"Limited connectivity" (sometimes shown as a yellow warning triangle on the network icon, or the message "No internet access" while still showing as connected) means your computer successfully connected to a network at the most basic level, but couldn't get a proper, fully working internet connection through it. The connection exists, but it's incomplete in some way.

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What's usually actually happening

Most commonly, this means your computer failed to get a valid IP address configuration from the router (via DHCP), or got an IP address but the connection to the actual internet beyond your router isn't working — your computer is "on the network" in a technical sense, but not properly connected onward to the wider internet.

Fix 1: release and renew your IP address

  1. Press Windows key, type cmd, right-click → Run as administrator
  2. Type ipconfig /release, press Enter
  3. Type ipconfig /renew, press Enter
  4. Check whether the connection status improves

Fix 2: restart your router

If your router's DHCP service (responsible for assigning IP addresses to connected devices) is having a temporary issue, a restart often resolves it:

  1. Unplug your router for about 30 seconds
  2. Plug it back in and wait for it to fully restart (usually 1-2 minutes)
  3. Reconnect and check if the issue is resolved

Fix 3: run the Windows network troubleshooter

  1. Right-click the network icon in your taskbar
  2. Select Troubleshoot problems
  3. Let it run through its automatic diagnostics — it often identifies the specific cause and can fix it directly

Fix 4: check for an IP address conflict

If two devices on the same network accidentally end up with the same IP address (less common with modern routers, but can happen, especially with statically configured devices), it can cause exactly this kind of "connected but limited" state. Restarting your router (which should reassign addresses cleanly) often resolves this, or if you've manually set a static IP on your computer, double-check it isn't conflicting with another device.

Fix 5: update your network adapter driver

  1. Device Manager → Network adapters → right-click your adapter → Update driver

Fix 6: network reset as a last resort

If individual fixes don't resolve it: Settings → Network & internet → Advanced network settings → Network reset. This removes all saved networks and reinstalls network adapters with default settings — have your WiFi password ready, and your PC will restart.

If it's happening on a specific network only (not all networks)

If "limited connectivity" only happens on one particular WiFi network and your connection is fine elsewhere, the issue is more specifically tied to that router's configuration (likely its DHCP settings) rather than your computer — worth checking the router's admin settings if you have access to it, or contacting whoever manages that network if you don't.