My computer shows internet status says ‘you’re connected to the internet’ yet my browsers will not bring up a web page

by | Aug 13, 2025 | Misc | 0 comments

AND I am remoted into the computer right now using windows desktop remote connection.

If your computer reports “you’re connected to the internet” but browsers won’t load web pages, yet you can use Windows Remote Desktop to remotely access it, this usually indicates a software or network configuration issue affecting only certain types of network traffic.

Here are targeted troubleshooting steps for your scenario:

What This Means

  • RDP works, browsers don’t: Your remote desktop session means network connectivity and the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP, port 3389/TCP) are working. But your browser’s inability to load websites while “connected to the internet” usually points to one of these issues:
    • DNS server misconfiguration—web page addresses are not converting to IPs.
    • Proxy server setting blocking or misrouted traffic.
    • Firewall or security software blocking HTTP/HTTPS ports.
    • Corrupt TCP/IP stack or network adapter issue.

Immediate Checks

  • DNS Problem: Since RDP uses direct IPs and browsers use DNS, a DNS issue could explain it. On the remote computer, open Command Prompt and run:textnslookup google.com If this times out or fails, your DNS is not working for web traffic, even though you’re “connected.”
  • Try a Direct IP Address: In your browser, type http://142.250.190.78 (Google’s main web server by IP). If this loads, DNS is the problem.
  • Proxy or VPN Settings: Check in Control Panel > Internet Options > Connections > LAN settings for any proxy server configured. Disable proxies unless you require them. Disconnect from any VPN that could route or block domestic web traffic.
  • Firewall/Security Software: Firewalls can block web traffic while permitting RDP.
    • Temporarily disable Windows Firewall and any installed antivirus/network security software, then retry browsers.
  • Network Adapter: Sometimes the network adapter shows “connected” but is misconfigured (especially if virtual adapters like “IBM USB Remote NDS Network” have been changed).

Deeper Troubleshooting

  • Flush DNS and Reset TCP/IP Stack:textipconfig /flushdns netsh int ip reset Reboot after running these.
  • Check for Dropped, Limited, or Conflicting Connections: If a virtual network adapter is active (like IBM/Lenovo management), try disabling it and use only your main Ethernet or WiFi connection.
  • Firewall Port Checks: Ensure HTTP (port 80) and HTTPS (port 443) are not blocked by Windows Defender Firewall. RDP’s success proves port 3389 is open, but browsers need 80/443.

If All Else Fails

  • Confirm you are not on a restricted guest, captive portal, or isolated VLAN network.
  • Try installing a different browser to see if problem persists.
  • Check Windows Event Viewer for network-related errors.

Your ability to use Remote Desktop confirms your system can communicate over the network, but something is interfering with normal browser activity—most often a DNS, proxy, or firewall misconfiguration. Start by testing DNS and disabling proxies/firewalls as above. If the problem persists after these steps, further diagnostics of network stack or adapter configuration are needed.

Doing the ping…

>nslookup google.com
Server: OpenWrt.lan
Address: 192.168.1.1
Non-authoritative answer:
Name: google.com
Addresses: 2607:f8b0:4004:c23::71
2607:f8b0:4004:c23::66
2607:f8b0:4004:c23::8b
2607:f8b0:4004:c23::65
172.253.115.139
172.253.115.113
172.253.115.100
172.253.115.101
172.253.115.102
172.253.115.138

Your nslookup result shows that the DNS resolution is working correctly through your OpenWRT router (192.168.1.1), as it returns multiple IPv4 and IPv6 addresses for google.com. This means the DNS server on your network is responding properly to queries.

Given this, the issue with browsers not loading web pages despite saying “connected to the internet” and being able to use Remote Desktop is not a DNS resolution failure.

Next steps to troubleshoot the browser loading problem:

  • Try accessing a website directly via its IP address in your browser (e.g., http://172.253.115.100) to confirm if DNS is truly the cause or if the problem lies beyond name resolution.
  • Check proxy settings in your browser or system: Ensure no proxy is set unless explicitly required.
  • Verify firewall or security software settings on your computer that might block HTTP/HTTPS traffic (ports 80 and 443).
  • Try disabling the “IBM USB Remote NDS Network” adapter you mentioned earlier temporarily to rule out it interfering with normal network traffic.
  • Reset the TCP/IP stack and clear DNS cache with these commands, then reboot:textipconfig /flushdns netsh int ip reset

The DNS server (OpenWRT) itself is not the root cause based on your nslookup test. Focus next on local machine network settings, security software, or proxy configurations.

Then, like magic, the internet web browser was working!

After the ping, everything was working again!

That’s actually a great clue — if simply running a ping (or the earlier nslookup) suddenly made your browsers able to load web pages, it points toward a temporary network stack or routing table glitch on your machine rather than a persistent DNS/server problem.

Here’s why that can happen:

  • ARP / Neighbor Table Refresh:
    Sometimes Windows temporarily “forgets” how to reach the gateway or certain destinations until some network activity (like ping) forces it to rebuild ARP or neighbor cache entries.
  • IPv6 vs IPv4 Path Issue:
    Your nslookup showed both IPv6 and IPv4 addresses. If your browser was trying IPv6 first and hitting a bad route, then pinging might have forced it to update its preferred path or cache working IPv4 information.
  • Firewall or Security Software Glitch:
    Security software that inspects traffic can sometimes get “stuck” and block new sessions. Manually generating traffic (like ping) can reset the inspection state.
  • TCP/IP Stack Reset-on-Use:
    Low-level quirks in Windows’ networking stack mean that trying a different protocol (ICMP via ping) can trigger internal resets and refresh network bindings.

What You Can Do to Prevent It Happening Again

  1. Flush and Reset Networking (to clear any stale entries):textipconfig /flushdns netsh int ip reset netsh winsock reset Then reboot.
  2. Disable Unused Adapters like the IBM USB Remote NDS Network so Windows uses only the correct primary adapter.
  3. Check Gateway & DNS Settings:
    • Ensure your gateway points to your router (192.168.1.1 in your case).
    • Avoid having multiple active network interfaces unless you need them.
  4. Update Network Drivers for your main Ethernet/Wi-Fi adapter.
  5. Monitor if IPv6 Causes Issues – Temporarily disabling IPv6 can help if your ISP/router setup isn’t handling IPv6 well.

If this becomes a recurring problem, it might be due to:

  • A driver bug in your network adapter.
  • IPv6 misrouting from your router.
  • A weird interaction with the virtual IBM/Lenovo management network interface we talked about earlier.