My laptop shows that it's connected to the internet, but almost everything buffers indefinitely. Gmail may eventually load after nearly an hour, while most websites and videos do not load at all. I disabled the built-in Wi-Fi adapter, tried a separate USB Wi-Fi dongle, and connected through Ethernet, but the problem remained. The built-in network diagnostic says the connection is stable. I've also tried resetting the network, removing VPNs, reinstalling and updating the network drivers, and running commands such as netsh int ip reset, but nothing has helped. Other laptops on my home network work normally, and the same slow behavior occurs when I connect this laptop to my phone's hotspot or public Wi-Fi. What should I check next?
4 Answers
Because the same thing happens on several unrelated networks and with multiple connection types, boot the laptop from a temporary Linux USB drive and test the internet there. If browsing works normally in Linux, the hardware and network are probably fine and Windows or one of its installed programs is the likely culprit. In that case, back up your files and consider repairing or reinstalling Windows.
Since the problem follows the laptop across Ethernet, your home Wi-Fi, a phone hotspot, and public Wi-Fi, interference or your internet provider probably isn’t the main cause. First restart both the laptop and router anyway, then test whether the issue affects every browser and app. Running ipconfig can also show whether the laptop has a valid IP address, gateway, and DNS server.
Before doing a factory reset, check Task Manager while the problem is happening. Look for a process using all the network bandwidth, high CPU or disk usage, or security software inspecting every connection. You can also try a different browser and temporarily disable browser extensions. If nothing stands out, back up your data before attempting a clean operating-system reinstall.
Try opening an elevated PowerShell or Command Prompt and run these commands, then restart the laptop: netsh winsock reset, netsh int ip reset, and ipconfig /flushdns. Also check for proxy settings, leftover VPN software, and security software that could be filtering traffic. Download the network drivers directly from the laptop manufacturer rather than relying only on automatic driver updates.
I already tried similar reset commands and removed the VPNs, but I’ll check the proxy and security settings too.