What to Do When Your Internet Works but Certain Websites Do Not
If some sites load fine and others fail, the cause is more likely DNS, browser cache, or filtering settings than your internet connection itself.
Key Takeaways
- Test the same website on a different device before assuming it's a whole-network issue
- DNS problems are one of the most common causes of site-specific failures
- Router-level filtering or parental controls can silently block specific sites
- An incorrect system date and time can also cause certain secure sites to fail to load
This is a genuinely confusing problem for most people — if the internet were broken, surely nothing would load. But when some sites work and others consistently don't, the fault usually sits somewhere more specific than the connection itself.
Isolate the Problem First
Try loading the same website on a different device — a phone on mobile data, for example, rather than the WiFi-connected laptop having trouble. If it loads fine elsewhere, the issue is specific to that device or network, not the website itself or your ISP.
If it fails on every device connected to your home network but works on mobile data, the fault sits somewhere in your home network's configuration rather than with your ISP's broader connection.
Check DNS First
DNS is what translates a website address into the technical location your device needs to reach it. If your DNS settings — whether from your ISP or a custom configuration — are having trouble resolving certain sites, those specific sites will fail while others load normally.
Restarting your router often refreshes DNS temporarily, but if the problem persists, switching to a well-known alternative DNS service in your router or device settings frequently resolves it.
Clear your browser's cache and try the site in a private/incognito window. If it loads there, the problem was stored browser data, not your network.
Check for Filtering and Date Settings
Router-level parental controls or content filtering can silently block specific sites without any clear error message, especially if a filter was set up previously and forgotten. Check your router's parental control or filtering settings for anything that might apply.
Less commonly, an incorrect system date or time on your device can cause secure (HTTPS) sites to fail, since browsers check certificate validity against the current date. This is worth a quick check if the failing sites are all secure sites specifically.
- Test the site on a different device and network
- Clear browser cache and try a private/incognito window
- Restart the router or switch DNS settings
- Check for router-level filtering or an incorrect system date
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do some websites load and others don't on the same WiFi?+
This is most commonly a DNS issue, browser cache problem, or router-level filtering — not a broken internet connection. Testing the failing site on a different device or network helps isolate the cause.
Will restarting my router fix a website that won't load?+
It often helps, particularly if the issue is DNS-related, since a restart refreshes the router's DNS cache. If the problem persists after a restart, check browser cache and filtering settings next.
Can an incorrect date on my device cause websites to fail?+
Yes, for secure (HTTPS) sites specifically. Browsers verify a site's security certificate against your device's current date, and an incorrect date can cause otherwise-working secure sites to fail to load.
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