No internet connectivity on my PC

Saul Fowler 0 Reputation points
2026-08-13T16:46:28.82+00:00

Hi - I have a Win10 HP desktop. About a week ago it stopped connecting to our wireless network. I ran the windows diagnostics and it reported being unable to connect to DNS. I bought a new wireless card to rule out whether my old card a faulty but that didn’t solve the issue. I bought a network card which arrived today, and after seeing the network symbol appear on the system tray my hopes were briefly lifted, but then it reverted to the disconnected symbol and I get the same DNS message when running the diagnostics. I made no changes to my desktop before the connection failed. Any ideas please? Many thanks.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Internet and connectivity
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  1. AI answer

    2026-08-13T16:46:48.1533333+00:00

    Since the Wi-Fi adapter was already replaced and the troubleshooter reports DNS failure, follow this order to isolate whether the problem is Wi-Fi, TCP/IP, DHCP, DNS, or proxy related:

    1. Check whether the same network works on another device.
      • Try the same Wi-Fi on a phone or another laptop.
      • If other devices connect normally, the issue is likely on the PC.
    2. Run the built-in network troubleshooter.
      • In Windows 10, go to Start > Settings > Network and Internet > Status.
      • Select Network troubleshooter and complete the prompts.
    3. Reset the network stack from an elevated Command Prompt.
      • Select Search, type command prompt, then choose Run as administrator.
      • Run these commands in order: 
             netsh winsock reset
     netsh int ip reset
     ipconfig /release
     ipconfig /renew
     ipconfig /flushdns
      • Then restart the PC.
    4. Check for a bad IP address.
      • Open Command Prompt as administrator.
      • Check the IP address.
      • If it looks like 169.254.x.x, Windows is not getting an address from the router.
      • In that case, verify DHCP is enabled on the router.
    5. Check proxy settings.
      • Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Proxy.
      • Turn off any manual proxy settings.
    6. Verify the DNS server and test reachability.
      • In Command Prompt as administrator, run: 
             ipconfig /all | findstr /c:"DNS Servers"
      • Note the DNS server address shown.
      • Then run: 
             ping <DNS server address>
      • If the PC has a valid IP address but cannot ping the DNS server, change the DNS server to a different address and test again.
    7. If the problem started recently, reinstall the network adapter driver cleanly.
      • Warning: uninstalling the adapter can temporarily remove network access until Windows reinstalls the driver.
      • Open Device Manager.
      • Expand Network adapters.
      • Right-click the active network adapter and select Uninstall device.
      • If available, check Attempt to remove the driver for this device.
      • Restart the PC so Windows reinstalls the adapter.
      • If Windows does not reinstall it correctly, install the backup driver from the PC manufacturer.

    Because both the original wireless card and a replacement card show the same behavior, the most likely areas to check first are the Windows network stack, IP assignment, proxy settings, and DNS server reachability rather than the Wi-Fi hardware itself.

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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  2. DaveM121 928.6K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-08-13T17:22:58.52+00:00

    It is very strange if this problem occurred on multiple WiFi network cards are all other devices connecting to your home router correctly.

    Click your Start Button, type cmd and choose Command Prompt

    Run this command and hit Enter:

    ipconfig /flushdns

    Run this command and hit Enter:

    ipconfig /registerdns

    Run this command and hit Enter:

    netsh winsock reset

    Run this command and hit Enter:

    netsh int ip reset

    Close Command Prompt

    Open the Settings App

    Go to Network and Internet

    Click the Network Reset button

    Wait for your PC to automatically restart after 5 minutes, do not manually restart your PC.

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