Why My Phone Says No Internet Connection When I Have WiFi

There are many different scenarios where suddenly losing an internet connection would be a huge pain. As a matter of fact – almost everything you do on your phone requires an internet connection, so losing it randomly will undoubtedly be frustrating. It becomes even more baffling when you still have WiFi but no internet – you have no idea what’s causing the issue, and you start to wonder if your router or phone is damaged.

If you’re facing this issue, this article is the solution to your problem. We will discuss why your phone says no internet connection when you have WiFi and some of the best fixes. You can also find some troubleshooting steps for other internet or WiFi connection issues and alternatives when you can’t find a solution.

Why My Phone Says No Internet Connection When I Have WiFi

The most probable reason your phone says no internet connection when you have WiFi is that your internet provider might be facing some technical issues. For example, if the internet provider for your WiFi is down or experiencing an outage, then your phone would still be connected to WiFi as usual, but there won’t be an internet connection.

Try connecting other devices to the same WiFi to check if this is the case. If all the devices connect as usual to the WiFi but do not have an internet connection, then the problem is probably from the internet provider. Another way to confirm this is by calling your provider or checking their social media pages and website for any information about an outage.

Router Settings

Another reason your phone says no internet connection when you have WiFi is that some network permissions on your router might be incorrectly set up. If the necessary permissions are set to Don’t Allow or Deny instead of Allow or Approve, it can affect the internet connection or boot off your devices.

Faulty or Buggy Router

Your router might have some bug or glitch that prevents it from providing internet access. For instance, if the DHCP on your router is malfunctioning, it will make the router assign the same IP address to multiple devices, resulting in an IP address conflict. When this happens, the correct data that should connect your phone to the internet will not be sent; hence, there is no internet connection.

DNS Servers

A DNS server is how your device can translate website URLs into IP addresses, and if there is a problem with the DNS server, your phone will not connect to the internet. This is a rare cause of internet connection issues, but it can happen.

How to Fix WiFi Connection Issues on Phones

To fix WiFi connection issues when your phone says no internet connection, you can try the well-known trick – turn it OFF and ON again. If your phone says no internet connection when you have WiFi, you can try turning OFF the WiFi and turning it back ON again. You can also do this on your phone. This simple trick has been the go-to fix for many technical issues, ranging from phones to television sets, laptops, etc. So why not give it a go?

If you have only a router, turn it OFF, disconnect it from power, wait a few minutes, plug it back in, and turn it ON. If you have a modem and router, turn them OFF, unplug them from power, wait a few minutes, plug the modem back in first, and then plug the router back in after a minute. Finally, turn them ON, wait for them to reboot, and try connecting again.

Fix 1: Forget and Reconnect

Another fix you can try is reconnecting afresh to the WiFi network. This will refresh the saved network preferences and assign a new IP address to your phone. To do this;

1. On an android, navigate to Settings >> Wi-Fi & network >> Wi-Fi
2. Select the WiFi network and tap Forget
3. Go back, turn OFF your WiFi and turn it on again
4. Then search for the network and reconnect to it
5. On an iPhone, navigate to Settings >> WiFi
6. Locate the WiFi network and tap the i icon next to it
7. Select Forget this network
8. Then, turn OFF your WiFi and turn it back ON
9. Check for the network and reconnect to it

Note: You will need to put in your password afresh after forgetting the network

Fix 2: Date and Time

To fix WiFi connection issues on your phone, it is worth checking that the date and time on your phone are correct. It might seem small, but the incorrect date and time can affect your internet connection. We recommend using the network-provided time and time zone or allowing your phone to set your date and time automatically.

Fix 3: Network Reset

Rebooting your network settings might correct whatever is causing the WiFi connection issues you are facing. To perform a network reset;

1. On your PC, go to Settings >> Network & Internet
2. Select Status from the menu on the left side of the window
3. You can click on Troubleshoot to allow Windows to try to solve the problem
4. Then, at the bottom of the right side of the window, you should see the Network Reset option
5. Click on it and follow the prompts to reset all your devices and network preferences
6. After this, try to reconnect to the WiFi

To perform a network reset on your phone;

1. On an android, navigate to Settings >> System >> Reset options >> Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth >> Reset Settings
2. On an iPhone, navigate to Settings >> General >> Transfer or Reset iPhone >> Reset >> Reset Network Settings
3. Once it’s done, restart your phone and try to reconnect to the WiFi network

You can also perform a full reset on your router by inserting a SIM ejector tool into its reset hole. If you can’t find the hole, you can check the user manual or reset the router from its dashboard or app. Navigate to System or Configuration and select Reset. To access your router’s dashboard;

1. Go to the search bar on your PC and type in cmd
2. When the Command Prompt app comes up, right-click it and select Run as administrator
3. After it launches, type in ipconfig and press enter to run it
4. You should see your default gateway IP address that looks like; 192.168.XX.X – note it down
5. Next, launch your browser and type in or paste the IP address in and tap enter
6. This will allow you to access your router’s dashboard or management console

Fix 4: Static IP and DNS

In a case where your router’s DHCP server fails, your phone will not be assigned a unique IP address. To prevent this, you can assign a static IP and custom DNS for your device’s WiFi with these steps;

1. Navigate to Settings >> Wi-Fi & network >> Wi-Fi
2. Select your WiFi network and click on the edit icon (pencil icon) at the top
3. Open Advanced Options
4. Under IP settings, open the dropdown and select Static
5. Next, type in an IP address in the input field under IP address
6. Type in a custom DNS address in the DNS1 and DNS2 fields and click Save
7. You can use Google DNS; 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4

You can also try switching to another DNS server on your android phone;

1. Navigate to Settings > Network & Internet > Private DNS
2. Select Private DNS provider hostname and type in dns.google in the field
3. Tap Save to finish

On an iPhone;

1. Navigate to Settings >> WiFi
2. Tap the i icon next to the network and click on Configure DNS
3. Select Manual and tap Add Server under DNS Servers
4. Now, You Can Type in A Google DNS Or A Private DNS

Fix 5: Router Settings

As earlier mentioned, it might be worth checking your router’s settings for any denied permissions that should be allowed or vice versa. You should check your WiFi network’s Media Access Control (MAC) identifiers to ensure the permissions are set correctly. To do this;

1. Go to the search bar on your PC and type in cmd
2. When the Command Prompt app comes up, right-click it and select Run as administrator
3. After it launches, type in ipconfig and press enter to run it
4. You should see your default gateway IP address that looks like; 192.168.XX.X – note it down
5. Next, launch your browser and type in or paste the IP address in and tap enter
6. This will allow you to access your router’s dashboard or management console
7. You will need to input your credentials, you can check the back of your router for its username, and if you have not changed the password, then it will probably be admin
8. Now, you will have access to the router’s settings panel
9. Navigate to the Advanced tab and disable MAC address filtering and Traffic Control
10. You can also check other filtering rules to ensure that they do not deny services

Fix 6: Update

If your router’s firmware is outdated, it can result in WiFi connection issues. You can update the firmware via the router’s dashboard. Follow steps 1-6 above to access the dashboard, then download or install the firmware update. After it’s done, turn off the router, unplug it from power, wait a few minutes, plug it back in, turn it back on and try to reconnect. You can also update your phone’s software.

Fix 7: Mac Randomization

As aforementioned, MAC (Media Access Control) address randomization is often misconfigured, and you can edit it on your android phone with these steps;

1. Navigate to Settings > About Phone
2. Enable Develop Options by clicking on the Build Number seven times
3. Return to Settings and go to System > Develop Options
4. Toggle on WiFi non-persistent MAC randomization

On an iPhone;

1. Go to Settings >> WiFi
2. Tap the i icon next to the network
3. Toggle on Private WiFi Address

Fix 8: Last Resort Options

If none of the fixes above has worked for your WiFi connection issue, you can try to uninstall or pause apps that have access to your network settings, i.e., VPNs, DNS-switching apps, or firewalls. You can also try a factory reset on your phone or contact your provider.

How to Fix Internet Connection on WiFi Router – Working Tips

To fix the internet connection on the WiFi router, you can restart the router. If you have only a router, turn it off, disconnect it from power, wait a few minutes, plug it back in, and turn it on. If you have a modem and router, turn them off, unplug them from power, wait a few minutes, plug the modem back in first, and then plug the router back in after a minute. Finally, turn them on, wait for them to reboot, and try connecting again.

It would help if you also tried connecting to the router with another device or Ethernet cable. Additionally, if you wirelessly connect to the network, you can try connecting with a cable and vice versa. Finally, you can change the router’s position if none of these tips work. Position it so that there are no other electronic devices around it, it is elevated and placed as high as possible to avoid obstructions.

Switch Bands

Another fix for the internet connection on WiFi router is changing the WiFi bands. If you are currently on the 2.4 GHz band, you can switch to the 5 GHz band instead and vice versa. Both bands have pros and cons – the 2.4 GHz band travels farther but is slow and susceptible to interference. In contrast, the 5 GHz band is faster but does not travel far.

You can change the band on your router via its dashboard;

1. Launch a browser, type in your router’s IP address, and tap enter – you can find the IP address noted on a sticker on the router or in the documentation. It should be something like http://123.456.7.8.
2. If you see a warning screen, click Proceed to continue
3. Type in the router’s username and password

Switch Channels

Similar to switching bands, you can also change the default frequency channel chosen by your router. If the channel you are on becomes overcrowded, it can cause a series of internet connection issues.

To migrate to another channel, you can access the WiFi network settings through your laptop or smart device. If your router comes with a built-in touchscreen, you can simply use it to switch channels, and if your router is smart, it will automatically change channels when necessary.

Otherwise, follow steps 1-3 above then;

1. Navigate to Advanced >> Wireless >> Wireless Settings
2. Next, toggle off Smart connect or Auto-connect
3. Then, click on the dropdown next to Channel: to switch channels
4. You can select any between 1, 6, or 11 as these are usually not as crowded as others
5. If you have 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands available to you, you can change the channel on both bands
6. Click Save or Apply to save your changes

Bandwidth

If you are experiencing WiFi connection issues on your router, you can use the router’s dashboard to check if any devices are hogging the bandwidth. To do this;

1. Launch a browser, type in your router’s IP address, and tap enter – you can find the IP address noted on a sticker on the router or in the documentation. It should be something like http://123.456.7.8.
2. If you see a warning screen, click Proceed to continue
3. Type in the router’s username and password
4. Try to find a list labelled Connected devices, Attached devices, DHCP clients, or something similar
5. Here, you can kick out invaders and those hogging the bandwidth

You can also use QoS tools to control the bandwidth. Quality of service tools can help direct or control each app’s bandwidth. Most modern routers come with QoS tools to help users boost their WiFi signal. With these tools, you can specify priority and time of priority for all apps or services, i.e., you can prioritize Netflix streaming over file download. This would make file downloads a bit slower and improve the streaming experience. You can find the QoS settings in the Advanced Settings of your router interface.

Read also: My Phone Has No Signal Bars – Best Tips to Fix

How to Check If Router Is Connected to Internet

To check if your router is connected to the internet, simply take a look at the internet signal light. It is usually identified with a globe icon or labelled WAN or internet. If the light is on and solid – either green or white –it is connected to the internet. However, if it is red or off, it is either experiencing connectivity issues or not connected to the internet. We recommend going through the user manual to be sure of the colors and what they mean.

You can also check by connecting any device to the router, then trying to open a web page. If it opens, then the router is connected to the internet.

How to Get WiFi Without Internet Connection

You can connect to public WiFi networks to get WiFi without an internet connection. For instance, if you are in a coffee shop, library, transport hub, or restaurant – places like this usually have open networks. You can use apps like WiFi finder or WiFi master key to find nearby free WiFi. We recommend taking some security measures when connecting to public WiFi to protect your privacy – use a VPN, avoid sites that don’t use HTTPS, and always log out of your accounts.

Alternatively, you can purchase a WiFi USB dongle or cellular router and use it with a regular 4G or 3G SIM. You can also share a friend’s or family’s internet via a mobile hotspot. Lastly, you can check out Freedom POP’s free trial services. They give out free internet hotspot devices for a small deposit fee. You can get up to 10GB of data in the first month and 500MB subsequently. You will also get your deposit back if you return the device within a year.

Best Alternatives If Your Android and iPhone Won’t Get Internet Connect on WiFi

You can connect using your mobile data if your phone won’t connect to the internet via WiFi. Simply subscribe to a suitable plan, turn off WiFi on your phone and turn on your mobile data. You can also try connecting your PC to the WiFi network instead of your phone. If your PC does not connect wirelessly, you can connect it via an Ethernet cable.

If you have a friend, neighbor, or family member nearby, you can share their internet via their mobile hotspot or WiFi network. Other alternatives include dial-up, satellite, and fixed wireless. Still, these options are not as seamless and offer a much slower internet speed.

Conclusion

If you’ve never experienced desperation, your first time might be when your phone says no internet connection when you have WiFi. This is because it’s such an unbelievably frustrating situation to be in. Luckily, this article provides a wide range of fixes to try.

• How to Fix “Please Check Your Internet Connection and Try Again” on Android Apps
• Why Your Samsung Phone keeps Losing Network Connection
• What Causes Poor Signal Strength on Android and iPhones?
• How to Boost 4G Signal Indoors

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