Wi-Fi Connects but Windows Says There’s No Internet

Try pinging 8.8.8.8 from Command Prompt. If you get replies, the internet connection itself is working and only DNS is failing. Check the adapter’s DNS settings and set them back to automatic; if that doesn’t work, you can test 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 as DNS servers. Running ipconfig /all can also show whether the computer has a valid IP address, gateway, and DNS configuration. A 169.254.x.x address usually means it failed to get an address from DHCP.

Windows’ “no internet” message can occasionally be wrong because it relies on a connectivity check. Try opening a few websites directly first. If nothing loads, reboot the computer, briefly enable and disable airplane mode, and run the built-in network troubleshooter. Restarting the router is also worth trying, since a bad routing-table entry can sometimes affect only one device, although the fact that the computer also fails on a hotspot points more strongly to the computer.

You can also try fully powering off the router and disconnecting it for at least a minute before turning it back on. Some older routers can run into problems with their internal connection or security logs. This is less likely here because the computer has the same problem on a phone hotspot, but it’s a simple step to rule out.

Because the computer fails on both your home Wi-Fi and a phone hotspot while other devices work, the issue is probably on Windows rather than with the router. Open Command Prompt as administrator and run these commands one at a time: netsh winsock reset, netsh int ip reset, ipconfig /release, ipconfig /renew, and ipconfig /flushdns. Restart afterward. Also check that no unexpected proxy, VPN, or third-party security program is filtering the connection. If it still fails, reinstall or update the Wi-Fi adapter driver from the computer or motherboard manufacturer.