“Connected, no internet” means your device has joined a local network but cannot successfully reach the internet. The Wi-Fi radio can be working perfectly while the router has lost its upstream connection, DNS is failing, or only one device has a bad configuration.

Test another device first

If every device is offline, focus on the router, modem/ONT, and ISP. If only one device fails, the network itself is probably healthy and the problem is local to that phone or computer.

Check the router’s WAN/internet status

Look at the modem/ONT and router status lights, then open the router interface if available. A missing WAN address, failed PPPoE session, or optical/cable signal warning points upstream.

Restart in a controlled order

For a separate modem and router, power down both. Start the modem/ONT first and wait until it is fully connected to the ISP, then start the router. This gives the router a clean chance to obtain its WAN configuration.

Check whether DNS is the problem

If an IP-based test works but domain names do not, DNS may be failing. Do not randomly change DNS before confirming the symptom. Restarting the router or renewing the device’s network lease can clear stale resolver information.

Look for VPN, private DNS, proxy, or security software

These can break only one device while the rest of the network works. Temporarily disable the feature and test again.

Do not reset the router immediately?

A factory reset cannot fix an ISP outage and may make recovery harder by deleting working connection settings. Check the provider’s outage status or contact support when the router shows no upstream service.

First prove local connectivity

If the router page/default gateway opens, Wi-Fi association and local IP routing are functioning. Next inspect WAN status. If the gateway does not open, the problem is local: bad DHCP lease, isolation, router freeze, mesh/backhaul or wrong network.

DNS versus raw connectivity

If an IP-based test works but domain names fail, investigate DNS. If neither works, focus on WAN/ISP routing. Avoid immediately switching to random public DNS because that can hide the actual outage and will not fix a dead WAN link.

One-device versus all-device failure

If only one phone/laptop fails, renew/reconnect it, forget/rejoin Wi-Fi and check VPN/proxy/private-DNS settings. If every device fails simultaneously, the router/modem/ISP path is more likely.