How to Fix It When a Connected Mobile Hotspot Has No Internet

When you're connected to a hotspot but there's no internet access, you might not see any errors to help identify the reason; the internet will simply stop working. However, troubleshooting and fixing the cause isn't difficult.

Why Is My Hotspot Not Working? 

When you're connected to the internet via a hotspot, there are multiple possible points of failure and any of them can cause connection problems. Your hotspot's network could stop working if your phone runs out of power or its Wi-Fi gets disabled.

The best way to troubleshoot these problems is to start with your mobile device since it's the source of your internet connection. Once you've confirmed the mobile device isn't having any issues, then move on to your computer.

How to Fix a Mobile Hotspot With No Internet Connection

Are you connected to the hotspot but can't access websites? Maybe your hotspot connection drops unexpectedly and won't reconnect. Regardless, these troubleshooting tips should get you back online in no time:

1. A simple restart often resolves most issues. This will sever the connection your devices have with the hotspot and force them to establish a new one.

   Depending on the device you're using, restart your computer [Reboot Windows] or your Android [Reboot Android] or iOS [Reboot iPhone] device. If you're using a dedicated hotspot (i.e., not your phone or computer), reboot that, too.

2. Turn off Airplane Mode if it's on. This feature prevents your device from accessing the internet, so it must be switched off to make the hotspot work correctly.

   This is easy to do on all devices: Windows [Turn Off Airplane Mode], Android [Turn Off Airplane Mode], and iOS [Turn Off Airplane Mode].

3. Turn on your phone's mobile data. If your phone is acting as the hotspot for other devices, it needs to be able to pull data from cell towers to deliver internet to your connected devices.

   If you'd rather not use your phone's data, make sure Wi-Fi is turned on.

   If data access is turned on but the hotspot still doesn't have internet, check your data usage; you might have run out! We have some other tips for fixing mobile data problems if it's not that.

4. Confirm with your carrier that you have hotspot access. Not all mobile carriers support hotspot connections and some require you to pay extra for this feature.

5. Improve your mobile signal strength. In some cases, simply moving your hotspot to a location where you have more bars will boost the signal enough to resolve internet connection issues.
   

   If you're using your phone as a hotspot, you can purchase a cell phone signal booster if moving the device doesn't help. Keep in mind that most signal boosters aren't super mobile.

6. Make sure you're placing your laptop or computer as close to the mobile hotspot as possible. Distance from a Wi-Fi network source is one of the easiest ways to boost a Wi-Fi signal. Being too far from the source is one of the most common causes for a dropped Wi-Fi signal and the inability to access the internet.

7. If you've secured your mobile hotspot with a password, remove the password from the hotspot settings. This is a good test to make sure you aren't simply typing the wrong password to connect to the hotspot.

8. Change the frequency band in your hotspot's settings to 5 GHz or 2.4 GHz (whichever one it isn't currently configured as). The device that's trying to connect to the hotspot might require a specific frequency.

9. Troubleshoot your mobile device's internet connection. The hotspot might be working properly. To check, open a web browser on your mobile device and make sure you can access various websites. If you can't, then this is more of an issue with that device rather than the hotspot.

10. Troubleshoot your computer's internet connection. If you can connect to the hotspot but still can't get online, you may need to reset your network settings or temporarily disable the firewall or antivirus software.