Cannot connect to internet, persistent "no internet, secured" message.

Question

Cannot connect to internet, persistent "no internet, secured" message.

Blaize 20

HP envy 17 cw-1xxx. problem started immediately before moving out of my college dorm. the laptop refused to connect to the university's wifi as well as several other home networks since then. as a result, I strongly believe it is not an error with the network. I have tried everything on the windows support "fix wifi connection issues" page, as well as several pieces of advice from third parties (YouTube, other windows support questions) and none of it has helped. this includes uninstalling and reinstalling WiFi drivers, network reset, a plethora of cmd commands, and more. ant advice would be greatly appreciated. I don't really know what to do at this point.

I frequently get the "can't reach dns server" message when I run the troubleshooter.

thank you.

0 comments

Answer accepted by question author

John Jefferson Doyon 87,515 Independent Advisor

Thanks for providing those details.

Based on the results, your laptop is obtaining a valid IP address from the router, but Windows is unable to route traffic beyond the local machine. Since this occurs on multiple networks and you've already tried the common network repairs, I'm leaning toward a corruption in the Windows networking stack or interference from a network filter driver.

Since you have Proton VPN installed, even if it is not currently active, I would try completely uninstalling Proton VPN, restarting the PC, and then testing the connection again.

If the problem persists, could you create a new local user account and test the connection from there? This helps determine whether the issue is limited to your current Windows profile or affects the entire system.

If the same behavior occurs in the new profile, I would then consider an in-place repair upgrade of Windows, since you've already completed many of the standard network troubleshooting steps.

Blaize 20 Reputation points

2026-06-06T18:58:36.15+00:00

hey john,

uninstalling proton worked! I feel like I should have tried this sooner, but I'm glad I got it. do you think it's fine to reinstall it so that I can continue using it, or can I continue using it as a vpn?
John Jefferson Doyon 87,515 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-06-06T19:02:30.2666667+00:00

Glad to assist!

Yes, you can try reinstalling Proton VPN and test it again. If the issue returns after reinstalling, then Proton VPN or one of its network drivers is likely the cause.

I would install the latest version and see how it behaves. If the problem comes back, I'd recommend contacting Proton VPN support for further assistance.
Blaize 20 Reputation points

2026-06-06T19:23:24.28+00:00

thank you so much

2 additional answers

Your answer

Blaize 20 Reputation points

2026-06-06T18:58:36.15+00:00

hey john,

uninstalling proton worked! I feel like I should have tried this sooner, but I'm glad I got it. do you think it's fine to reinstall it so that I can continue using it, or can I continue using it as a vpn?
John Jefferson Doyon 87,515 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-06-06T19:02:30.2666667+00:00

Glad to assist!

Yes, you can try reinstalling Proton VPN and test it again. If the issue returns after reinstalling, then Proton VPN or one of its network drivers is likely the cause.

I would install the latest version and see how it behaves. If the problem comes back, I'd recommend contacting Proton VPN support for further assistance.
Blaize 20 Reputation points

2026-06-06T19:23:24.28+00:00

thank you so much

Answer 1

Rayyan Fawad 1,075

That is an absolute nightmare, Blaize, but that "Can't reach DNS server" flag gives away the exact hidden culprit. Because this started right as you moved out of your college dorm, your laptop is simply stuck holding onto a rigid, static IP configuration or a campus security rule that is completely blocking your home router's traffic. Since standard driver uninstalls didn't shake it loose, you just need to force the network stack to completely forget its old university layout.

To fix this right away, right-click your Start button, open Terminal (Admin), and run netsh winsock reset, netsh int ip reset, and ipconfig /flushdns to strip away those frozen dorm routing tables before restarting your PC. If you're still stuck on "No Internet" after the reboot, press Windows Key + R, type ncpa.cpl, and open your Wi-Fi Properties. Double-click Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) and manually switch your DNS settings to stable, global servers by setting the Preferred DNS to 8.8.8.8 and Alternate to 8.8.4.4. This will instantly bypass any lingering campus network locks and get you back online at home!

Blaize 20 Reputation points

2026-06-05T19:59:28.1933333+00:00

I already tried these. tried them again to no avail. thanks for the response.
Rayyan Fawad 1,075 Reputation points

2026-06-05T20:04:43.9+00:00

Ugh, that is incredibly stubborn, Blaize! If those deeper commands didn't work, your laptop is likely hoarding a hidden campus Group Policy or a legacy security filter driver that is actively gatekeeping your traffic.

To break this final lock, press Windows Key + R, type ncpa.cpl, and open your Wi-Fi Properties. Look closely through that itemized connection checklist; if you spot any old campus VPN components, a network optimizer, or a residual antivirus filter (like McAfee NDIS), highlight it and click Uninstall. If it's clean, right-click your Start button, open Terminal (Admin), and run gpupdate /force to aggressively overwrite any lingering university domain restrictions. Finally, check Device Manager, right-click your Wi-Fi adapter under Network adapters, and in its Properties, look for a Power Management tab to uncheck "Allow the computer to turn off this device." Forcing the card out of its bugged low-power dorm state and clearing those ghost filters should finally get you back online!
Blaize 20 Reputation points

2026-06-05T20:22:17.6566667+00:00

these didn't work either. should I look into invoking my device's warranty? it might also be worth noting that the problem started AT the university, not as soon as I left, and I've used my laptop after leaving the school before without problems.

Answer 2

John Jefferson Doyon 87,515 Independent Advisor

Hi, I'm John!

Since you've already tried a network reset, driver reinstalls, and other common fixes, I'd like to better understand whether this could be related to a university-managed configuration or another network setting that remained on the PC after leaving campus.

Is this your personal laptop, or is it owned/managed by your school?
Did your university require any VPN, security software, certificates, or special network setup to connect to campus Wi-Fi?
Does the same issue occur when connecting to a mobile hotspot from your phone?
What Windows build are you running? Press Windows key + R, type winver and share a screenshot.

Blaize 20 Reputation points

2026-06-05T20:32:44.75+00:00
this is a personal laptop

the university uses the service eduroam to administer wifi. I had to download a software I think called secureW2 but that's just for the signing-in process I think.

I cannot connect to the hotspot either

image attached below
John Jefferson Doyon 87,515 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-06-05T20:42:22.5533333+00:00
Thanks for the update.

Since the issue also occurs on a phone hotspot, I'd like to focus on the network configuration itself.

Could you open Command Prompt and run: ipconfig /all

Then post a screenshot of the Wi-Fi adapter section.

Also, is SecureW2 still installed on the PC?

Under Settings > Network & Internet > Proxy, are any proxy settings enabled?

The reason I'm asking is that the issue began around the time you were using eduroam, and I'd like to rule out a leftover DNS, proxy, or network configuration before suggesting more extensive troubleshooting.
Blaize 20 Reputation points

2026-06-05T20:52:14.07+00:00

I can't find securew2 anywhere, I'm pretty confident I deleted it after getting online.

all proxy is off.
Blaize 20 Reputation points

2026-06-05T20:53:05.46+00:00

here's the image of ipconfig info
John Jefferson Doyon 87,515 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-06-05T21:17:33.85+00:00
Thanks for the screenshot.

The issue is that the output was captured while the Wi-Fi adapter was disconnected, so I can't see the IP address, gateway, or DNS server information.

A couple of things stand out:

I see multiple Wi-Fi adapters listed (Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi 3, and Wi-Fi 5) using the same Intel Wi-Fi 7 adapter.

Since SecureW2 was previously installed, I'm curious whether any virtual adapters or network filters were left behind.

Could you connect to either your home Wi-Fi or your phone hotspot (even if it shows "No internet, secured"), then run: ipconfig /all again and post a new screenshot?

Also, when you try to connect to Wi-Fi, does it actually show Connected, secured and then No internet, or does it fail to connect to the network entirely?
Blaize 20 Reputation points

2026-06-05T21:45:51.5466667+00:00

here's another pic. it doesn't connect at all. it "tries" for 15-30 seconds or so, before the status changes from "checking network requirements" to "no internet, secured".
John Jefferson Doyon 87,515 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-06-05T22:31:26.94+00:00
Thanks for the screenshot.

This shows that the Wi-Fi adapter is successfully receiving an IP address, gateway, and DNS servers from the network, so the adapter is communicating with the router.

A few more questions:

Open Command Prompt and run:

ping 8.8.8.8 and ping google.com

Then post the results.

Do you have any third-party antivirus, firewall, VPN, network filter, or security software installed besides Windows Security?

Could you post a screenshot of Device Manager > Network adapters?

Since this started around the time you were using eduroam/SecureW2, I'm wondering if a network filter, protocol, or driver component is still attached to the adapter even though SecureW2 itself was removed.

Also, when you open a browser while connected, do websites fail to load completely, or do some sites work while others do not?
Blaize 20 Reputation points

2026-06-06T02:13:49.28+00:00

I have proton vpn but it's not active at the moment and it has not caused problems in the past. to be clear, this didn't start when I started using eduroam, it started immediately before I stopped using it. at previous times, I've used eduroam, then come home without problems, and this started while I was at school connected to eduroam, after several semesters without this issue. trying to connect to websites leads me to universal connection errors, no redirects to my provider or schools website (like would happen when I would try to use the internet without logging into eduroam).