Your laptop says “No internet” or shows a spinning wheel. The phone beside it streams fine. Annoying, yes—but solvable. Wi-Fi breakages usually follow a small set of patterns. Work through this page top to bottom, and you’ll be back online without guesswork.
The guide starts with quick wins. Then it moves into system fixes for Windows, macOS, and Chromebooks, followed by router tweaks and pro tips. No tools needed, just a few minutes of calm clicks.
Quick Checks And What To Do
| Symptom | Where To Check | What To Try |
|---|---|---|
| Wi-Fi toggle missing or greyed out | Windows Quick Settings / macOS menu bar | Toggle Airplane Mode off, then on. Reboot. On Windows, confirm the wireless adapter is enabled in Device Manager. |
| Connects, but no internet | Other devices on same network | Test with your phone. If all fail, reboot modem/router. If only the laptop fails, renew IP and flush DNS. |
| Wrong password loop | Network list | Forget the network, re-join, and type the exact passphrase. Check for uppercase/lowercase and special characters. |
| Public Wi-Fi shows “Connected” but pages don’t load | Browser | Open a new tab and visit a non-HTTPS site like neverssl.com to trigger the sign-in page. Disable any VPN for the join step. |
| Only 2.4 GHz works | SSID names | Pick the 2.4 GHz SSID for range, or stand closer for 5 GHz. Update the adapter driver and router firmware. |
| New router, laptop won’t join | Router security mode | Switch from WPA3-only to mixed WPA2/WPA3 or WPA2-Personal for older devices. Try again. |
| Connects, then drops | Busy home network | Move closer, reduce saturated channels, or restart the router. Check for USB 3 hub noise near the laptop. |
| Only one site or app fails | That site on another device | If the site is down elsewhere, wait it out. If not, clear DNS cache and test with another browser. |
| Work VPN blocks access | VPN app | Disconnect VPN to test local access. If Wi-Fi works without it, ask your admin for the right split-tunnel rules. |
| Router won’t show up | SSID broadcast | Enable SSID broadcast on the router, or manually add the network. Verify country/region and channel legality. |
Common Reasons A Laptop Won’t Connect To Wi-Fi
Airplane Mode Or A Disabled Radio
Windows has a single switch that kills all radios. Laptops also ship with Fn keys that do the same. If Wi-Fi vanished after a keystroke or a flight, that’s the first stop. Use the taskbar toggle, then check the dedicated hardware switch if your model has one. On Macs, use the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar and make sure it’s set to On.
Saved Profile Or Password Mismatch
Wi-Fi remembers old keys. One mistyped character and the loop never ends. Remove the saved network, scan again, and re-enter the passphrase. If you just changed the router password, restart both the router and laptop so they negotiate fresh keys. For long keys, paste from a note to cut errors.
Captive Portals On Public Hotspots
Hotels, airports, and cafés often require a browser sign-in. Your device may say “Connected” while the internet stays blocked. Open a new tab and load any plain HTTP address to bring up the portal. Some VPNs or DNS apps block that redirect; pause them for the join step and re-enable after you see a normal page.
Driver Or OS Updates Pending
Out-of-date drivers cause odd drops and missing bands. Install pending updates for your wireless adapter and the operating system. On Windows, use Windows Update and, if needed, the adapter vendor’s driver. On macOS, install the next point release. Reboot after each change to test again.
Security Mode Mismatch (WPA3, WPA2)
Many modern routers ship with WPA3 enabled. Older laptops may not join WPA3-only networks. Change the router to a mixed mode that also allows WPA2, then retry. For new gear, leave WPA3 on once all devices can join without issue.
IP Address Or DNS Trouble
Sometimes the laptop never gets a valid address from the router. Other times DNS breaks while Wi-Fi stays up. Renew the IP lease and clear DNS. If that fails, set DNS to your router’s