It’s incredibly frustrating when your Wi-Fi network is connected but your internet isn’t working. The network shows up in your Wi-Fi menu, you’ve put in the right password, but then you open your browser, and you get nothing. Aaargh!

Why isn’t your Wi-Fi working? A lot of different things could be the culprit. Sometimes the solution is simple—maybe your router is out of date or just needs a quick reboot. But sometimes it’s a little more complicated. So, we’ve put together a guide to help you troubleshoot your network and get your Wi-Fi flowing like gravy once more.

We cover the simple tips at the top of this guide, but feel free to jump farther down for advice on more complicated network troubles. Let’s get started.


Easy fixes for your internet


You won’t even have to get out of your chair to try these solutions. Here’s hoping one of these approaches does the trick.

Restart your device

This might sound a bit too obvious, but the first thing you should do is restart your device. It won’t work every time, but it gives the operating system a chance to clear things up and try again in case it’s frozen, not recognizing the network, or just being uncooperative.

See if there’s an internet outage

It could be that you’re not the only one whose internet is down. Run a quick search on Twitter or Google to see if anyone else in your area is reporting internet outages or connectivity issues from your provider. You can also find information about internet shutdowns on the website Down Detector, or you can call up your internet service provider (ISP) to investigate.

Pro tip:

If the internet is indeed down in your area but you still need internet, you can use your cell phone as a mobile hotspot to access Wi-Fi. You can also go outside in search of a public hotspot to connect to. Take a look at our Wi-Fi hotspot guide for more details.

If you’re in no rush for internet access, then open up a book or old-timey print magazine to keep yourself entertained as you wait until the network is back up.


Force open the network’s login page (for public Wi-Fi)


Hotels, airports, and cafes often provide free internet—usually all you have to do is open your browser and sign onto the public Wi-Fi network through a login screen. But what if that login page refuses to load?

You can force open the login page by typing one of these codes into your browser’s address bar:

  • 127.1.1.1
  • 1.1.1.1
  • 192.168.1.1
  • http://localhost