If you re having problems getting connected to a network and can t connect to the In

ternet, here are some things you can try in Windows 10.
Things to try first
Try these things first to help you fix or narrow down the connection problem.
Check out Why can't I get online? and try some of the basic troubleshooting step
s mentioned there.
Generate a wireless network report. This report can help you diagnose the proble
m, or at least provide you with more information to give to others who might be
able to help.
In the search box on the taskbar, type Command prompt, press and hold (or rightclick) Command prompt, and then select Run as administrator > Yes.
At the command prompt, type netsh wlan show wlanreport.
This creates an HTML file that you can open in your web browser from the locatio
n listed under the command prompt.
Make sure it s not a problem with your cable modem or Internet service provider (I
SP).
If it is, contact your ISP. In the search box on the taskbar, type Command promp
t, press and hold (or right-click) Command prompt, and then select Run as admini
strator > Yes.
At the command prompt, type ipconfig.
Look for the IP address listed next to Default gateway. Write down that address
if you need to. For example: 192.168.1.1
At the prompt, type ping <DefaultGateway> and press Enter. For example, type pin
g 192.168.1.1 and press Enter.
The result should be something like this:
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64
Ping statistics for 192.168.1.1: Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% l
oss), Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds: Minimum = 4ms, Maximum = 5m
s, Average = 4ms
If the ping is successful and you see results similar to the results above, but
can t connect to the Internet on your PC, there may be a problem with your modem o
r Internet service provider (ISP).
Update the network adapter driver
An outdated or incompatible network adapter driver can cause connection problems
. If you recently upgraded to Windows 10, it's possible that the current driver
was designed for a previous version of Windows. Check to see if an updated drive
r is available.
In the search box on the taskbar, type Device Manager, and then select Device Ma
nager from the list of results.
In Device Manager, select Network adapters > the network adapter name.
Right-click (or press and hold) the network adapter, and then select Update Driv
er Software > Search automatically for updated driver software. Follow the steps

, then select Close.

After installing the updated driver, select the Start button > Power > Restart
if asked to restart, and see if that fixes the connection issue.
If Windows can t find a new driver for your network adapter, visit the PC manufact
urer s website and download the latest network adapter driver from there. If your
PC can't connect to the Internet, you'll need to download a driver on a differen
t PC and save it to a USB flash drive, so you can install the driver on your PC.
You ll need to know the PC manufacturer and model name or number.
Roll back the network adapter driver
If you were connected before and recently installed a new network adapter driver
, rolling back your driver to a previous version might help.
In the search box on the taskbar, type Device Manager, and then select Device Ma
nager from the list of results.
In Device Manager, select Network adapters > the network adapter name.
Press and hold (or right-click) the network adapter, and then select Properties.
In Properties, select the Driver tab, select Roll back driver, then follow the s
teps.
If the button is unavailable, that means there's no driver to roll back to.
After rolling back to the previous version of the driver, select the Start butt
on > Power > Restart if asked to restart, and see if that fixes the connection i
ssue.
If Windows can t find a new driver for your network adapter, visit the PC manufact
urer s website and download the latest network adapter driver from there. If your
PC can't connect to the Internet, you'll need to download a driver on a differen
t PC and save it to a USB flash drive, so you can install the driver on your PC.
You ll need to know the PC manufacturer and model name or number.
Run the Network troubleshooter followed by networking commands
The Network troubleshooter can help diagnose and fix common connection problems.
Using this troubleshooter, then running some networking commands afterwards if
needed, can help get you connected.
To run the Network troubleshooter
In the search box on the taskbar, type Network troubleshooter, and then select I
dentify and repair network problems from the list of results.
Follow the steps in the troubleshooter and see if that fixes the problem.
If that doesn t fix your connection problem, try these things:
Reset the TCP/IP stack
Release the IP address
Renew the IP address
Flush and reset the DNS client resolver cache
To run these networking commands in a command prompt window
In the search box on the taskbar, type Command prompt, press and hold (or rightclick) Command prompt, and then select Run as administrator > Yes.
At the command prompt, run the following commands in the listed order, and then
check to see if that fixes your connection problem:
Type netsh winsock reset and press Enter.
Type netsh int ip reset and press Enter.
Type ipconfig /release and press Enter.
Type ipconfig /renew and press Enter.
Type ipconfig /flushdns and press Enter.
Temporarily turn off firewalls

Sometimes firewall software might prevent you from getting connected. You can se
e if the connection issue is caused by a firewall by turning it off temporarily
and then trying to visit a website you trust.
The steps to turn off a firewall depend on the firewall software you re using. Che
ck the documentation for your firewall software to learn how to turn it off. Mak
e sure you turn it back on as soon as you can. Not having a firewall turned on m
akes your PC more vulnerable to hackers, worms, or viruses.
If you have trouble turning off your firewall, do the following to turn off all
firewall software that's running on your PC. Again, make sure you turn your fire
wall back on as soon as you can.
To turn off all firewalls
In the search box on the taskbar, type Command prompt, press and hold (or rightclick) Command prompt, and then select Run as administrator > Yes.
At the command prompt, type netsh advfirewall set allprofiles state off, and the
n press Enter.
Open your web browser and visit a website you trust and see if you can connect t
o it.
To turn on all firewalls you might have installed, at the command prompt, type n
etsh advfirewall set allprofiles state on, and then press Enter.
If you find the firewall software is causing the connection issues, contact the
software manufacturer or visit their website to check and see if updated softwar
e is available.
Temporarily turn off any antivirus or malware-prevention software
Sometimes antivirus or malware-prevention software might prevent you from gettin
g connected. You can see if the connection issue is caused by antivirus and malw
are-prevention software by turning it off temporarily and then trying to visit a
website you trust. If you find it is causing the connection issues, contact the
software manufacturer or visit their website to see if updated software is avai
lable.
The steps to turn off antivirus or malware-prevention software depend on the sof
tware you re using. Check the documentation for your software to learn how to turn
it off. Make sure you turn it back on as soon as possible. Not having antivirus
or malware-prevention software turned on makes your PC more vulnerable to hacke
rs, worms, or viruses.
If you re not sure what antivirus or malware-prevention software program you have
installed, Windows might be able to tell you.
To find out what antivirus or malware-prevention software is installed
In the search box on the taskbar, type System and security, and then select Revi
ew your computer s status and resolve issues.
Select the down arrow next to Security.
If Windows can detect your antivirus software, it's listed under Virus protectio
n. For malware-prevention software, look under Spyware and unwanted software pro
tection.
If the antivirus or malware-prevention software is on, check the documentation f
or that software to learn how to turn it off.
Make sure you turn your antivirus or malware-prevention software back on as soon
as you can to make sure your PC is better protected.

Uninstall the network adapter driver and restart

If the previous steps didn t work, try to uninstall the network adapter driver, an
d then restart your computer and have Windows automatically install the latest d
river. Consider this approach if your network connection stopped working properl
y after a recent update.
Before uninstalling, make sure you have drivers available as a backup. Visit the
PC manufacturer s website and download the latest network adapter driver from the
re. If your PC can't connect to the Internet, you'll need to download a driver o
n a different PC and save it to a USB flash drive, so you can install the driver
on your PC. You ll need to know the PC manufacturer and model name or number.
In the search box on the taskbar, type Device Manager, and then select Device Ma
nager from the list of results.
In Device Manager, select Network adapters > the network adapter name.
Right-click (or press and hold) the network adapter, and then select Uninstall >
Delete the driver software for this device check box > OK to confirm you want t
o uninstall it.
After uninstalling the driver, select the Start button > Power > Restart.
After your PC restarts, Windows will automatically look for and install the netw
ork adapter driver. Check to see if that fixes your connection problem. If Windo
ws doesn't automatically install a driver, try to install the backup driver you
saved before uninstalling.
Use network reset to reinstall network devices
Using network reset should be the last step you try. Consider using it if the st
eps above don t help to get you connected.
This can help solve connection problems you might have after upgrading from a pr
evious version of Windows to Windows 10, as well as fix problems where you can c
onnect to the Internet, but not to shared network drives. It removes any network
adapters you have installed and the settings for them. After your PC restarts,
any network adapters are reinstalled, and the settings for them are set to the d
efaults.
Note
To use network reset, your PC must be running Windows 10 Version 1607. To see wh
at version of Windows 10 your device is currently running, select the Start butt
on, then select Settings > System > About.
Select the Start button, then select Settings > Network & Internet > Status >
Network reset.
On the Network reset screen, select Reset now > Yes to confirm.
Wait for your PC to restart and see if that fixes the problem.
Notes
After using network reset, you might need to reinstall and set up other networki
ng software you might be using, such as VPN client software or virtual switches
from Hyper-V (if you're using that or other network virtualization software).
Network reset might set each one of your known network connections to a public n
etwork mode. In a public network mode, your PC is not discoverable to other PCs
and devices on the network, which can help make your PC more secure. However, if
your PC is part of a homegroup or used for file or printer sharing, you ll need t
o make your PC discoverable again. To do this, go to Settings > Network & Inter
net > Wi-Fi. On the Wi-Fi screen, select Manage known networks > the network con
nection you want to change > Properties, and then turn on the switch under Make
this PC discoverable.