting after the October 2026 Windows update: the NTLMv1 and MS-CHAPv2 change

Official sources

• Microsoft Support: Fix Wi-Fi connection issues in Windows
• Microsoft Support: Essential network settings and tasks in Windows
• Microsoft Learn: Network Connectivity Status Indicator FAQ