Internet works on cellular data but not on home Wi-Fi (or vice versa)

Symptoms

• Phone has full internet access on cellular data but none when connected to home Wi-Fi
• Switching Wi-Fi off restores internet access on the same phone
• Multiple devices at home show the same pattern
• Wi-Fi shows connected with good signal but no actual internet access

Likely causes

• CommonHome internet connection (modem/ISP) is down while local Wi-Fi still functionsThe router can maintain a local network even when its upstream internet connection has failed, which is a very common cause of this exact symptom.
• CommonRouter or modem needs a restartA stuck router or modem is often quickly fixed with a power cycle.
• PossibleDNS issue on the home network specificallyThe connection itself might be fine, but DNS failures on the home network can make it seem like there's no internet at all.
• PossibleISP outage or account issueAn outage or billing hold affects only your home connection, not your phone's separate cellular service.

What to do

1. Confirm this is a whole-home Wi-Fi issue by testing another device on the same network, not just the one phone.
2. Restart the modem and router in that order.
3. Check your ISP's outage map or account status using cellular data, since this rules in or out a provider-side cause.
4. Try changing the DNS settings on an affected device to a public DNS provider like 8.8.8.8 as a quick test.
5. Check all physical cable connections from the wall to the modem.
6. If a wired device connected directly to the modem also has no internet, the issue is confirmed to be with the modem/ISP connection, not your router or Wi-Fi setup specifically.
7. If the modem's lights look normal and there's no known outage but internet still doesn't work on the home network, contact your ISP for a line-level diagnostic.

When to call a pro

If your ISP's remote diagnostics confirm normal signal to your modem but internet still doesn't work, they'll typically dispatch a technician to investigate further.

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