10 Troubleshooting Tips If Your Internet Is Connected But Not Working. While many people think of the Internet as “Wi-Fi,” it is actually just the final bridge between your device and the actual Internet connection you use, be it copper-based DSL, fiber optic, satellite, or smoke signals. This means that the connection between your computer and the Wi-Fi router may well be successful as long as the Internet connection itself is down.
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10 Troubleshooting Tips If Your Internet Is Connected But Not Working
There could be multiple reasons, and we’ll go over a few general troubleshooting tips that you can use if your Internet is connected but not working.
Narrow the offender
There are many links between you and the Internet as a whole. If any of them are not working as expected, you will probably disconnect from the network. Therefore, it is very important to understand what exactly the problem is. This means you will know what to fix and if you can fix the problem at all.
Try to isolate each section of the system:
- Is one particular website down?
- Only one device on your network cannot use the Internet?
- Does the router light indicate an Internet connection?
By answering questions like this, you can get rid of a lot of troubleshooting work wasted on connectivity aspects that have nothing to do with the problems you’re experiencing. It will also help you decide which of the tips below (if any) you can skip.
Restart your device
This one solution, if your internet is down, is quick and easy. Whether you are using a computer, tablet, smartphone, or smart TV. fridge or burrito connected to the internet, try restarting your device. Sometimes there are temporary glitches that we cannot find or fix manually. Eliminating them can help you start over.
If you find that your device’s internet connection problems often need to be resolved with a reboot, you might want to check for the operating system or firmware updates as this can be a systematic issue.
Are you connected to the correct router?
There are no stupid questions, even if it sounds like one of them. Just double-check that you are connected to whatever Wi-Fi connection you think you are. For example, you might accidentally connect to a mobile hotspot you forgot to turn off.
Another common problem occurs with dual-band routers that offer 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi under two different names. 5GHz Wi-Fi is not suitable for long-distance transmission, especially through walls. If your device is unable to switch to a 2.4 GHz network when the signal strength is too low, you will not have a working Internet connection. Therefore, switch to the 2.4GHz network manually to resolve this issue.
Do you have good signal strength?
Based on the previous point, do you have enough signal strength regardless of the network frequency? If your internet connection starts working again when you get close to your router, consider using a WiFi repeater or some kind of repeater.
Check the router, reset it, or restart it
If an internet connection issue affects all the devices connected to the router, you should definitely pay attention to the router itself. Before doing anything drastic, check if the WAN LED is on. Otherwise, the router has no internet connection and your internet service provider is likely to blame.
Start by simply unplugging it, wait a minute, and then plugging it back in. Routers are actually specialized computers, and they can freeze, crash, and behave just like a PC.
You may also need to do a hard reset of your router if all else fails. Check out his manual to find out how. This is usually a recessed button that needs to be held down for a few seconds. However, you will have to re-enter all the settings for your ISP, WiFi password, and the like. Be careful!
Switch between WiFi and Ethernet
If Wi-Fi is not working as expected, but Ethernet direct cable connection is working, then the problem is with Wi-Fi. If all devices are not working over Wi-Fi, look for general Wi-Fi problems and return to the above when you reset your router.
it’s if only one particular device doesn’t work over Wi-Fi (but does work with Ethernet), then you’ll have to specifically troubleshoot its Wi-Fi.
DNS cache problems
One quick fix if the internet is down is to clear your DNS cache. Each time you enter a website address, your computer sends a request to a domain name server to translate it to the IP (Internet Protocol) address of a specific server.
Your computer’s DNS cache stores information about the sites you have visited in the past to speed up your Internet browsing experience. The problem is, if something goes wrong with the cache, you could lose access to the site.
To clear the cache:
- Open the Start menu.
- Enter CMD and start the command line application.
- Type ipconfig / flushdns and press Enter
That’s it, your DNS cache is now cleared and if that was the problem, everything should work again.
Use alternate DNS servers
Sometimes Internet access problems are caused by the DNS servers themselves being unreliable or not working. Most ISPs use their own DNS servers and configure them through the router by default.
You can change which DNS servers your particular device or router uses to always use a faster or more reliable choice. For more information on how to change DNS servers in Windows, see How to Change DNS Provider in Windows.
IP address conflicts
Each device on your LAN has a unique IP address assigned to it by your router, assuming your router and devices are configured to use dynamic IP assignment. This is the default, but in some cases, the device or the router itself is configured to use static IP addresses.
There are many reasons for using static IP addresses, but if two devices on a network are configured to use the same address, neither can use the network.
It really takes a separate article to resolve IP address conflicts, and don’t you know, we have just such an article. Therefore, if you think there may be an IP address conflict on your network, see the “How to fix an IP address conflict” section.
Check with your internet service provider for downtime or reset your remote connection
You got to the last troubleshooting tip, but the internet still isn’t working. It’s not a specific device, it’s not your router, it looks like nothing on your local domain is to blame. Well, only your real ISP remains.
The good news is that many ISPs post downtime notifications on their websites, which you can check with your cell phone or someone else’s Internet. You can also just call them and ask if they have a known issue.
Even if it’s not there, sometimes you can fix problems by requesting a network restart from your ISP This can be done via self-service on their website, or you will have to request it via a support ticket. If that doesn’t work, please keep them in touch to get the technical support you need!