Limited connectivity / No Internet access

How to Fix “Limited connectivity / No Internet access”

Windows Network Error 📄 Windows 10, Windows 11

⚡ Quick answer

A yellow exclamation mark on your Wi-Fi icon with "Limited connectivity" or "No internet access" means Windows is connected to your router but can't reach the internet. Your local network connection is fine; the problem is between your router and your ISP, or your device's IP configuration.

First, check if your internet is working and what your current IP address is:

🔍 Check My IP Address →

What Causes the “Limited connectivity / No Internet access” Error?

Windows shows this when its connectivity test (pinging Microsoft servers) fails. Causes: DHCP didn't assign a valid IP (you have 169.254.x.x), your router has lost its internet connection, your ISP is having an outage, your device's IP conflicts with another device, or a Windows network setting is corrupted.

How to Fix It — 5 Methods

1 Run ipconfig to Check Your IP ▶

Open Command Prompt → ipconfig. Look at your IPv4 Address. If it starts with 169.254, DHCP failed — proceed to Fix 2. If it shows a normal 192.168.x.x address, the problem is your router's internet connection or a routing issue — proceed to Fix 4.

2 Release and Renew Your IP ▶

Open Command Prompt as administrator:
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /flushdns
ipconfig /renew
Run ipconfig again — your IP should now be 192.168.x.x. If renewal fails, restart your router first.

3 Restart Your Router ▶

Unplug your router and modem from power. Wait 30 full seconds. Plug the modem back in first, wait 30 seconds for it to connect. Then plug the router in and wait 60 seconds for it to fully start. Test again.

4 Forget and Reconnect to Wi-Fi ▶

Settings → Network & Internet → Wi-Fi → Manage known networks → find your network → Forget. Reconnect by clicking the network in the taskbar and re-entering the password. This discards any corrupted connection profile.

5 Reset Network Stack ▶

Open Command Prompt as administrator:
netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /flushdns
ipconfig /renew
Restart your computer after all commands complete.

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Some errors are caused by ISP blocks or network restrictions

A VPN bypasses them instantly by routing through a different server.

PureVPN → IPVanish →

✅ Fixed it? Visit tools.examineip.com to confirm your IP address and connection are working correctly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Other devices on my Wi-Fi have internet but mine shows limited — why?

The problem is your device specifically, not the router. Your device likely has a corrupted network profile or failed DHCP lease. Try releasing/renewing your IP and forgetting/reconnecting to the network.

I have internet but still see the yellow exclamation — is this a bug?

Yes, this is a known Windows bug. Windows checks connectivity by pinging Microsoft servers — if those specific servers are unreachable or slow, it shows the warning even though your internet works normally. You can disable this check via registry, but most people choose to ignore it.

Limited connectivity only on one specific website — is this the same issue?

No — if your Wi-Fi shows connected and most sites work, the issue with one specific site is either that site being down or a DNS/firewall problem specific to that domain. Use our DNS Checker to look up the domain and see if it's resolving correctly.

Learn More About IP Addresses & Privacy

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Last updated: April 2, 2026 • Report an error