Wi-Fi Working on Phone but Not on Laptop? 8 Fixes for Windows 11 and 10

Your phone, TV and everyone else's devices are online, but your laptop says "No internet", keeps disconnecting, or won't connect at all. Since the router works for everything else, the problem is almost always on the laptop: its settings, its Wi-Fi driver, or how it talks to the router.

Here are the fixes I use on Windows 11 and 10 laptops, from 30-second checks to full network resets.

Quick checks (try these first)

1. Toggle Airplane mode on and off from the quick settings panel (Win + A).
2. Restart the laptop (a real restart, not shutdown).
3. Forget the network and reconnect: Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > Manage known networks, select your Wi-Fi, click Forget, then connect again with the password.
4. Turn off VPN or proxy apps, and check Settings > Network & internet > Proxy is off unless your office needs it.
5. Check the date and time are correct; a wrong clock breaks secure websites and looks like "no internet".

Find out what's actually failing

Open Command Prompt and run ipconfig. Look at your Wi-Fi adapter:

• IPv4 address starting with 169.254 means the laptop didn't get an address from the router (fix 1 and 4).
• A normal address (like 192.168.x.x) but websites don't open usually means a DNS problem (fix 2).
• Wi-Fi option missing entirely means a driver or adapter problem (fix 5 and 6).

Fix 1: Renew the IP address

Open Terminal (Admin) and run:

ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /flushdns

Fix 2: Change the DNS server

If some sites open and others don't, or everything is very slow to start loading, switch to a public DNS. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > Hardware properties, click Edit next to DNS server assignment, choose Manual, turn on IPv4 and enter:

• Preferred DNS: 1.1.1.1 (Cloudflare) or 8.8.8.8 (Google)
• Alternate DNS: 1.0.0.1 or 8.8.4.4

Fix 3: Reset Winsock and TCP/IP

Corrupted network settings, often left behind by VPNs or old security software, can block only one device. In Terminal (Admin):

netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset

Restart the laptop afterwards.

Fix 4: Check the router isn't blocking your laptop

• Random hardware address: Windows can use a random MAC address for privacy. If your router uses MAC filtering or reserved addresses, turn it off for your network: Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > your network > Random hardware address: Off.
• Device limit or blocked list: open the router app (JioFiber, Airtel Xstream, TP-Link Tether and so on) and check whether your laptop is blocked or the device limit is reached.
• Try the other band: many routers show two networks (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz). Older laptops can't see 5 GHz, and 2.4 GHz reaches farther through walls.

Fix 5: Update, reinstall or roll back the Wi-Fi driver

1. Right-click Start and open Device Manager.
2. Expand Network adapters and find your Wi-Fi adapter (Intel, Realtek, MediaTek, Qualcomm).
3. Right-click it and choose Update driver. If the problem started after an update, open Properties > Driver > Roll Back Driver instead.
4. Still failing? Choose Uninstall device, restart, and Windows reinstalls it.

The best drivers usually come from your laptop maker's support site or app, not generic driver-updater tools.

Fix 6: Stop Windows from switching the Wi-Fi off

If Wi-Fi drops every few minutes or after sleep, Windows may be turning the adapter off to save power. In Device Manager, open your Wi-Fi adapter's Properties > Power Management and untick Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power. Also try setting Power mode to Balanced or Best performance when plugged in.

Fix 7: Run the network troubleshooter

Go to Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters and run Network and Internet. On newer Windows 11 versions this opens the Get Help app, which runs the same automatic checks and repairs.

Fix 8: Network reset (last resort)

Go to Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Network reset and click Reset now. This reinstalls all network adapters and clears saved Wi-Fi networks and VPN settings, so keep your Wi-Fi password handy. The PC restarts automatically.

Still not working?

• Plug in a USB Wi-Fi adapter or connect with a LAN cable. If that works, the internal Wi-Fi card may be faulty.
• Connect to your phone's hotspot. If the laptop works on the hotspot but not your router, update the router firmware or reset the router.
• Run a malware scan with Windows Security; some adware breaks network settings.

FAQ

Why does Wi-Fi work on my phone but not my laptop?

Because the problem is specific to the laptop: an IP or DNS issue, a corrupted network setting, a driver problem, power saving, or the router blocking that one device.

What does "Connected, no internet" mean?

The laptop is connected to the router but can't reach the internet through it, usually because of an IP address or DNS problem. Fixes 1 to 3 solve most cases.

Will a network reset delete my files?

No. It only resets network settings, saved Wi-Fi networks and VPN configurations.

Laptop slow as well? See 12 fixes for a slow Windows 11 PC.