My laptop connects to my home Wi‑Fi and reports that the connection is secured, but browsers, apps, and anything else requiring internet access fail to load. The same Wi‑Fi works normally on my other devices. I've also found that an Ethernet connection does not work on the laptop either, and the Wi‑Fi driver reports that it is already up to date. What should I check next?
3 Answers
Even if Windows says the driver is current, download the latest network driver directly from the laptop manufacturer’s support page and reinstall it after installing all pending Windows updates. Also restart both the laptop and router first, then forget the Wi‑Fi network and reconnect. If the issue continues after a network reset and driver reinstall, temporarily check whether a VPN or third-party antivirus program is intercepting the connection.
Try resetting the Windows network stack. Open Command Prompt as administrator and run `netsh winsock reset`, then restart the laptop. You can also run `ipconfig /flushdns` and `ipconfig /renew`. If that doesn’t help, use Settings > Network & Internet > Advanced network settings > Network reset. This removes saved network settings and reinstalls the network components, so you’ll need to reconnect afterward.
Since both Wi‑Fi and Ethernet fail only on this laptop, the problem is probably a Windows network configuration issue rather than the router. Check Settings > Network & Internet > Proxy and make sure no proxy is enabled. Also check the connection’s IP assignment and DNS settings; they should normally be set to Automatic (DHCP). A VPN, antivirus network filter, or manually configured static IP could also block access.
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