Can Connect to Wireless Router, but not to the Internet?

by Elsie Otachi

It’s hard to imagine that just two decades ago, only about one percent of the world’s population was online. Today, more than 4.3 billion people are actively using the internet, which is more than half of the global population. That’s how important having an internet connection is.

A few things can be quite frustrating as not having internet access though. On the one hand, you can connect to your wireless router, but on the other, you get the dreaded No Internet Access yellow triangle over the internet connection icon.

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    While it’s not easy to immediately detect whether the problem is with your router, computer, or your Internet Service Provider (ISP), you can fix this error and get back online. We’re going to show you how in this guide.

    Also, we made a quick YouTube video on some of the steps that we have below so check it out first and if it doesn’t solve your problem, come back here for more solutions.

    How To Fix No Internet Connection Errors

    Reasons For No Internet Connection

    The main culprits involved with any networking issues are your device (computer, tablet, or smartphone) and wireless router.

    Router-side issues could be anything from outdated hardware to buggy firmware or old infrastructure, damaged cables, spotty signal strength, and too many people connected at the same time to the network. Even though it’s rare, it’s also a good idea to check to make sure there is no malware on your router.

    If there’s a problem with any of these devices, then you’ll see errors like connected but no internet or no internet connection messages.

    What follows are some steps to take if you’re experiencing this common problem. We’ll tackle the simpler troubleshooting steps first, and move up to more advanced solutions.

    Rule Out False Alarms

    Before you try to fix your router or hardware, rule out any false alarms by doing the following:

    Check Router Lights

    Your router has different status lights displayed on the front, with different labels depending on the model you have. These include the wireless light, Ethernet light (for wired networks), send/receive lights (blink rapidly) and the Ready/Service/Connect lights.

    Check whether the Ready/Service/Connect lights are solid, which indicates a good connection. If it’s out or blinking, there’s a problem with the connection. But if it’s still solid and there’s no internet connection, check with your ISP if there’s an outage.

    Restart Modem & Router

    To do this, pull the power plug from your modem and router and let them stay unplugged for about two or so minutes.

    Next, plug in the modem, let it boot up, and then plug in the router. Wait a few minutes for both devices to start up again and confirm they’re working correctly. This helps reset any background issues and flushes the router’s memory contents.

    If there are no lights on any of them, it’s likely a hardware issue. If you still have no internet connection after restarting the modem and router, try the next step.

    Run Windows Network Troubleshooter

    If your connection problem affects multiple devices, this step won’t be necessary. However, if it’s only with your Windows computer, there could be an issue with the network settings.

    Check IP Address

    It’s possible to connect to your wireless router and still have no internet connection.

    This happens when there’s an issue with the router’s connection to your ISP, so it’ll work on the network but won’t have a valid public IP address as it can’t reach the internet. Consequently, you can’t send or request data over the internet.

    Another way of changing your IP address is by obtaining one automatically. This helps when your device is set up to use a static IP address but the router won’t allow it on the network or the address is for the wrong network.

    Check Network Card

    Your network card could also cause internet connectivity issues, so you can troubleshoot it to rule out any problems.

    If the mark is still there, there could be a problem with the network card. In this case, restart your computer or take it to a professional computer technician to have it repaired or replaced.

    Check MAC Address Filtering

    If your router has MAC address filtering set up, you may not have internet access. This setting blocks devices from connecting to the router if they don’t have a specific MAC address.

    The easiest way to resolve this is to add your MAC address to the list of approved ones.

    Reset TCP/IP

    TCP/IP is a set of protocols that connect network devices over the internet and specify how data is exchanged. Resetting the TCP/IP involves entering a few commands into Command Prompt.

    Flush DNS

    This method also involves using a Command Prompt.

    Disable Security Software

    Your computer’s firewall and antivirus can prevent you from getting online.

    Firewalls prevent unwanted network traffic from disrupting your computer’s normal functions, but they can also malfunction and block genuine traffic. Similarly, if you have two firewalls on one computer, they can conflict and block internet traffic.

    To resolve this, disable any third-party antivirus or disable your computer’s firewall temporarily, and see if the connection is restored. You can also run a malware scan just to rule out any malware that could’ve disrupted your internet connection.

    Update Wireless Drivers & Network Adapter Driver

    Device drivers provide information about how your operating system and other software interact with particular hardware on your computer. If you still have no internet connection, check for driver updates on your computer.

    You can also uninstall the driver, and reinstall the correct drivers from the device manufacturer’s site. Restart the computer once done, and test the internet connection to see if it works.

    Upgrade Router Firmware

    Upgrading router firmware varies with every router, but there are some similar steps to take. However, it’s advisable to check the device manufacturer’s user manual that came with your router, or go online and check for specific instructions for your router’s make and model.

    Reset Your Router

    You can reset your router by pressing the physical reset button (usually a small recessed pinhole) on your router and hold it in for about 15 seconds. At this point, the router lights will blink and the router will restart.

    If your router doesn’t have this button, log into the router and run factory reset from the settings panel.

    Reset Your Network

    If you still have no internet connection, reset your network settings.

    If nothing worked after resetting your router and network, you likely have faulty equipment. If it’s your router, you can try using a USB network adapter, contact your ISP provider or replace it altogether.

    Your WiFi adapter or related hardware could be defective, or, your computer needs servicing. Similarly, your computer’s operating system could be corrupted, in which case you may have to erase everything and reinstall it but this should be done as a last resort.

    We hope the steps described here will help you solve your connection issue. Hopefully, you won’t have to resort to factory resets, as most of the earlier steps tend to resolve it.

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