Wi-Fi Connected but No Internet: What to Check Before Calling Your Provider

A device can show a strong Wi-Fi connection even when the internet is not working. This happens because Wi-Fi is only the wireless connection between your device and your modem or router. The router still needs a working connection to your internet provider.

Work through the following checks in order. The aim is to determine whether the problem affects one device, your home Wi-Fi network, the modem or router, the incoming nbn or other network connection, or your internet provider.

Before you begin

Do not open your modem, router, nbn connection box or other network equipment. Disconnect damaged equipment from power and contact your provider or an appropriate technician if you notice:

• A burning smell or unusual heat.
• Crackling, popping or electrical noises.
• Liquid damage.
• A damaged power adaptor, cable or plug.
• Visible damage to the modem, router, connection box or wall connection.

Restarting internet equipment may temporarily disconnect home phone services, medical alarms, monitored security systems and other connected equipment. If anyone in the home relies on one of these services, make sure there is a safe alternative before disconnecting power.

Most services operating over the nbn network will not work during a power outage unless all necessary equipment has suitable backup power. Keep a charged mobile phone available for emergency calls.

Work out how much of the network is affected

Before resetting anything, test the internet on another device connected to the same Wi-Fi network. This is one of the quickest ways to narrow down the cause.

What happens	What to investigate
Only one device has no internet	Concentrate on that device, its saved Wi-Fi connection, VPN or network settings.
Every Wi-Fi device has no internet	Check the router, incoming connection, cables and provider service.
Ethernet works but Wi-Fi does not	The incoming internet service is probably working. Concentrate on the router’s Wi-Fi function.
Neither Ethernet nor Wi-Fi works	Check the router, connection equipment, incoming service and provider outage information.
Only one website or application fails	The website, application or its service may be unavailable rather than your entire internet connection.
Some websites work but others do not	DNS, filtering, VPN, security software or another configuration problem may be involved.

Confirm that you are using the correct Wi-Fi network

Open the affected device’s Wi-Fi settings and check the connected network name.

A device may automatically connect to:

• An old router.
• A guest network.
• A Wi-Fi extender that has lost its connection to the main router.
• A mesh unit that is not communicating correctly.
• Another previously saved network.

Select your normal home network and confirm that the signal is reasonably strong.

Test another website and application

Try several unrelated websites or applications. If only one service fails, check whether that particular service is experiencing an outage.

If you are testing on a phone, be aware that it may automatically switch to mobile data when Wi-Fi has no internet access. Temporarily turning mobile data off can help confirm whether the Wi-Fi connection is genuinely working. Turn mobile data back on after testing.

If only one device is affected

If other devices can access the internet normally, avoid resetting your entire home network. The incoming internet connection and router are probably working.

Try the following steps on the affected device.

Turn Wi-Fi off and on

Turn Wi-Fi off, wait approximately 10 seconds and turn it back on. Reconnect to your normal home network and test again.

Restart the device

Restart the affected phone, tablet, computer, television or other device. This can clear a temporary network error without changing any saved settings.

Forget the network and reconnect

Make sure you know the correct Wi-Fi password before continuing.

Open the device’s Wi-Fi settings, select your home network and choose an option such as Forget, Forget Network or Remove. Reconnect and enter the Wi-Fi password again.

Temporarily disconnect a VPN

A VPN connection can prevent internet access if its server or network connection has failed. Temporarily disconnect the VPN and test again.

If the internet returns, check the VPN application’s connection, server and automatic-start settings. Turn the VPN back on when testing is complete if you normally use it for privacy or work.

Check automatic network settings

If someone has previously configured a manual IP address, proxy server or custom DNS service on the device, consider returning those settings to automatic.

Do not change advanced network settings randomly. Record existing settings before altering them, particularly on a work device.

Check for updates

Install available operating-system and network-related updates when a connection is available. If the affected device still cannot connect, you may need to use another internet connection or mobile hotspot to obtain the update.

If every device is affected

If phones, computers, televisions and other devices all connect to Wi-Fi but none can reach the internet, the problem is more likely to involve the router, incoming network connection or internet provider.

Check for a reported outage

Use mobile data or another working connection to check:

• Your internet provider’s service-status or outage page.
• Your provider’s mobile application or customer portal.
• The nbn network-status page if you use an nbn service.
• Any outage notification sent by your provider.

An nbn status check may not show every problem affecting an individual provider. Check both nbn and your retail internet provider where possible.

If an outage is confirmed, restarting or replacing your router will not restore the service. Follow the provider’s updates and estimated restoration information.

Inspect the router lights before restarting it

Look at the modem or router lights and note their colour and behaviour before disconnecting anything. This information may help your provider diagnose the problem.

Common labels include:

• Power.
• Internet.
• Online.
• WAN.
• DSL.
• Wi-Fi or WLAN.

A working Wi-Fi light only confirms that the router is broadcasting a wireless network. It does not prove that the router has a working connection to the internet.

Light colours and meanings vary between providers and equipment models. Check the instructions for your exact router rather than assuming that every red, blue, green or flashing light has the same meaning.

Check the cables and connections

Inspect the accessible cables between the wall connection, nbn or other network equipment and your modem or router.

Check for:

• Loose power connections.
• Ethernet cables that are not fully inserted.
• A cable connected to the wrong router port.
• Broken retaining clips on Ethernet plugs.
• Sharp bends, crushing or visible cable damage.
• Cables disturbed while cleaning or moving furniture.

If your service uses a separate connection box, the Ethernet cable normally needs to run from its active data port to the router’s WAN or Internet port.

Some nbn connection boxes have several UNI-D ports, but only the port activated for your service will work. Do not move the cable between UNI-D ports unless your provider instructs you to do so.

Do not unplug fibre-optic cables, unscrew coaxial connections unnecessarily or force a plug into a damaged socket.

Restart the modem or router

If there is no reported outage and the cables appear secure, restart the modem or router.

1. Turn the modem or router off using its power button, or disconnect its power adaptor.
2. Wait approximately 30 seconds.
3. Reconnect the power.
4. Allow several minutes for the equipment to start and reconnect.
5. Wait for the normal connection lights before testing the internet again.

Do not repeatedly turn the equipment off while it is starting. Some routers and connection types can take several minutes to reconnect fully.

Restarting is different from a factory reset. Do not press the recessed Reset button during this step.

Check a separate nbn or network connection box

Depending on your connection type, your home may have a separate nbn connection box, Network Termination Device or other network-supplied unit.

Check that it has power and note its status lights. The correct light pattern depends on the connection technology and equipment model.

Official nbn guidance recommends checking that cables are secure, looking for warning lights and restarting the connection box and Wi-Fi router when appropriate.

If the router restart has not helped, follow the instructions supplied by your internet provider for restarting the connection box. If both devices are restarted, allow the connection box to finish starting before expecting the router to reconnect.

Do not open the connection box or disconnect fibre-optic cables. Contact your provider if a fault light remains or the normal connection lights do not return.

Test with Ethernet if possible

If you have a computer or another suitable device with an Ethernet port, connect it to a LAN port on the router using a known-working Ethernet cable.

• If Ethernet works but Wi-Fi does not, the incoming internet connection is probably operating. Concentrate on the router’s wireless function, Wi-Fi settings or connected mesh equipment.
• If Ethernet and Wi-Fi both fail, the problem is more likely to involve the router, incoming connection, provider configuration or an outage.

Do not connect a computer directly to an nbn connection box unless your internet provider specifically asks you to perform that test. The correct process can vary according to provider settings and connection type.

Temporarily simplify the home network

Additional network equipment can make it difficult to identify where the connection is failing.

If practical, temporarily test using only the main router. Additional equipment may include:

• Wi-Fi extenders.
• Mesh Wi-Fi satellites.
• Additional routers.
• Network switches.
• Powerline networking adaptors.

If the internet works through the main router, reconnect the additional equipment one item at a time. Test after reconnecting each component.

Check the router’s WAN connection

If you use a separate router, confirm that the cable carrying the incoming internet connection is connected to the router’s WAN or Internet port rather than a normal LAN port, unless your provider or equipment manufacturer specifies a different arrangement.

If the service has never worked with a newly installed router, it may require provider-specific settings. These can include an authentication method, VLAN setting or other connection configuration.

Use the setup information supplied by your provider. Do not copy settings from another provider or change advanced WAN settings randomly.

Do not change DNS settings too early

DNS converts website names into the network addresses required to reach them. A DNS problem can sometimes allow the internet connection to remain active while websites fail to load normally.

Before changing DNS settings:

• Test several unrelated websites and applications.
• Restart the affected device.
• Restart the router.
• Check your provider’s outage information.
• Check whether custom DNS settings are already in use.

If you previously entered custom DNS addresses, temporarily returning them to automatic may help identify the problem. Contact your provider before making broader DNS changes if you are unsure.

Do not factory-reset the router too early

A factory reset is not the same as restarting the router and should not be one of the first troubleshooting steps.

A factory reset can remove:

• Your customised Wi-Fi network name.
• Your Wi-Fi password.
• Provider connection settings.
• Mesh and extender configuration.
• Parental controls.
• Port-forwarding rules.
• Other customised network settings.

Some routers will reconnect automatically after a factory reset, while others require provider-specific setup information. Only reset the router after checking your provider’s instructions and confirming that you have everything required to configure it again.

Do not replace the router without isolating the fault

A message such as Connected without internet or No Internet does not prove that the router has failed.

The router may still be producing a working Wi-Fi network while:

• Your provider is experiencing an outage.
• The incoming network connection is unavailable.
• A cable has become disconnected.
• The router has lost its provider configuration.
• Only one connected device has a network problem.

Replacing a working router will not fix an external outage or network fault.

When to contact your internet provider

Contact your provider when:

• Every device has lost internet access.
• Both Wi-Fi and Ethernet connections fail.
• The router or connection box shows an abnormal connection or fault light.
• The connection does not return after the equipment has been restarted correctly.
• Your service repeatedly disconnects after temporarily recovering.
• Your new service or replacement router has never connected successfully.
• You are unsure which UNI-D port or provider settings should be used.
• Your provider’s service test identifies a fault.

For an nbn service, your retail phone or internet provider is normally the first point of contact. nbn operates the wholesale network, while your provider investigates your service and raises an nbn fault when required.

What to tell your provider

Before contacting support, record:

• Your modem or router brand and model.
• When the problem began.
• Whether every device or only one device is affected.
• Whether an Ethernet connection works.
• The colour and behaviour of the router lights.
• The status lights on the connection box, if applicable.
• Whether an outage was reported.
• Whether the router and connection equipment were restarted.
• Whether the cables were checked.
• Whether you use provider-supplied or personally purchased equipment.
• Whether any error message appears.

This information can help support determine whether the likely cause is one device, the Wi-Fi network, the router, the physical connection, provider configuration or the incoming network service.

The bottom line

Being connected to Wi-Fi does not necessarily mean you are connected to the internet. Start by testing another device, then check the correct network, provider outages, router lights and cables before restarting equipment.

If every device is affected and neither Wi-Fi nor Ethernet works after the correct restart procedure, contact your internet provider. Avoid performing a factory reset or buying another router until the incoming connection and provider service have been checked.

Useful official resources

• nbn — understand and troubleshoot your connection box
• nbn — check network status and outages
• nbn — help and information about contacting your provider
• Telstra — test and troubleshoot home internet issues
• Optus — home internet troubleshooting
• Leaptel — internet setup and troubleshooting information

Information and Australian support references checked 12 August 2026. Connection types, router settings, status lights and restart procedures vary between providers and equipment. Follow the instructions supplied by your internet provider and equipment manufacturer.