WINDOWS NETWORK TROUBLESHOOTING | Find Out Why Your Internet Connection Is Failing — A Practical Guide to IP Addresses, Ping, and DNS

A website refuses to open. Your browser reports that the server

cannot be found. Your computer says it is connected to Wi-Fi, yet nothing loads.

The usual response is to restart the router, switch networks, or wait for the Internet to return.

Sometimes that works. But it does not tell you what went wrong.

A better approach is to investigate the connection systematically. Windows includes command-line tools that can help you inspect your computer’s network configuration, test basic connectivity, examine DNS resolution, and gather evidence before changing settings.

This guide teaches you how to use four commands:

• ipconfig — inspect your network configuration.
• ping — test whether a destination responds to network probes.
• nslookup — investigate DNS name resolution.
• tracert — examine the network path toward a destination.

You will learn what each command can reveal, how to interpret common results, and when to investigate your router, Internet service provider, DNS configuration, or the destination website.

1. Understand What You Are Testing

When a website fails to load, several different systems may be involved.

Your computer must connect to a local network, obtain appropriate IP settings, communicate beyond the local network, resolve the website's domain name, and establish a connection to the destination service.

A failure at any of these stages can prevent a page from loading.

For example, your Wi-Fi connection might be working correctly while your router has lost its connection to the Internet. Alternatively, the Internet connection may work while DNS resolution fails for a particular domain.

These problems can look similar to an ordinary user, but they have different causes.

A useful diagnostic sequence is:

Device → Local network → IP configuration → Gateway → DNS → Destination

This sequence is not an absolute rule for every failure, but it provides a logical starting point.

2. Open the Windows Command Prompt

You do not need to install a networking application to begin.

1. Connect your Windows computer to the network you want to investigate.
2. Open the Start menu or select the Windows search box.
3. Type Command Prompt.
4. Open Command Prompt.

For the inspection commands in this guide, an ordinary Command Prompt window is generally sufficient. You do not need administrator privileges to run ipconfig, ping, nslookup, or tracert.

When a command is shown in a code block, type the command and press Enter.

3. Inspect Your IP Configuration With ipconfig

Your computer needs network configuration to communicate with other devices. This normally includes an IP address, a subnet mask or prefix, and a default gateway when one is required.

Type:

ipconfig

Windows displays basic IP configuration for the available network adapters.

Look for the adapter you are actually using. It might be labelled Wi-Fi or Ethernet.

The output may include:

• IPv4 Address: Your computer's IPv4 address on that network.
• Subnet Mask: Helps determine which IPv4 addresses belong to the local network.
• Default Gateway: The local next-hop device used to reach destinations outside the local network, typically your router.
• IPv6 Address: An address used for IPv6 communication, if configured.

The exact output varies according to your adapters and network configuration.

What the results can tell you

If you see a valid address and a default gateway, your computer has at least some of the expected local configuration.

If the IPv4 address begins with 169.254, Windows may have assigned itself a link-local address because it did not obtain an ordinary IPv4 configuration through DHCP. This is a clue to investigate, not proof of a single cause.

If the expected Wi-Fi or Ethernet adapter is disconnected, disabled, or missing its usual configuration, start by checking the local connection and adapter status.

Inspect the complete configuration

Run:

ipconfig /all

This displays additional information, which may include the DHCP server, DNS servers, adapter details, and whether automatic configuration is enabled.

You do not need to memorize every field. Concentrate on the active adapter and the values relevant to your problem.

Privacy note: Network output can contain device, adapter, address, and network details. Remove sensitive information before sharing a screenshot or command output publicly.

4. Test Basic Reachability With ping

The ping command sends Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) echo requests and reports responses when the destination and network permit them.

First, test a domain you expect to be reachable:

ping example.com

You may see replies containing the destination address and response time. Windows also reports packet statistics after the test finishes.

A response indicates that the destination or system answering for it responded to the ICMP probe. It does not prove that every website service is working.

If you see a message saying that the request timed out, do not immediately conclude that the Internet is down. Some servers and networks block or limit ICMP traffic while continuing to serve websites normally.

Test your local gateway

Use the default gateway shown by ipconfig. For example, if your gateway is 192.168.1.1, run:

ping 192.168.1.1

Replace the example address with your actual gateway.

If it responds, you have evidence that the gateway is reachable using ICMP from your computer.

If it does not respond, investigate your Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection, local network settings, and router. However, some routers do not reply to ping, so a missing response alone is not conclusive.

Test more than one destination

Compare the results from your gateway and an external destination.

Gateway test	External test	What to investigate
Responds	Responds	Basic reachability works; investigate the specific application if it still fails.
Responds	Fails	Check external connectivity, destination restrictions, routing, or ICMP filtering.
Fails	Fails	Check the local network and gateway, while remembering that ICMP may be blocked.
Fails	Responds	Possible if the gateway blocks ping but forwards traffic normally.

These patterns help guide your next test; they do not independently identify the cause.

5. Investigate DNS With nslookup

The Domain Name System (DNS) translates domain names into the address information applications need to locate Internet services.

When you enter a website's domain in your browser, DNS resolution is usually one of the steps that happens before the browser can contact the destination.

To investigate DNS, run:

nslookup example.com

The output normally identifies the DNS server that answered the query and returns available address records.

The exact addresses can vary by resolver, geographic location, caching, and the website's infrastructure.

How to interpret common results

A domain resolves to an address.

The DNS query succeeded for that name and record type. The website may still be unavailable because DNS is only one part of the connection.

The query times out.

The DNS server may be unreachable, slow, filtering queries, or failing to answer. Investigate the configured resolver and network before assuming that the domain itself is broken.

The response says the name does not exist.

Check that you typed the domain correctly. If it is correct, the name may not exist in DNS, or the response may be affected by DNS configuration.

One domain resolves but another does not.

The problem may be specific to a domain, record, resolver, or DNS configuration. Repeat the test carefully before changing anything.

Compare two DNS resolvers

You can ask a particular DNS server to resolve a name by supplying its address.

For example:

nslookup example.com 1.1.1.1

This requests a DNS lookup through the resolver at 1.1.1.1, provided that the network permits the query.

You can compare it with:

nslookup example.com 8.8.8.8

These are examples of public DNS resolver addresses associated with Cloudflare and Google, respectively. A query succeeding through one resolver but failing through another is useful evidence, but it does not by itself prove which service is at fault.

Do not change your router or computer's permanent DNS settings simply because one test behaves differently. First establish that the difference is repeatable and relevant to the original problem.

6. Examine the Network Path With tracert

A destination may resolve correctly but remain unreachable. The tracert command can help investigate the route toward it.

Run:

tracert example.com

Windows attempts to identify intermediate network hops between your computer and the destination.

The output may display several rows of hop numbers, response times, and addresses or names where available.

Asterisks may appear when a hop does not respond within the expected time. Routers can filter or deprioritize these probes, so an asterisk does not necessarily indicate a broken router.

If later hops respond after an earlier hop shows asterisks, that is evidence that the earlier hop's lack of response did not prevent the probes from reaching those later points.

If the trace stops progressing, the result can help narrow the investigation, but it is not definitive proof of where ordinary application traffic is failing. Routing policies, firewalls, and probe filtering can all affect the trace.

Use tracert as supporting evidence alongside your other tests.

7. Put the Commands Together

Suppose a website will not open on your Windows computer.

Instead of repeatedly restarting everything, collect evidence in a consistent order.

Step 1 — Inspect the local configuration

ipconfig

Confirm that you are examining the active adapter and identify its IP address and default gateway.

Step 2 — Inspect additional settings if needed

ipconfig /all

Look at the DNS servers and DHCP information for the active adapter.

Step 3 — Test the gateway

ping YOUR_GATEWAY_ADDRESS

Replace the placeholder with the gateway address shown on your computer.

Step 4 — Test a domain

ping example.com

Remember that an unsuccessful ping does not prove the domain is unavailable.

Step 5 — Test DNS separately

nslookup example.com

Check whether the domain resolves.

Step 6 — Investigate the route if necessary

tracert example.com

Use the result to gather additional evidence about the path.

Step 7 — Test the actual website

Open the intended website in your browser. If other websites work but this one does not, investigate the domain, browser, service, or application rather than assuming the entire Internet connection has failed.

Record the results before making changes. This makes it easier to determine whether a troubleshooting step actually improved the situation.

8. What to Do When You Find a Clue

The next action should match the evidence.

If the local connection appears to be failing

Check whether Wi-Fi is enabled, whether the correct network is selected, whether the cable is connected, and whether other devices can use the same network.

If several devices have the same problem, the router or upstream connection becomes a more important area to investigate.

If the computer appears to lack normal IP configuration

Check the adapter status and whether the network normally assigns addresses automatically. If appropriate, disconnect and reconnect to the network.

Avoid manually entering an IP address unless you understand the network's addressing plan and know that the address is available.

If DNS is the main suspect

Check the configured DNS server, repeat the lookup, and compare results carefully. If the issue affects a managed workplace, school, or business network, contact the network administrator before bypassing its DNS configuration.

If only one website fails

Verify the domain spelling and try again after a short interval. Consider whether the website itself is experiencing an outage, whether the browser reports a certificate or security error, and whether another device on the same network can access it.

Do not disable security protections simply to make a website load.

If the problem remains unclear

Windows provides additional network troubleshooting options. You can begin with Settings → Network & internet and examine the status of the active connection. Available options vary by Windows version and device.

If the connection problem is persistent, record the time, affected applications, network type, error messages, and command results before contacting your Internet service provider or administrator.

9. Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake 1: Treating a failed ping as proof that the Internet is down.

ICMP may be filtered even when web traffic works.

Mistake 2: Assuming successful DNS resolution means a website is working.

DNS can return an address even when the destination service is unavailable.

Mistake 3: Changing several settings at once.

If the problem improves, you will not know which change mattered. Make one justified change at a time and test again.

Mistake 4: Copying commands without understanding their effects.

The commands in this guide primarily inspect or test the network. Other commands can release addresses, reset settings, or interrupt connectivity. Do not run unfamiliar commands just because they appear in a troubleshooting discussion.

Mistake 5: Publishing private network details.

Avoid sharing public IP addresses, internal network details, device identifiers, or full diagnostic output without considering what it reveals.

10. Practise With Your Own Connection

Choose a time when your connection is working normally and record the results of these tests:

• [ ] Run ipconfig and identify your active adapter.
• [ ] Record the local IP address and default gateway privately.
• [ ] Run ping against your gateway, if it responds to ICMP.
• [ ] Run nslookup example.com.
• [ ] Run tracert example.com.
• [ ] Open the same domain in your browser.
• [ ] Write down what each test demonstrates—and what it cannot prove.

Repeat the exercise if you experience a real connection problem. Comparing normal results with failure-time results can be more informative than relying on a single test.

You do not need to become a network engineer to use these tools. The important skill is learning to ask a precise question, select a suitable test, interpret the result cautiously, and decide what to investigate next.

Official References

• Microsoft Learn — ipconfig command reference
• Microsoft Support — Fix Ethernet connection problems in Windows
• Cloudflare — What is DNS?

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