Desktop PC WiFi issues

I just picked up a new desktop running Windows 10 Home. Since I moved into a new apartment where the internet jack is a bit too far from my desk, I tried using a USB WiFi adapter to bridge the gap. Here’s the headache: the computer actually connects to the router, but there’s absolutely no internet access. I even tried tethering it to my phone via a mobile hotspot, and it’s the exact same story—no luck. What should I do? P.S. If anyone could give me a straightforward answer, I’d appreciate it—we aren't exactly tech wizards here.

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Did you make sure those USB drivers for the Wi-Fi are actually installed? And double-check—are you 100% certain the router password was entered correctly?

Larry Ortiz5 said:Did you make sure those USB drivers for the Wi-Fi are actually installed? And double-check—are you 100% certain the router password was entered correctly?

Everything's been done. I installed the drivers using the CD that came with the USB dongle. I even tried connecting via my phone's mobile hotspot just to rule things out. I typed in the password, it shows as connected, but there’s zero internet access. Just a dead end.

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Here’s the situation. It says "Connected," but there's absolutely no internet access whatsoever.

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wiredtinker11 said:I just picked up a new desktop running Windows 10 Home. Since I moved into a new apartment where the internet jack is a bit too far from my desk, I tried using a USB WiFi adapter to bridge the gap. Here’s the headache: the computer actually connects to the router, but there’s absolutely no internet access. I even tried tethering it to my phone via a mobile hotspot, and it’s the exact same story—no luck. What should I do? P.S. If anyone could give me a straightforward answer, I’d appreciate it—we aren't exactly tech wizards here.

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Try logging into your router at 192.168.1.1 and manually add your PC's address to the DHCP table. You might also want to try switching between the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands to see if that helps.

If none of that works—especially since you already tried the hotspot trick—then the issue is likely sitting right there on the PC itself. Your best bet would be to flush your DNS and reset all your network settings.

Try running start > Settings > Network & Internet > Network troubleshooter

Punish
- Your router doesn't have to be at 192.168.1.1; for instance, over at AT&T they might use 192.168.5.1, and everyone else uses something different.
- Messing with the DHCP "table," trying to "flush" stuff, or switching bands... honestly, it's all useless.
- If it actually connects, then it's working—it grabs an address from the router's DHCP server and lands on the right band once it finally gets through.
- You can check the router settings to see if WPA-2 security is toggled on, or just try turning the WiFi off and back on again after a minute if the software is acting glitchy.

I’m already losing my mind here. At first, I thought the firewall was acting up, but nope—that wasn't it. It worked fine yesterday, then suddenly stopped today. I’ve reinstalled the drivers more times than I care to admit. I even went into Device Manager to disable the wireless USB adapter just to toggle it back on; it gave me an error, so I toggled it again, and—presto!—it suddenly started working. God knows how long this little dance is going to last.
And I’m still waiting for my internet service to actually be installed. My options are either running a 20-meter cable from the outlet to my PC or relying on a wireless connection. Based on this headache, the wireless route doesn't seem particularly reliable in my setup.
The stick is an ASUS USB-AC51, if that helps anyone.
Should I try hunting down some newer drivers? The box says it supports up to Windows 8.1, but I noticed there might be versions available for Windows 10.

Edit: It's dead again. I had turned off my phone's mobile hotspot because I'm on a limited data plan, and when I tried to reconnect, I got the exact same nonsense. It either connects without any actual internet access, or it won't connect at all. Could the issue be the stick itself?

wiredtinker11 said:I’m already losing my mind here. At first, I thought the firewall was acting up, but nope—that wasn't it. It worked fine yesterday, then suddenly stopped today. I’ve reinstalled the drivers more times than I care to admit. I even went into Device Manager to disable the wireless USB adapter just to toggle it back on; it gave me an error, so I toggled it again, and—presto!—it suddenly started working. God knows how long this little dance is going to last.
And I’m still waiting for my internet service to actually be installed. My options are either running a 20-meter cable from the outlet to my PC or relying on a wireless connection. Based on this headache, the wireless route doesn't seem particularly reliable in my setup.
The stick is an ASUS USB-AC51, if that helps anyone.
Should I try hunting down some newer drivers? The box says it supports up to Windows 8.1, but I noticed there might be versions available for Windows 10.

Edit: It's dead again. I had turned off my phone's mobile hotspot because I'm on a limited data plan, and when I tried to reconnect, I got the exact same nonsense. It either connects without any actual internet access, or it won't connect at all. Could the issue be the stick itself?

Are you 100% sure your router is actually getting a signal from the provider? Like, make sure the connection isn't dropping on their end.

Did you mention you just moved into this place? Is it your own spot or are you renting? If you're renting, there's a chance the previous tenant or even the landlord gave the password to a neighbor, and they're hogging all your bandwidth.

Besides those two devices you mentioned, is there anything else in the house hitting the Wi-Fi?

Let's rule out the obvious stuff:
Kill the mobile data on your phone before you try connecting with the computer.
Check if the router actually has an outbound connection.
Change your Wi-Fi password on the router.
Plug the computer directly in via Ethernet and see if the connection holds up.

No need to do them in that specific order.