Top 10 Reasons for Webpages not opening inspite of Internet Access

Troubleshooting internet access on your PC/laptop can sometimes drive you to your wit's end, even if everything seems to be OK.What's noteworthy here is that your internet access device - dongle/modem/router may indicate that it's connected,but you don't get internet access.So, in all probability here are the possible issues you might have got stuck into.
1. DHCP issue : A DHCP issue is the most likely reason why PC/laptops or other devices don't get Private IP address automatically from router or gateway which is configured as the DHCP server. DHCP or " Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol " Server on LAN automatically assign private IP addresses when a host comes online.

            So, in such a situation when we check the Network adapters "Local Area Connection" or " Wireless Network Connection", it show the status as "Unidentified Network" or "Limited or No Connectivity".On double clicking the Network adapter and clicking on " Details " it will show a system IPv4 address of type 169.X.X.X which confirms DHCP is not working.

A step-by-step approach to deal with this :

• Restart your computer and Router/Gateway you use to connect to the internet.
• If the issue persists, then access your Router/Gateway configuration to confirm whether the DHCP server on it is enabled.It is most commonly found in LAN settings option in the Router/Gateway Management console.
• If the above two steps fail, enter manual private IP in TCP/IP settings of your Computer.

If these steps fail, then the issue might be with the LAN/WiFi adapter of your computer or Router's LAN or WLAN interface.For further resolution get ahead with step #5.

2. DNS issue : The DNS or Domain Name system is responsible for mapping domain name or URL we type on the browser's address bar to corresponding server's IP address.

  To check whether DNS is working on your computer, open command prompt and type the command nslookup  and hit enter.The result will show whether DNS is working on your system.

System unable to connect to Primary Resolving DNS server

DNS server not connected

 There may be issues with your ISPs DNS, so you may switch to public or open DNS like :
Google Public DNS : 8.8.8.8   and 8.8.4.4
OpenDNS : 208.67.222.222   and 208.67.220.220

To resolve this, check whether your router's DNS settings is set to Automatic.If it doesn't work select the manual setting and enter the pubic or Open DNSs as given above.You may also update manual DNS settings in TCP/IP settings of your Computer.

Once done,open command prompt and type nslookup and hit enter, then type any domain name say, www.google.com and hit enter. You will get a response with the corresponding server's IP, if DNS is working.

A system properly connected to DNS server

3. Proxy settings in Internet browser : Disable any Proxy settings on your browser and restart your Computer for the changes to take effect.

4. Clear Browsing data : Some cookies or Temporary Internet files on your Computer may block loading of webpages partially or totally.Clear Browsing data (that includes Cookies, caches, Temporary Internet files, etc.) and restart your browser and see if it fixes the issue.

5. Issue with your PC's LAN or WiFi driver : To get started with testing your LAN or WiFi adapter, first make sure that its Status is Connected (to the Router/Gateway).If it is showing Unidentified Network or Limited or No Connectivity,  follow step #1.

       Once it is showing connected, open Command prompt and ping the Router IP, if your computer is connected to the Router/Gateway, ping Reply will come from Router.Make sure you know the Router IP.

Successful Ping statistics to Router IP : 192.168.1.1

If you don't get a reply, then the best way to determine whether there are issues with your computer's LAN or WiFi is to check the same with a different computer.If you get the ping from your router after connecting another computer using the same LAN cable or WiFi, then issue is definitely with your former Computer's LAN / WiFi adapter. Try re-installing the correct version of LAN/WiFi drivers compatible with your Computer's OS.If it doesn't work, it is time to call your hardware technician for checking LAN/WLAN adapter hardware issues.

6. Issue with Router or Access point : Power cycling( i.e. powering OFF and the put ON again) the Router or Access point is the most common solution as the hardware may hang due to prolonged use or any other unidentified reason.If this fails, then it may be required to be reset and reconfigured.

7. Corrupt TCP/IP protocol stack : To recover a corrupt TCP/IP protocol stack, go to Command prompt and type the following then hit enter :

                     netsh int ip reset

8. Incorrect firewall / antivirus settings : A fresh antivirus/ Firewall install or an update may stall your internet connection.Sometimes multiple antivirus / firewall products have conflicting behaviour, so try to have a single comprehensive product or you have to tweak with the settings of individual products.Also you may lower the security settings of your antivirus/ firewall or even disable it for sometime to check whether it is really the culprit.

9. Malware / virus : Install a a good Total Internet Security Suite in your system, keep it updated and run regular scans to avoid any malware mischiefs.

10. Issue with the Browser : If  steps #3 and #4 have failed to restore your browser to normal operations, chances are some settings/files of the browser have gone corrupt.You could then Reset the Browser to Default Settings.If still no result, try with a different browser or uninstall and re-install your current browser.