If your phone or another computer can connect through the same router, that is useful evidence. Microsoft says that when another device can connect to the same network, the source of the problem is likely the affected PC. [R1]
That still does not tell us exactly what failed. Windows networking has several layers, and a problem in any one of them can look like “no internet.”
A useful way to diagnose it is to work upward:
network adapter → IP address → router → internet → DNS → proxy or VPN
1. Is the PC actually connected to the network?
First check whether Windows can see and use the Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter.
For Wi-Fi, confirm that Wi-Fi is turned on, Airplane mode is off, and Windows shows the expected network as connected. [R1]
If the adapter itself is missing, disabled, or reporting an error, the problem is below the internet layer. Changing DNS or restarting the router will not repair a network adapter that Windows cannot use.
2. Did the PC get a usable IP address?
An IP address identifies this PC on the network.
Microsoft notes that an address beginning with 169.254 usually means Windows was unable to obtain an address from the router when the network normally uses automatic addressing. [R1]
That points toward the connection between this PC and the local network: for example, the adapter, Wi-Fi connection, DHCP configuration, or router communication.
Windows' ipconfig tool can show the current IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway for each network adapter. [R2]
3. Can the PC reach the router?
The default gateway is normally the router that carries traffic from your local network toward the internet.
Microsoft's Wi-Fi troubleshooting guidance uses the gateway address and a ping test to check whether the PC can communicate with the router. [R1]
If the PC cannot reach its gateway, there is little value in changing browser or DNS settings yet. The lower-level local connection needs attention first.
4. Is the internet reachable but names are failing?
DNS is the system that turns names such as example.com into network addresses.
A PC can therefore have a working network connection but still fail when opening sites by name. Microsoft recommends checking the configured DNS server when Wi-Fi is connected but internet access is unavailable. [R1]
Windows also provides ipconfig /flushdns specifically to clear the DNS client resolver cache during DNS troubleshooting. [R2]
A DNS problem should be treated as a DNS problem rather than a reason to reset every network setting.
5. Is a proxy or VPN changing the route?
A proxy sends internet traffic through another server instead of directly from the PC. Windows supports automatic, scripted, and manually configured proxies. [R3]
A VPN also creates a separate network path and can have its own connection and proxy settings. [R4]
That means an old work configuration, incorrectly configured proxy, or active VPN can affect this PC while every other device on the same Wi-Fi continues to work normally.
Do not reset everything first
Windows includes a full Network reset, but Microsoft says it should be the last troubleshooting step. [R1]
That is because Network reset removes installed network adapters and their settings, then reinstalls the adapters after restart. Microsoft warns that networking software such as VPN clients or virtual switches may need to be set up again afterward. [R1]
A targeted repair is therefore preferable when the failing layer is already known.
How do I know it is fixed?
Do not stop at “Wi-Fi says connected” or “the command succeeded.”
Retry the thing that originally failed.
If a particular website would not open, open that site again. If an application could not connect, test that application. If DNS was failing, confirm that the original hostname now resolves and loads.
The problem is resolved when the original internet task works again, not merely when Windows reports that a repair action completed.