How to Fix Internet Connected but Browser not Working?

Every once in a while, your browser might get bugged with an issue. In most cases, there would be an accompanying error message as well. This goes a great length in helping the users get hold of the underlying issue and, more importantly, its relevant fix. But that isn’t always the case.

Sometimes, the issue might sound quite an easy one on paper, but finding its fixes turns out to be quite challenging. I recently tried to access a website, but the browser refused to establish the connection.

The first culprit straightaway seemed to be some network-related issue. But it turned out that the internet connectivity was all well and good.

I researched online and found out that I wasn’t the only one facing this problem; there are many other users on the same page.

Fortunately, I managed to get hold of a few workarounds that we’re able to rectify this issue. And this guide shall make you aware of just that.

So without further ado, let’s start with the tutorial to fix the internet connection, but the browser not working issue.

Check for Data Packet Loss

Before moving ahead with any of the advanced fixes, you should re-verify that there are indeed no issues with the network. The best test is to ping Google and checks if the data exchange occurs without any losses.

If the total packets sent are equivalent to the received packets, then the loss% stands at 0, and the network issue might be negated. However, if there are indeed some losses in packets, it points to your internet issues.

1. Head over to the Start menu, and search & launch Command Prompt.
2. Type in ping google.com, and hit Enter
   

Now verify the results. If data exchange is taking place with packet loss, then you should try out some network-related tweaks such as restarting the router, switching over to a different network, and so on.

However, if there is no data loss, then here are some other workarounds that you could try out.

Clear DNS Cache

The web browser doesn’t deal with the website URL in plain text format; rather, it calls for its associated IP address. These IPs are provided by the DNS servers, who seek the same from the stored DNS cache.

If these DNS data gets corrupted by malicious codes, scripts, or sites, then the DNS server wouldn’t correctly provide the IP address for the required site. To rectify this issue, you should consider deleting this DNS cache, which could be done as follows:

1. Go to the Start menu, search cmd, and launch the Command Prompt window
2. Now type in ipconfig /flushdns, and hit Enter.
   It will delete all the DNS cache.
3. Check if it can fix the internet connection, but the browser is not working.

Deleting the DNS cache would result in a few extra seconds for the browser to get hold of the associated IP address. However, this is just a one-time delay and would only last until the data gets re-populated.

Update Network Drivers

Using an old or outdated network driver could result in quite a few internet issues, including those we are currently dealing with. Therefore, it is always advised to use the latest version of these drivers.

1. Keypress Windows + X shortcut keys, and select Device Manager from the menu.
2. Expand the Network Adapter section.
   You should find your driver listed there, either 802.11 B/G/N or A/C.
3. Right-click on it and select Update Drivers.
   
4. Click on Search automatically for driver software.
   

Windows will now search for the latest drivers online, and if found, will download and install them.

Once done, restart your PC and then verify if the issue is fixed or not.

Disable Windows Firewall

If there’s only a couple of sites that your browser cannot access, the issue could be related to the Windows Firewall being a little overprotective.

So if you are sure of the site’s trustworthiness and believe that the Firewall has raised a false positive, then you may consider temporarily disabling it. Here’s how:

1. Head over to the Start Menu and search Windows Defender Firewall.
2. Click on Turn Windows Defender Firewall On or Off from the left menu bar.
   
3. Select Turn off Windows Defender Firewall under both the Public and Private network sections.
   
4. Once done, try accessing the site and check if the issue has been rectified or not.

Disabling the firewall might prove to be quite a risky bet. So make sure to re-enable it once you are done using the site.

Reset Windows Network Socket

Windows Network Socket, or Winsock, contains information related to network configurations. If this information gets corrupted due to malicious codes or harmful programs, then there is every possibility of the system’s internet not working along the expected lines. The best bet, in that case, is to reset this Network Socket, which could be done as follows:

1. Launch Command Prompt as an administrator from the Start menu.
   
2. Type in the below command and hit Enter:

   netsh winsock reset

   

It shall reset your computer network. Once done, restart your PC and then check if it fixes the network issue

Bottom Line: Browser not Working

So with this, we round off the guide on how you could fix the internet connection but browser not working issue. We have shared five different fixes for the same.

Also, check your data plan if you’ve exhausted the bandwidth or data limit for your subscribed ISP plan. Some of the mobile data plans suspend the internet but still display that the internet is connected.

In my case, clearing the stored Domain Name Server cache was enough to rectify the underlying issue.

Do let us know in the comments section which workaround spelled out success for you. Also, mention which method worked to fix the issue with the browser not working even though the internet was connected.