Networking
No internet on one workstation: Wi-Fi and Ethernet diagnosis
When one machine has no internet but others are fine, the network itself is probably healthy. The job is to isolate the one device’s path to it.
Scope it first
If only this workstation is affected, skip the router and focus on the machine. If several are down, that is a network or provider issue and a different escalation.
Check the local connection
- For Ethernet, confirm the cable is seated at both ends and the port shows a link light
- For Wi-Fi, confirm the right network is selected and the signal is present
- Look for an address that starts with 169.254, which means the machine did not get a valid address
Renew and test
Release and renew the IP address, then test reaching a known site by name and by address. If the address works but the name does not, it is a DNS problem, not a connection problem.
Document the split
Recording whether it was the cable, the address, or DNS turns a vague no internet ticket into a pattern you can act on.