Wi-Fi Connected but No Internet in Windows 11

By Iikka Isosaari · Windows 11 · Updated September 26, 2026

Seeing Connected next to your Wi-Fi network does not guarantee that your PC can reach the internet.

It only means the computer has established a connection with the wireless access point.

Before changing the network: save any manual IP/DNS settings and work locally, since resets can disconnect remote sessions. Use an administrator terminal. Release/renew applies to adapters using DHCP, not static addresses; without an adapter name it affects all eligible adapters. On a managed PC, check with your administrator before resetting the network.

Check Another Device

First, test the same Wi-Fi network using your phone with mobile data temporarily off, so cellular fallback does not hide a Wi-Fi outage.

If nothing can reach the internet, the issue is probably the router or internet connection rather than Windows.

Disable and Re-enable Wi-Fi

Turn Wi-Fi off for a few seconds and reconnect.

You can also disable and enable the adapter from Windows network settings.

Flush DNS

Open Terminal as Administrator:

ipconfig /flushdns

Then try opening a website again.

Request a New IP Address

Run:

ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew

This forces Windows to request fresh network configuration from your router.

Reset Winsock

Try:

netsh winsock reset

Restart afterward.

Check the Wi-Fi Driver

Open Device Manager and find your wireless adapter under Network adapters.

If Windows was recently reinstalled, you may be using a generic or missing driver.

Downloading the correct driver from the PC, motherboard, or adapter manufacturer can solve many wireless issues.

Temporarily Disable VPN Software

VPN clients install networking components that can occasionally interfere with normal internet access.

On your own PC, disconnect the VPN briefly to compare connectivity, then reconnect. Do not disable an organization-required VPN or security software.

Still Not Working?

At that point, investigate:

router DHCP settings
manually configured DNS
proxy settings
security software
adapter driver problems

References

Questions about Wi-Fi Connected but No Internet in Windows 11

Why can Wi-Fi show connected while the internet is unavailable?

The local wireless link may be established even if DNS, the gateway or the upstream connection is failing. Check another device before changing PC settings.

Should I reset Winsock immediately?

Start with the connection and IP/DNS checks first. Winsock reset is a later step and requires a restart; it will not solve every router or service outage.