Wi-Fi connected but no internet: causes and checks

What the message looks like

WLAN verbunden, aber keine Internetverbindung oder: Verbunden, kein Internet.

Common causes

• The internet line or the router's login to the provider is down, for example due to an outage.
• The router has hung and needs a restart.
• The device has no valid IP address or a faulty one (169.254.x.x).
• DNS resolution does not work although the connection itself is fine.
• A guest network or public Wi-Fi requires a login on a web page first.
• A VPN or proxy on the device redirects traffic incorrectly.

Check

1. Is the router reachable? (Windows; on macOS/Linux use -c 4 instead of -n 4)
   ping -n 4 192.168.178.1Copy
2. Is the internet reachable by IP address, without name resolution?
   ping -n 4 8.8.8.8Copy
3. Does name resolution work?
   nslookup example.comCopy
4. Show the device's IP address, gateway and DNS servers
   ipconfig /allCopy
5. Follow the path to the internet step by step
   tracert example.comCopy

Fix

• Check whether other devices on the same Wi-Fi get online. If not, the router or line is the cause; if yes, the single device is.
• If the router does not answer: restart it and wait a few minutes until all lights are steady. Check for an outage with your provider, for example over mobile data.
• If the router answers but 8.8.8.8 does not: the problem is the internet connection. Check the router's indicators and the provider's outage information.
• If 8.8.8.8 answers but nslookup fails: it is a DNS problem. As a test, enter a different DNS server in the device's network settings or in the router.
• If the device has a 169.254.x.x address: disconnect Wi-Fi and reconnect, or restart the device so it gets an address from the router.
• Switch off VPN or proxy as a test, and on guest or hotel Wi-Fi open any http page to see the login page.

FAQ

What does 169.254.x.x mean?

The device did not get an address from the router and made one up. The cause is usually the link to the router. Reconnecting or restarting the router often helps.

Why does ping work but no website?

Then the connection works but usually not name resolution (DNS). The nslookup test shows it. A different DNS server can fix it.