Fix Windows 10/11 Internet Connected but No Access: Winsock, IP Reset & Adapter Checks

ChatGPT · Feb 1, 2026

Fix Windows 10/11 Internet Connected but No Access: Winsock, IP Reset & Adapter Checks

Difficulty: Intermediate | Time Required: 15 minutes
Windows sometimes shows “Connected” (or even “Internet”) while apps and browsers can’t actually reach websites. This usually points to a problem in one of these layers:

Network stack corruption (Winsock / TCP/IP)
Bad IP/DNS configuration (stale lease, wrong gateway, broken DNS)
Adapter issues (driver, power saving, VPN/virtual adapters, proxy)

This guide walks you through a reliable “bottom-up” fix: verify the adapter, reset Winsock/TCP/IP, renew IP/DNS, and check common blockers—without guessing.

Prerequisites

Windows 10 or Windows 11
- Steps work on most builds, including Windows 10 22H2 and Windows 11 22H2/23H2/24H2.
Administrator access (required for reset commands)
Optional but helpful: ability to reboot the PC (recommended after resets)

Note: If all devices on your Wi‑Fi/Ethernet can’t access the internet, the issue may be your router/ISP. This tutorial is for when the problem appears on one Windows PC.

Step-by-Step Fix (in the right order)

1) Confirm you’re actually connected to the right network

Click Start → Settings
Go to Network & Internet
Open:
- Wi‑Fi → (your connected network) or
- Ethernet
Verify you have a valid connection and you’re not connected to a guest/captive portal network.

Quick test: Open a browser and try [url]http://neverssl.com[/url] (plain HTTP). If that page loads and redirects to a sign-in page, you’re on a captive portal.

Tip: Captive portals can make Windows say “Connected” while normal HTTPS sites fail until you sign in.

2) Run the built-in Network Troubleshooter (fast sanity check)

Settings → System → Troubleshoot → Other troubleshooters
Run Internet Connections and Network Adapter

This won’t fix everything, but it can automatically correct obvious misconfigurations.

3) Check IP configuration (find “no gateway” / wrong DNS problems)

Right-click Start → Windows Terminal (Admin) (or Command Prompt (Admin))
Run:

ipconfig /all
Look for:

IPv4 Address: should not be 169.254.x.x (that indicates DHCP failure)
Default Gateway: must be present (often 192.168.1.1 / 192.168.0.1)
DNS Servers: should be listed (router IP or public DNS)

Warning: If IPv4 is 169.254… and there’s no gateway, your PC isn’t getting an address from DHCP. Try switching Wi‑Fi networks, rebooting the router, or testing Ethernet.

4) Temporarily disable VPN, proxy, and “virtual” network adapters

These often cause the “connected but no access” symptom by hijacking routing or DNS.

Disable proxy

Settings → Network & Internet → Proxy
Turn Use a proxy server Off
If enabled, also turn Use setup script Off (unless your workplace requires it)

Disconnect VPN

Settings → Network & Internet → VPN → Disconnect any active VPN

Disable unused virtual adapters

Press Win + R, type ncpa.cpl, press Enter
Right-click and Disable adapters you don’t use (temporarily), such as:
- VirtualBox / VMware
- Old VPN adapters
- “TAP” adapters

Note: Don’t disable your actual Wi‑Fi/Ethernet adapter—only extras you recognize.

5) Reset Winsock and TCP/IP (core fix)

This is one of the most effective solutions when Windows networking is partially broken.

Open Windows Terminal (Admin)
Run these commands one by one:

Code:

netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset

Reboot your PC.

What this does:

Winsock reset rebuilds the Windows socket catalog (fixes corrupt LSP entries from software/security tools).

TCP/IP reset restores IP stack defaults (fixes broken routes/configuration).

6) Renew your IP address and reset DNS cache

After reboot (or before, if you prefer), refresh the lease and DNS:

Open Windows Terminal (Admin)
Run:

Code:

ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /flushdns

Tip: If you’re on Wi‑Fi, ipconfig /release may briefly disconnect you. That’s expected.

7) Set DNS to known-good servers (to rule out DNS failure)

If you can’t browse but you suspect DNS is the culprit, set DNS manually for a test.

Press Win + R, type ncpa.cpl, press Enter
Right-click your active adapter (Wi‑Fi or Ethernet) → Properties
Double-click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)
Select Use the following DNS server addresses
Enter one of these sets:

Option A (Cloudflare):

Preferred DNS: 1.1.1.1
Alternate DNS: 1.0.0.1

Option B (Google):

Preferred DNS: 8.8.8.8
Alternate DNS: 8.8.4.4

Click OK → Close
Test browsing again.

Note: If this fixes the issue, your router/ISP DNS may be unreliable. You can keep these DNS settings or fix DNS on the router.

8) Verify adapter driver and power saving settings

Update/roll back driver

Right-click Start → Device Manager
Expand Network adapters
Right-click your Wi‑Fi/Ethernet adapter → Properties
Check Driver tab:
- Try Update driver (or install the latest driver from the PC/motherboard vendor)
- If the issue started after an update, try Roll Back Driver (if available)

Disable power saving that can break connectivity (common on laptops)

In the adapter’s Properties
Go to Power Management
Uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power
Click OK

Tip (Windows 11): Also check Settings → Network & Internet → Advanced network settings to confirm the correct adapter is being used.

9) Perform targeted connectivity tests (pinpoint where it fails)

Open Windows Terminal (not necessarily admin) and run:

Test local network (your router/gateway):
(replace with your gateway from ipconfig)
ping 192.168.1.1
Test internet by IP (bypasses DNS):
ping 1.1.1.1
Test DNS resolution:
nslookup [www.microsoft.com](http://www.microsoft.com)

How to read results:

Can ping gateway but not 1.1.1.1 → likely router/ISP or routing issue
Can ping 1.1.1.1 but websites don’t load and nslookup fails → DNS issue
Nothing pings, but Wi‑Fi says connected → adapter/driver/VPN/proxy/firewall issue

10) Last-resort: Full “Network Reset” from Settings

If Winsock/TCP/IP reset didn’t help, use Windows’ built-in network reset (it removes and reinstalls adapters and returns networking to defaults).
Windows 10:

Settings → Network & Internet → Status
Click Network reset → Reset now

Windows 11:

Settings → Network & Internet → Advanced network settings
Network reset → Reset now

Reboot when prompted.

Warning: This will remove saved Wi‑Fi networks and may require you to reconnect and re-enter passwords. VPN clients may need repair/reinstall.

Tips & Troubleshooting Notes

Security suites/firewalls can break Winsock or DNS. If you use third-party security software, temporarily disable it to test (then re-enable).
If you see “No internet, secured” on Wi‑Fi, try:
- Forget the network: Settings → Wi‑Fi → Manage known networks → Forget
- Reconnect and re-enter the password
If only one browser fails, try clearing proxy settings again and test with another browser.
If Ethernet works but Wi‑Fi doesn’t, the Wi‑Fi driver or power management is the likely cause.
If you’re in a work/school environment, proxy/VPN/DNS may be required—ask your admin before making permanent changes.

Conclusion (what you gain)

By checking the adapter layer first, then resetting Winsock and TCP/IP, and finally validating DNS/routing, you eliminate the most common causes of “Connected but no internet access” on Windows 10/11. You’ll typically restore browsing and app connectivity without reinstalling Windows or randomly changing settings.
Key Takeaways:

Resetting Winsock and the TCP/IP stack fixes many “connected but no access” cases caused by corrupted networking components.
Checking IP, gateway, and DNS quickly reveals whether the issue is DHCP, routing, or name resolution.
Disabling VPN/proxy/virtual adapters and adjusting driver/power settings resolves many stubborn connectivity problems.

This tutorial was generated to help WindowsForum.com users get the most out of their Windows experience.

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Fix Windows 10/11 Internet Connected but No Access: Winsock, IP Reset & Adapter Checks