If your Windows 11 Wi-Fi won't connect, or says it's connected but has no internet, work through these fixes from lightest to heaviest. A full Windows 11 network reset is the last step, not the first, because it removes your adapters and restarts the PC.
The menu paths below come from Microsoft's Fix Wi-Fi connection issues page, which covers Windows 10 and Windows 11, and from Shawn Brink's guide on the Windows 11 Forum.
Start with the Get Help troubleshooter
On Windows 11, Microsoft says to begin with the automated Network and Internet troubleshooter in the Get Help app. It costs you nothing and doesn't change any settings you'd have to redo. If it doesn't fix the problem, move on.
Forget the Wi-Fi network and reconnect
A stale saved profile, such as an old password after a router change, is a common reason a known network refuses to connect.
- Open Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > Manage known networks.
- Select your network and click Forget.
- Select the network again from the Wi-Fi list and enter the password.
This only affects the one network you forget. Your other saved networks stay put.
Reset Winsock and TCP/IP with netsh
If forgetting the network didn't help, reset the networking stack. Microsoft's page describes these commands as a manual way to reset the TCP/IP stack, and says to type each one and press Enter:
netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset
Run them in Windows Terminal. Restart the PC afterwards so the changes take effect, then try connecting again.
Fix "connected but no internet" by turning off a manual proxy
If Windows shows you're connected but nothing loads, check for a proxy before you reset anything. Microsoft's limited-connectivity advice is to open Settings > Network & internet > Proxy and turn off any manual proxy settings.
A leftover proxy from a work setup, a VPN app or unwanted software can send all your traffic to an address that no longer answers, which looks exactly like a dead connection. Also confirm Wi-Fi is actually switched on in Settings > Network & internet.
Run Network reset as the last resort
Network reset is the heavy option. Before you start, know what it does:
- It removes and reinstalls all network adapters and sets other networking components back to their defaults, according to the Windows 11 Forum guide.
- You need to be signed in as an administrator.
- The forum guide says Windows tells you the PC will restart automatically in 5 minutes. Save your work before you click.
Have your Wi-Fi password ready too, since your adapters are being rebuilt.
Steps for Windows 11
- Press Win+I to open Settings.
- Go to Network & internet > Advanced network settings.
- Select Network reset.
- Select Reset now, then Yes.
On Windows 10, the path is Settings > Network & internet > Status > Network reset instead.
You can restart manually instead of waiting for the countdown. When the PC is back up, reconnect to your Wi-Fi network.
After the reset: check the network profile and VPN
The most common surprise after a reset is that something you relied on stops working. Two things to check:
- Network profile. Microsoft warns that the reset might set each known network connection to a public network profile. If your home network was set to private so other devices could find your PC for file or printer sharing, open your network's properties in Settings and set the profile back to Private if you trust that network.
- VPN and virtualization software. If your VPN won't connect, or a virtual machine has lost its network, reinstall the VPN client or recreate the virtual switch, as the forum guide warns.
A command-line alternative to Network reset
The Windows 11 Forum guide also offers a command version: open Windows Terminal as administrator, run the command below, then restart.
netcfg -d
This isn't on Microsoft's Wi-Fi troubleshooting page, so treat it as a community tip rather than official guidance. The Settings method above does the job and is the one Microsoft documents.
If none of this works, the fault may sit outside Windows: restart your router, and check whether other devices can get online on the same network.
