The “hotspot connected but no internet” issue occurs due to a technical glitch or poor network coverage. In some cases, it is your mobile cellular data that stops you from accessing a browser or website. But the catch is the issue isn’t obvious, and you can’t see any indication of what’s wrong until you try to access a website.
This guide will diagnose the problem, figure out the reasons, and provide you with the best troubleshooting tips. Stay tuned!
Reasons or Points of Failure
Have you turned on your mobile hotspot but can’t use the internet?
Here are some possible reasons why you failed to connect to the internet using your mobile hotspot:
- The mobile hotspot isn’t actually turned on.
- There’s poor network coverage in your area.
- The mobile cellular data is turned off.
- There’s no data left, or completely drained.
- Your mobile phone is in airplane mode.
- There’s a technical glitch or problem with hotspot settings.
- Maybe, there are maximum allowed connections.
- Error in your phone’s APN settings.
- Antivirus or Windows Defender Firewall problem.
All these factors may have some impact while accessing the internet via a hotspot.
Steps to Fix Hotspot Connected But No Internet Issues
The “hotspot connected but no internet” issue usually occurs on Windows and Mac computers when these devices use your mobile data. However, iOS and Android smartphones may also encounter a similar problem due to the above issues.
Fixing the cause of the issue shouldn’t be a difficult task. We have got a few working troubleshooting tips that you may find handy.
#Troubleshooting Method 1 – A Quick Restart
Irrespective of your device, you can always resort to this troubleshooting method when you can’t access the internet. Rebooting or restarting your device fixes most issues.
So, you need to turn off your device, wait for a few seconds, and then turn it back on. Or, you can –
- Hold down the Power button on your phone.
- You will have a few options on the screen, including the reboot or restart option.
- Tap the Restart option.
Similarly, you can turn off your computer and turn it back in after a minute or two. Now check if you can access the internet. Move to the next troubleshooting method if you still can’t use the internet.
#Troubleshooting Method 2 – Enable Mobile Data
Is your mobile data enabled? The ability to send emails or access a website via a hotspot largely depends on your mobile data. What if you haven’t enabled it?
To enable your data, access your mobile Settings and go to Data Usage. You will see the cellular data option. Tap it to turn the data on.
#Troubleshooting Method 3 – Toggle Airplane Mode On & Off
After enabling the mobile data, it is advised to quickly toggle the airplane mode on and off to give a fresh start to the internet connection requests.
- On your mobile phone, pull down the notification bar.
- Please navigate to the Airplane Mode icon and tap it.
- Once the Airplane Mode is turned on, you can turn it off after a few seconds.
Turn on the mobile hotspot, and you should be able to use the internet now.
#Troubleshooting Method 4 – Verify Your Phone’s APN Settings
APN is Access Point Name that helps the host device to connect to the internet (using your phone’s APN settings). Therefore, you need to immediately check the settings if there have been some changes made recently.
- Go to your phone Settings.
- Select Wi-Fi & network.
- Next, you will need to select SIM & network.
- Select your SIM and then select Access Point Names.
- Make sure the APN is correct. You can change its settings by tapping the + icon.
#Troubleshooting Method 5 – Disable Windows Firewall
You have to disable Windows Firewall on your computer if it can connect to the mobile hotspot but can’t access the internet.
- Go to Control Panel on your computer, and select System and Security.
- Select Windows Firewall or Windows Defender Firewall.
- Select Turn Windows Defender Firewall on or off > Turn off Windows Defender Firewall (not recommended).
- Click OK.
Now that you know what might have gone wrong, use the above tips to fix the errors and see if the internet is working fine all over again.