You have your computer connected to the Internet, everything seems to be correct but you can not navigate. It has happened to all of us at some time, and there can be so many causes that often it is difficult to find the solution.
Let’s review some of the checks we can make when we believe that the Internet connection is fine but none of the ways we manage to navigate.
Try with another device
Obviously, one of the first tests will be to try to connect from another device. If it works correctly, it is time to discover if it is a hardware or software error.
Before talking with the manufacturer to find out if there is a physical problem, it will be important to check all the connections and how the equipment with which we are having problems is configured.
What happens in the router?
The next thing we can do is physically check our router, examining that all the cables are correctly connected. If everything seems fine, the next thing will be to look at the lights that appear.
If we have not saved the manual, we can search it on the Internet (using a mobile device that does have a connection, obviously), in order to understand which lights should be on.
If, again, everything seems to be correct, the last thing we can do is restart the router. Depending on the model, we find a power button on the back, or we can choose to unplug it and plug it back in.
Use the classic “problem solver”
Whenever there is a problem in the network, we can use an operating system functionality that is responsible for performing a series of checks on our configuration.
In macOS we must go to Settings -> Network -> Wizard -> Diagnosis and let the system look for a solution. In Windows 10 we must follow these steps: go to the Network Troubleshooter -> Identify and repair network problems in the list of results.
Android and iOS
In the case of Android, there is a very useful guide on this Google support page. The first thing they recommend is to try to restart the device and if the problems persist check if turning off Wi-Fi we can navigate with mobile data. If so, it would not be a device problem.
Apple also has a guide to solve connection problems on an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. Again, the most important thing is to try to restart the device and see if we navigate with mobile data.
In both cases, we can try to forget the Wi-Fi network, entering the password again and reconnecting again.
Analyze installed software
An important step will be to verify if the problem is solved by installing another browser. If we identify what is specific to an application, it is best to review the extensions and programs that we have installed lately.
If you have an antivirus installed, it will be necessary to perform an analysis and detect possible threats . If you do not use antivirus, you can resort to an antimalware to perform this check.
Finally, we can always resort to uninstalling the browser completely, download the latest version and reinstall it . Ideally, perform a complete uninstall, deleting any configuration file left in the system.
Review the DHCP and DNS settings
If after all these steps you still can not navigate, the next thing will be to check if we have a fixed IP configured . The best thing will be to make sure that the network configuration is automatic.
In Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 we will have to follow the steps that are detailed in this Microsoft support page . MacOS users can consult a simple guide on this Apple support page.
In the case of Linux , if we want to avoid using the Terminal and do it from the graphical interface, we will simply have to go to System -> Preferences -> Network connections. There we will click on “Edit” and on “IPv4 Settings” select “Automatic Method (DHCP).
After applying the changes, try to reconnect again. If you can not navigate, you will have to continue trying possible solutions.
Change authentication and encryption
It is possible the type of security of our router is incompatible with the devicewith which we are having problems. If you are trying to connect through Wi-Fi, try changing the authentication mode and encryption.
Surely, by default your router will be configured in WPA-PSK / WPA2-PSK. You can try to change it to WEP or open, although it is only advisable to do it momentarily for this test.
Another possible option may be to change the WPA encryption mode . By default AES will come, but we can try to change it to TKIP. If you have made this change, it will be necessary to disconnect and reconnect to the network.
If we have done all these checks and still can not navigate, the last tricks we have left is to call our Internet provider, format the equipment and speak directly with the manufacturer.