When Wi-Fi says: “connected, no internet” what’s actually happening?
In: Technology
You are on the local wi-fi network, but that local wi-fi network does not have an internet connection.
Think of wi-fi like a bus you can get on, and the internet is the highway. You can get on the bus just fine… but the on-ramp to the highway is closed, so the bus can’t access it. You can still see the other passengers (computers) who are on the bus with you, and pass files back and forth or have a local game with them, but none of you can reach the internet.
Your wifi is really just a device that both has its own network and connects to a wider network(the internet) .
It’s own network is called a Local Area Network(LAN) and the wider network is called a Wide Area Network(WAN).
The LAN is used to communicate with devices on the same wifi such as sending a document to your printer and only exists on your wifi, the LAN literally is your wifi. The WAN is the internet.
So when you get this message you are connected to the LAN and can print stuff but you are not connected to the WAN.
The most common home setup is your modem is connected to the internet source, usually a cable for cable internet. Your modem is then connected to the router, which is what offers wifi. When the router is on and functioning, but the modem isn’t either on or receiving a signal, then you’ll get that message because you’re still technically connected to the wifi, but the router itself doesn’t have connection to the internet.
Your OS, once connected, is trying a “known good” endpoint. This will vary based on who makes your OS, but it’s essentially the same.
If it gets a good response, internet confirmed. If it gets no response, no internet. If it gets a specific kind of response saying Authorization Needed, it prompts you to open up what is likely the sign-in page for the public wifi.
* WiFi is a connection to your local network.
* You local network can connect to a larger network, like the internet using something called a router.
* For most home users, the WiFi device and the router are built into the same single device.
* So when it says “WiFi Connected, no internet” that means you have a solid connection between your device and the router, but the router doesn’t have a good connection out to the internet.
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