Short answer: “connected, no internet” means your device has joined the Wi-Fi network but can’t reach anything beyond it. Windows, for example, shows the warning when a small test request to a server on the internet gets no reply. The fault is in one of three places: your provider’s service, your modem or router, or the device itself. Two tests tell you which.
This page is for a connection that stays broken. If the internet keeps dropping and coming back, see Wi-Fi keeps disconnecting; if it works but is slow, see slow Wi-Fi.
Test 1: is it one device or all of them?
Try another phone or laptop on the same Wi-Fi network. Microsoft and Apple both start here: if another device can get online, the network is fine and the problem is on the first device; if nothing can, look at the router, the modem or the provider.
- Every device has no internet → go to When no device can get online.
- Only one device has no internet → go to When only one device has no internet.
Test 2: is a wired device online?
If you have a computer you can plug into the router with an Ethernet cable, try it. A wired device that also has no internet rules out Wi-Fi entirely: the problem is the router, the modem or the line. A wired device that works while every Wi-Fi device fails points at the router’s Wi-Fi side; restart the router and, if that doesn’t help, check its firmware.
When no device can get online
Restart the modem, then the router
Microsoft’s order is the one to follow: unplug the router and the modem, wait at least 30 seconds, plug the modem back in and wait for its lights to stop blinking, then plug the router back in and give both a few minutes. If you have a single box from your provider that does both jobs, restart just that one. Restarting in this order makes the modem connect to your provider before the router asks it for an address.
Check for an outage
If the connection still doesn’t come back, check whether your provider has a problem in your area, using its app or website on mobile data. Apple and Microsoft both point to the provider at this stage: if your router is reachable but the internet isn’t, the modem or the service is the likely cause. The lights on the modem help here; your provider’s support pages explain what each one means for your model.
Two routers in a row
If you recently added your own router behind a provider gateway, or the problem started after changing equipment, the two boxes may be fighting over addresses. Modem vs router vs gateway explains the setup that works, and double NAT covers the symptoms.
Still nothing after a restart
If your provider reports no outage and the modem looks connected, a router fault or corrupted setting is next. Update the router’s firmware if you can log in, and as a last resort see how to reset your router, which explains what a factory reset erases before you do it.
When only one device has no internet
Public Wi-Fi: look for a sign-in page
Hotels, cafés and airports often hold every new connection in a “captive portal” until you accept their terms or sign in. Until you do, the device shows a Wi-Fi connection but nothing loads. Open a browser and try any ordinary website; the sign-in page usually appears. If it doesn’t, forget the network and join it again.
Check the device’s IP address
A device that couldn’t get an address from the router gives itself one starting with 169.254. Microsoft’s troubleshooting guide says this means Windows couldn’t get an address from the router, and to check that DHCP (the router’s address service) is turned on. Addresses in that range only work for talking to devices on the same local link, never the internet.
You’ll find the address in the Wi-Fi details for the network on your phone or laptop. If it starts with 169.254, turn Wi-Fi off and on, or restart the device, so it asks the router again. Restarting a Mac renews its address too, Apple notes.
VPN, security software, and the clock
Apple says a VPN or other software that monitors network connections can stop a Mac reaching the internet, and lists a wrong date and time as something to check. Pause any VPN or security app and try again. A clock that’s far off can break secure websites even when the connection itself is fine.
Try a different DNS server
If websites won’t load by name but the device has a normal address, the problem can be the DNS service that turns names into addresses. Setting a public DNS server, such as Google’s 8.8.8.8, on the device is a quick test; write down your current settings first so you can change them back. How to change your DNS server has the steps.
Use the built-in tools
- Windows: run the Network and Internet troubleshooter in Get Help. Microsoft’s guide also lists commands that release and renew the address and flush the DNS cache, and network reset as a last step, because it removes your network adapters and their settings.
- Mac: if the Wi-Fi menu shows a Wi-Fi Recommendations item, macOS has found a problem and suggests a fix. Holding Option while clicking the Wi-Fi menu opens Wireless Diagnostics.
- Android: Google’s steps are to restart the device, turn airplane mode on for 10 seconds and off again, compare Wi-Fi with mobile data, and restart the router.
If one device still has no internet after all of that while others work, forget the network on that device and join it again with the password, then check for a system update.