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Fix a Wi‑Fi that connects but has no internet

We'll confirm connected-but-no-internet, power-cycle, test wired to isolate Wi‑Fi vs modem, check DNS and gateway—so you get internet or we tell you when to call your ISP.

Troubleshooting · Wi‑Fi & networking
5–15 min
What you'll need
  • Access to the modem and router
  • At least one device that can connect via Wi‑Fi
  • Device with Ethernet (optional). No Ethernet? You can still power-cycle and check lights.
Step 1 of 7

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Choose the option that matches what you see. You can jump straight to that section.

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Steps

Goal: Confirm connected-but-no-internet, power-cycle, and isolate Wi‑Fi vs modem/ISP.

  • Check that the device shows “Connected” to Wi‑Fi but web pages do not load. Open fast.com. If the page never loads, you have connected-but-no-internet.
  • Good: Symptom confirmed. Proceed to Power-cycle.
  • Bad: Device is not connected—fix the connection first.

Power-cycle

Goal: Clear stuck state on the modem and router.

  • Unplug the modem and router from power. (If you have a single combined box, unplug it.) Wait 60 seconds. Plug in the modem first, wait 30 seconds, then plug in the router. Wait for the WAN/Internet light to turn solid.
  • Good: The light is solid. Retest fast.com—if it loads, you are done.
  • Bad: The light is off or blinking—proceed to Test wired.

Test wired

Goal: Isolate whether the issue is Wi‑Fi or the modem/ISP.

  • Connect one device with an Ethernet cable to a LAN port on the router. Open fast.com in a browser.
  • Wired OK: The page loads—the gateway and modem are fine. The issue is Wi‑Fi or router. Forget the network, reconnect. Try DNS 8.8.8.8 or 1.1.1.1 on the router or device.
  • Wired bad: The page does not load—modem or ISP. Check the modem lights. If the WAN/Internet light is off or blinking, contact your ISP with the modem model, light status, and that wired to the router also fails.

Check DNS

Goal: If wired works but Wi‑Fi is flaky or some sites fail, try different DNS.

  • Log into the router at 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1. Set DNS to 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 (Google) or 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1 (Cloudflare). Save. On the device, you can also set DNS manually in Wi‑Fi settings.
  • Good: Sites load after the DNS change. You are done.
  • Bad: No change—capture modem model, light status, and what you tried; escalate.

When to get help

Call your ISP when the modem WAN/Internet light is off or blinking, wired to the router fails, or power-cycle did not fix it. Provide: modem model, light status, and that wired to the router also fails.

Verification

  • The device connects to Wi‑Fi and web pages load (e.g. fast.com shows speeds).
  • The modem WAN/Internet light is solid.
  • No “connected but no internet” or “limited connectivity” errors.

Escalation ladder

Work from the device outward. Stop when the problem is fixed.

  1. Confirm symptom Device shows connected but web pages do not load.
  2. Power-cycle Power-cycle modem and router; wait for WAN/Internet light.
  3. Wired test Connect one device wired to router; if wired works, issue is Wi‑Fi; if wired fails, issue is modem/ISP.
  4. DNS and gateway Try DNS 8.8.8.8 or 1.1.1.1; check modem lights.
  5. Call ISP Wired fails or modem lights bad—contact ISP with modem model, light status, and steps tried.

What to capture if you need help

Before calling support or posting for help, have these ready. It speeds everything up.

  • Modem model and light status (WAN/Internet on or off)
  • Whether wired to router works
  • One speed test result from fast.com (if possible)
  • Steps already tried

Does the device show connected but web pages do not load?

Open fast.com. If connected but the page never loads, you have connected-but-no-internet.

Check Wi‑Fi status. Open fast.com. Good: device shows connected but page does not load. Bad: device is not connected—fix connection first.

Yes No

You can change your answer later.

Fix connection first

The device is not connected to Wi‑Fi. See Fix Wi‑Fi that drops or is slow or Fix a Wi‑Fi that asks for password repeatedly.

Done

Power-cycle modem and router

Clears stuck state. Wait for WAN/Internet light to stabilize.

Unplug modem and router for 60 seconds. Plug in modem first, wait 30 seconds, then router. Wait for WAN/Internet light to turn solid. Good: light is solid—retest. Bad: light is off or blinking—proceed to wired test to confirm.

Yes No or light bad

You can change your answer later.

Retest after power-cycle

Open fast.com on the device. If it loads, you are done. If it still does not load, proceed to wired test.

Done

Do you have a device with Ethernet?

Wired test shows if the issue is Wi‑Fi or modem/ISP.

Connect one device with Ethernet to a LAN port on the router. Open fast.com. Wired OK: page loads—issue is Wi‑Fi or router; try forget/reconnect, DNS. Wired bad: page does not load—modem or ISP; check modem lights, contact ISP.

Yes (wired works) No (wired fails)

You can change your answer later.

Wi‑Fi or router issue

Wired works—modem and gateway are fine. Forget the network, reconnect. Try DNS 8.8.8.8 or 1.1.1.1 on the router or device. Check router firmware. If Wi‑Fi still has no internet, escalate with evidence.

Done

Modem or ISP issue

Wired fails—likely modem or ISP. Check modem WAN light. If off or blinking, contact your ISP with modem model, light status, and that wired to router also fails.

Done

Reviewed by Blackbox Atlas

Frequently asked questions

Why does my Wi‑Fi say connected but I have no internet?
The device is connected to the router, but the path to the internet (modem, gateway, or ISP) is broken. Power-cycle the modem and router, test wired to the router to isolate Wi‑Fi vs modem, and check DNS. If wired fails, the modem or ISP is the cause.
How do I know if it is my router or my modem?
Connect one device with an Ethernet cable to the router and open fast.com. If it loads, wired works—the issue is Wi‑Fi or router settings. If it does not load, the problem is the modem or your ISP. Check the modem's WAN/Internet light.
What if I do not have a device with Ethernet?
Power-cycle the modem and router first. Try changing DNS on the device to 8.8.8.8 or 1.1.1.1. If the problem continues, check modem lights and contact your ISP with what you see.

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