You have a WiFi connection on your mobile phone or tablet. The symbol appears on the screen, but no web page loads, social networks do not work, nothing works. What's happening? There can be many causes and these are the reasons why you have WiFi but no Internet. How to know which one it is and how you can solve each one if they happen.
Just because you have a WiFi connection does not mean that you are connected to the Internet. You can imagine the situation as if it were a pipe that you have in your house if you want to imagine it graphically: if they cut off the water in your house, the pipe is still there and is in perfect condition, you still have a pipe. But if they have turned off the water there is no water passing through it. The same thing happens in this case when it comes to having a wireless connection but not being able to connect to WiFi: you can be connected to the WiFi network in the same way that your pipe is still connected. But there is no Internet “passing” through it, there is nothing that allows you to connect. You have a connection to the wireless network but it will be of no use to you because there is no Internet connection.
And this can happen for many different reasons and we must identify the causes to know what the problem is.
WiFi connection problems
The first reason, and probably the most common, is that the router is having errors. Keep in mind that the router is a device that works 24/7 and at certain times may experience temporary technical failures, such as a drop in the Internet connection or an overload on the network. This could leave your WiFi working, but without an internet connection. Normally you won't have to do anything and everything will return to normal without having to make any type of configuration on your router, but if the problem lasts a long time, you can try restarting your router by turning it off for a few seconds to let it cool down. This simple step solves these problems more than you may believe.
Another option is to call your operator to ask about possible network problems. They will be the ones who best explain to you that the connection is failing and the estimated resolution time. In some cases, they will even offer you compensation or increase the gigabytes on your mobile so that you can continue browsing that day without problems.
Password and network settings
Another of the most frequent causes of having WiFi but not having access to the Internet is the problem with passwords. It is likely that you have entered the password incorrectly or that you have recently changed it and have not updated it on your mobile phone. You may also have changed some settings on your router and this is causing your device to not be able to connect correctly to the network.
In that case, review all the settings you have made and check that the password you are entering on your mobile device is correct.
Problems with your company
Beyond configuration or adjustment problems on your devices, there is the possibility that there is some type of problem with the company. Line cuts, some administrative failure or some fiber crossing that causes your router not to receive IP. These cases are more difficult to detect and solve. Your router may appear to be working correctly, with all the lights on normally, but no device may have access to the internet. It can also happen that the router has lost synchronization and the network and WiFi cards continue to work but you do not have internet at home. In any case, it is best to call the company to send a technician to the house to carry out the corresponding tests, detect the fault and solve it as soon as possible.
Lastly, there may be a problem with bill payment and your company may have cut off service. If this is your case, you should call your service provider to try to solve the non-payment problem.
Problems with your mobile phone
It may be the case that all the devices at home have WiFi and internet but one of them does not, for example, your cell phone. In that case, the problem is most likely with that specific device. It may be a software or hardware problem that affects your mobile phone's ability to access the internet. Check that all updates are up to date and restart it. Or try turning WiFi off and on. These steps are usually sufficient to solve problems of this type.
Other cases
But what if I have my computer connected by cable and I don't have Internet? The same thing happened even if you are not connected to the wireless network. As we said at the beginning, whether you connect your devices via cable or WiFi, there is no Internet that “passes” through the cable even if you have the correct connection. The icon that is connected by cable will appear on your computer, however, you do not have internet access. The lights on the network connector and on the router will also turn on, indicating that a connection has been established. However, there is no Internet passing through the connection, as we have explained before.
It does not assign IP and therefore you do not have Internet. Check all the wiring, or even if you have any devices in bridge mode like a switch, for example, restart them. Finally, if the problem persists, connect with a network cable directly to the company's router and check that the fault does not come from there. If so, try some of the recommendations we have given in the previous sections.