Internet Connected But Not Working: Easy Fix Guide

Is the internet connection but not working on your computer? Most people have encountered this particular issue at least one time. It can be annoying when it happens, especially if you need a network connection for work. Fortunately, there are numerous methods you can try to fix it. Here’s our guide on how to fix the problem of your internet connected but not working.

Internet Connected But Not Working: What to Do?

If the internet is connected but not working, then there could be multiple reasons why. Likewise, there’s more than one way you can learn how to fix the no internet connection problem. Let’s run through every fix you can try, whether you’re on Windows, Mac, or a laptop. Let’s get started.

1. Forget Network Then Reconnect

If the internet is connected but not working issue is only happening to one device, then reconnecting might do the trick. You’ll need to forget the network first before doing this. However, do note that you need to know what your WiFi password is before you proceed. Otherwise, you’ll simply be locked out of reconnecting to the WiFi.

On macOS

1. Navigate to “System Preferences”
2. Choose “Network”
3. Hit “Wi-Fi” and press “Advanced”
4. Select your present network and click the minus (-) button to erase it
5. Click “OK”
6. Hit “Apply”
7. Reconnect to the same network and enter the password

On Windows

1. Look for “Settings” in the taskbar’s search field
2. Choose the first icon that pops up
3. Select “Network & Internet”
4. Click “Wi-Fi” and select “Manage known networks” on the right
5. Choose the WiFi network you’re connected to
6. Hit “Forget”
7. On the taskbar, click the network (globe or signal) icon
8. Press the WiFi quick setting
9. Choose “Manage Wi-Fi connections”
10. Pick the network you removed and choose “Connect”
11. Type in the WiFi password and hit “Next”

If the internet is connected but not working problem is a minor bug, then this should resolve the problem. Try connecting to a website using a browser to see if it’s working again. Otherwise, proceed to the next solution.

2. Use a Different Ethernet Cable

Now, you might have ethernet connected, but there’s no internet. If so, there could be an issue regarding the cable itself. Thankfully, you can easily rule out this issue by using a different ethernet cable to connect to the internet.

We recommend getting one you’re sure works properly. If you can access the network after replacing the cable, then you were simply using a faulty cable before. However, if the internet is connected but not working problem remains, there could be another issue.

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3. Check Your Internet Service Provider (ISP)

If the internet is connected but not working problem is consistent across all your devices, we recommend checking with your ISP. There is a chance that they had an outage or some sort of problem that prevents you from establishing connections.

You can check for this by connecting to a cellular data network instead of the WiFi. If your phone or laptop can connect, then your ISP may indeed be the problem. We suggest calling your ISP’s operator or support team. Alternatively, you can also check your ISP’s website, Facebook, or Twitter page for announcements.

Your ISP should post updates regarding outages or network issues in your area if there’s truly a problem. However, if this is truly the cause, then there’s nothing you can do but wait for them to fix it. You can use your cellular data network in the meantime.

4. Unplug Your USB Accessories (Mac)

Sometimes, USB devices can interrupt your connections if you’re using a MacBook. That’s because some accessories don’t come with shielding properties, allowing them to interfere with your network connection.

Therefore, we suggest unplugging or disconnecting every USB accessory hooked up to your MacBook. This includes any peripherals like a mouse, keyboard, or hard drive. Afterward, try connecting to the network once more to see if this fixes the issue.

You can replug each USB device one by one if your MacBook reconnects successfully. This can help diagnose the problem and find the unshielded USB. Once located, you can call the accessory’s manufacturer for further assistance.

5. Check Your Date, Time, and Location (macOS)

On a Mac, having an incorrect date, time, or location setting can strangely affect your network connection. Thankfully, you can rectify the problem swiftly through the following steps:

1. Locate “System Preferences”
2. Choose “Date & Time”
3. Press “Time Zone”
4. Tick the box next to “Set time zone automatically”

Unfortunately, MacBooks sometimes choose the incorrect location despite this being an automatic setting. If you aim to alter it, you can follow these instructions:

1. Head to “System Preferences”
2. Choose “Security & Privacy”
3. Navigate to “Privacy”
4. Select “Location Services” on the side
5. Tick the box beside “Enable Location Services”

6. Change Domain Name System (DNS)

Is your internet connected but not working on a laptop? If so, we’d like you to test if the issue is contained in a certain area or location.

For example, it may be working well in your school or workplace but, for some reason, it’s malfunctioning at home. In this case, your laptop’s hardware is likely not the problem. The culprit could be your DNS having issues — this is fairly common, after all.

On Windows (Flushing)

You can rectify the issue by flushing it on a Windows computer:

1. Hit the Windows + R keys simultaneously
2. Type “ipconfig /flushdns” (no quotations)
3. Hit the enter key
4. Check your network again

Note that you can only do this if you’re the administrator on your computer. Otherwise, you’ll need to follow a different set of steps to run the command:

1. Hit the Windows + X keys simultaneously
2. Choose command (admin) or PowerShell (admin)
3. Type “ipconfig /flushdns” (no quotations)
4. Hit the enter key
5. Check your network once more

On Windows (Setting a DNS Server)

Is the internet connection but not working even after flushing the DNS? In that case, we recommend setting a fixed DNS server instead. You can change your settings through the following:

1. Right-click on the Start button
2. Choose “Network Connections”
3. Press “Change Adapter Options”
4. Click on “Wi-Fi Adapter” twice to navigate to the Network Adapter
5. Select “Properties”
6. Hit “Internet Protocol version 4 (TCP/IPv4)”
7. Press “Properties”
8. Tick the box beside “Use the following DNS-Server”
9. Type your desired DNS server’s address
   • For example, this could be 8.8.8.8 (Google’s Public DNS) or 208.67.222.222 (OpenDNS)
10. Click “OK” and exit the other open windows

On macOS

If the internet is connected but not working on Mac, you can also change the DNS to fix the problem. Simply follow the instructions below:

1. Close all your running browsers
2. Click the Apple Menu
3. Navigate to “System Preferences”
4. Choose “Network”
5. Click “Wi-Fi” and hit “Advanced”
6. Press the DNS tab
7. Click the Plus (+) button under the DNS Servers area
8. Type your desired server’s address (IPv4 or IPv6)
   • For example, this could be 8.8.8.8 (Google’s Public DNS) or 208.67.222.222 (OpenDNS)
9. Hit “OK”

7. Restart Your Router

Sometimes, the internet is connected but not working problem has to do with the router. For the most part, a quick reboot will do the trick. You can fulfill this task by pressing the power button on your router unit.

Afterward, wait 30 seconds to a minute before you press it once more to start it. This should clear and reset all the cache, allowing you to have fresh connections. However, make sure to let the device start up for a few minutes before you use the internet again. Then see if you can connect.

In addition, it’s important to warn everyone in the household beforehand. Otherwise, people might find themselves suddenly without a connection when they’re working on important online tasks.

If rebooting the router didn’t work, you might want to reset it completely. However, keep in mind that doing this is factory resetting your device. You cannot keep all your settings and custom configurations. Moreover, you’ll need to set them up again afterward. Therefore, we recommend writing all your configurations down before you proceed.

8. Conduct a Wireless Diagnostic (Mac)

MacBooks and Mac computers usually have wireless diagnostic tools built-in. Hence, if the internet is connected but not working problem persists, it can help you find the culprit. Simply follow the directions below:

1. Press and hold the “option” key and hit the “Wi-Fi” button on the menu bar
2. Choose “Open Wireless Diagnostics…”
3. Follow the instructions and prompts

Afterward, macOS should give you an error code. You can get more information about the code if you look it up online.

9. Update Your Operating System (OS)

If your WiFi is connected with no internet access, then the problem could lie with your operating system. Unfortunately, you can’t update your OS without a network connection. Hence, if you can’t connect using WiFi for some reason, you may be in a bind.

On the other hand, you may circumvent this issue by using a working ethernet cable. This should help you update your OS without needing to fix the internet connection but not a working issue. However, your device must have an ethernet port for it to work. This is true for Windows or macOS.

On Windows

1. Press the Start button
2. Select “Settings”
3. Hit “Update & Security”
   • Note: On Windows 11, you can skip this step and proceed to the next immediately
4. Select “Windows Update”
5. Hit “Check for updates”
6. Install any that are available

On macOS

1. Head to “System Preferences”
2. Look for “Software Updates”
3. Wait until your Mac shows new updates
4. Download and install the OS updates it brings up (if any)

10. Check Your Drivers (Windows Only)

If the internet is connected but not working issue remains, the problem could be related to your Windows drivers. These issues sometimes arise when Windows updates its software but leaves the drivers outdated. Hence, this could explain why you suddenly can’t connect to WiFi networks after restarting your device. You can mitigate this issue through the following:

1. Hit the Windows + X keys simultaneously
2. Choose “Device Manager”
3. Expand the “Network adapters” section by pressing the arrow beside it
4. Look for your wireless network adapter and right-click on it
5. Select “Update Driver software” in the dropdown
6. Pick “Search automatically for updated driver software”

Windows should search and install the new driver afterward. You can also check for updates by looking for help from your laptop’s manufacturer by checking their website.

11. Check Router Settings And Permissions

If your computer is connected to the internet but is not working, then you need to check your router’s settings. Check your network permissions and Media Access Control (MAC) identifiers and ensure they allow your device. Otherwise, your router may be automatically disconnecting your devices without you knowing it. Follow the instructions below for guidelines:

1. Press the Windows key
2. Enter “cmd” in the field
3. Right-click on the Command Prompt and pick “run as administrator”
4. Once more, right-click and it should open the command prompt
5. Enter “ipconfig” and tap the Enter key
6. You should find the default gateway IP here (it usually starts with 192.168 followed by other numbers)
7. Note down the IP address
8. Launch a browser and enter the IP address into the address bar
9. Press Enter
10. Type in your credentials in the router management console
    • Note: you can find the username on the back of your router and the password is usually “admin” unless you changed it during setup
11. Find the MAC address in the settings panel that opens and disable it or ensure that it’s not filtering anything

12. Renew DHCP Lease (Mac)

Your Mac’s Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) allows your network devices to communicate. However, if problems arise with your DHCP, your MacBook could have network connection problems. Thankfully, you can easily renew your DHCP through the following:

1. Open “System Preferences”
2. Head to “Network”
3. Choose “Wi-Fi” on the side panel
4. Click “Advanced…”
5. Navigate to the “TCP/IP” tab
6. Choose “Renew DHCP Lease”
   • Note: doing this could change your Mac’s IP address

13. Reset Network Settings (Windows)

If the internet is connected but still not working on Windows 10, we recommend resetting your network. You can easily do this on your device by following these instructions:

1. Type “Settings” in the search field in your taskbar
2. Open the Settings app that pops up
3. Navigate to “Network and Internet”
4. Find the “status” option on the left side and click it
5. Press “Network Troubleshooter”
6. Choose “Network Reset”
7. Follow the instructions to reset your devices and network preferences

14. Reset Network Preferences (Mac)

If your internet is connected but not working problem remains, you can also reset your network preferences on your Mac. Unfortunately, doing this isn’t as straightforward as it is on a smartphone. Nonetheless, you can accomplish this by deleting specific files:

1. Backup your MacBook to the cloud or external hard drive
   • Note: this is essential because the process resets multiple settings on your Mac
2. Click on the desktop to highlight “Finder”
3. Choose “Go” and then “Computer” from the menu bar
4. Look for “Macintosh HD”
5. Select “Library” then hit “Preferences”
6. Navigate to System Configuration”
7. Delete these files:
   • preferences.plist
   • NetworkInterfaces.plist
   • com.apple.airport.preferences.plist
   • com.apple.airport.identification.plist
   • Settings.plist

Possible Causes of Internet Not Working Even If Connected

Why is my internet connection not working on my device? There could be numerous causes that are responsible for this. Here are some of the potential causes that could help you diagnose the issue and reconnect:

• Internet service problems with your ISP
• Bugs or too much cache in your router
• Another computer or network setting blocking your connection
• OS or other software incompatibilities
• Defective router or computer hardware

What to Do If It’s a Hardware Issue

Sometimes, when your internet connection says “no internet,” the issue is because of defectiveness in the hardware. Your router could be faulty or malfunctioning and isn’t working the way you intend. If this is the router your ISP gave you, then calling them for assistance might be helpful. They could either fix the busted router or give you a new one after running diagnostics.

On the other hand, your computer could also be the culprit and not the router. You could come to this conclusion by trying all other fixes — including those related to your router. Moreover, it’s even more likely if your device is the only one having an internet connection but no working issues.

If so, we suggest simply going to your manufacturer to have it diagnosed and repaired. This is much easier if your device is still under warranty. However, you will need to spend money on repairs if your warranty has expired.

Fix Your Internet Connection Today!

If your internet is not working but connected, there might be many things responsible for the error. Thankfully, there are just as many (or even more) solutions you can try. A few of the fixes are simple, while others are slightly more complicated. Nonetheless, you can usually fix the issue through any one of these means. However, sometimes the problem could be hardware-related and, for that, you’ll need to consult a professional.