Predator PHN16-71 Windows 11 will not connect to any internet

Shaye Benier 0 Reputation points
2026-08-27T02:42:28.5966667+00:00

Hello! The above laptop will not connect to any internet at ALL. We've tried flushing the dns, resseting the ip, downloading/reinstalling/updating everything we could find; ran every cmd prompt and it still wont work. Was legit using this laptop yesterday on a hotspot and it worked perfect. My partners laptop is working perfect on the same hotspot, we live in a rural area so we dont really have internet, just hotspot connections but we've had zero issues in over 6 months.

Every time we do a system troubleshoot check it tells us the connection is secure and working find but legit everything refuses to load. A 'Media disconnected' line is still appearing in the cmd and we've tried everything to fix it. When flushing the dns/resetting ip, it came up with something was still disabled but we couldnt find anything further than that.

Any recommendations would be so appreciated. Thank you 🙏

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Devices and drivers
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  1. Clary-N 15,095 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-08-27T07:38:19.68+00:00

    Hi Shaye Benier,

    Have you had a chance to try the suggestions in the AI Answer, particularly Network reset? If so, please let me know how it went and whether anything changed.

    If the issue continues, the next step is to check whether the laptop is receiving a valid network configuration and where the connection is failing.

    While connected to the hotspot:

    1. Open Command Prompt.
    2. Run the following commands one at a time: 
         ping 8.8.8.8
   ping microsoft.com

    Please let me know only whether each test shows replies or times out:

    • If 8.8.8.8 responds but microsoft.com does not, the issue likely involves name resolution.
    • If both tests time out, the connection may be blocked or the laptop may not be receiving usable network access from the hotspot.

    Also check Settings > Network & internet > Proxy and make sure Use a proxy server is turned off unless you intentionally use one. Temporarily disconnect any VPN and disable any third-party antivirus web protection or firewall, then test again.

    Since the connection worked the previous day, please also press Windows + R, enter winver and share the Windows version and OS build. Check Settings > Windows Update > Update history as well to see whether a Windows or driver update was installed shortly before the issue began.

    Please share only whether each ping test received a reply or timed out, along with the Windows version and OS build. There is no need to post the full command output or any network or device details.

    Let me know how it goes and I will help narrow down the next step.

    If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".  

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  2. AI answer

    2026-08-27T02:42:50.3133333+00:00

    Since DNS flush/IP reset and driver reinstall were already tried, the next supported path is to isolate whether the failure is the adapter, Windows networking stack, or the hotspot path.

    1. Check whether Wi‑Fi works at all by testing a different connection source.
      • Connect the laptop to the same hotspot again and, if possible, also test another network source.
      • If another device works on the same hotspot but this laptop does not, the problem is likely on this PC.
    2. Try Wi‑Fi as the isolation step if Ethernet is being shown incorrectly.
      • If Windows appears to assume Ethernet, try connecting directly through the Wi‑Fi list and confirm whether any wireless networks appear.
      • If Wi‑Fi works, that helps narrow the issue away from general internet access and toward the Ethernet/network configuration state.
    3. Re-run the supported network command reset sequence in this exact order from an elevated Command Prompt.
      • Open Search > type Command prompt > Run as administrator > Yes.
      • Run:
        • netsh winsock reset
        • netsh int ip reset
        • ipconfig /release
        • ipconfig /renew
        • ipconfig /flushdns
      • Then test connectivity again.
    4. Uninstall the network adapter in Device Manager and restart.
      • This is recommended when the connection stopped working suddenly and previous steps did not help.
      • Before uninstalling, make sure a backup driver is available from the PC manufacturer in case Windows does not restore it automatically.
      • Steps:
        • Open Device Manager.
        • Expand Network adapters.
        • Find the Ethernet or wireless adapter in use.
        • Right-click it > Uninstall device > check Attempt to remove the driver for this device > Uninstall.
        • Restart the PC.
      • After restart, Windows should reinstall the adapter driver automatically.
    5. Use Network reset as the last step.
      • Risk: this removes all installed network adapters and resets their settings to default.
      • It can also require reinstalling VPN software or virtual networking software afterward, and known networks may be set to Public.
      • In Windows 11:
        • Start > Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Network reset
        • Select Reset now > Yes
        • Restart and test again
    6. If available, test the same network on another Windows PC.
      • If another PC connects successfully, the issue is likely this laptop.
      • If neither PC connects, the issue may be with the hotspot/router path or adapter.

    The most relevant next step here is Network reset, because the command-line resets and reinstall/update attempts were already done.

    References:

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