Wi-Fi Connected but No Internet
Windows shows Wi-Fi as connected, sometimes with a full signal, but websites won't load, or Windows shows "no internet access" alongside the connected status.
Quick answer: Being "connected" to Wi-Fi only means the computer has joined the network — it doesn't guarantee that network has working internet. This split points to either an internet outage, a router/modem issue, or occasionally a DNS setting problem on the computer itself.
Likely causes
- An actual internet outage from your provider, even though the local Wi-Fi network itself is working
- The router or modem has lost its connection to the internet while still broadcasting Wi-Fi normally
- A DNS issue preventing website addresses from resolving, even though the connection itself works
- IP address conflicts or an expired lease from the router
What you can safely check yourself
- Check whether other devices on the same Wi-Fi have internet — if none do, it's the router or the internet service, not your computer
- Restart the router and modem (unplug both, wait 30 seconds, plug the modem back in first)
- Try a website by its numeric IP or a different DNS-independent test to rule out a DNS-specific issue
When it needs a proper look
If other devices also can't get online, that's a router or provider issue outside the computer itself. If only this computer is affected while others work fine, that's worth having looked at.