Windows 8 has a lot of differences compared to all other versions of Windows, so users always have a lot of questions about it.
Even at first glance, such a simple task as connecting and setting up Wi-Fi on a laptop with an operating system Windows system 8, is often accompanied by numerous difficulties. Below is detailed instructions with a description of specific actions, how to turn on WiFi, correctly connect to the selected WiFi networks on the laptop and configure the connection correctly.
Preliminary actions
To prepare a Wi-Fi connection on a Windows 8 laptop, you need to take several sequential steps:
- Activate the wireless device built into the computer (methods for turning on this adapter are given in these instructions below);
- After that, click on the Wi-Fi icon in the right corner of the taskbar;
- Next, from the list that appears, indicate required connection over the network;
- Click the “Connect” button.
- In the next window that appears, type the code and check the “Connect automatically” checkbox.
- Ready! Next time you start laptop WiFi will be included in automatic mode to provide access to the global network.
Unfortunately, following the above points does not always lead to the desired result.
Often the adapter WiFi Windows it simply doesn’t see and therefore the wireless network is not displayed, or the “Restricted” message appears after connecting (this is the most common problem for G8 users).
Connection procedure
In the case when the laptop has a working and turned on Wi-Fi adapter and software installed to it, then the connection icon should be displayed as shown in the figure below:
Seeing such an indicator in the system tray, we can conclude that the computer is able and ready to connect to a wireless network. If you click on it, a list of WiFi will appear, from which you should select one and “Connect”, as described in the previous section of this instruction.
If the computer is configured and all parameters are entered correctly, an icon will appear indicating the signal level of the received Wi-Fi.
Ready! The connection to the World Wide Web has been established.
What if the system can't detect Wi-Fi?
Most often, on a PC with Windows 8, the tray icon indicates that all networks are missing, as if they simply do not exist.
This happens due to the following:
- The device that provides connection to Wi-Fi is turned off (this is the most common problem);
- There is no corresponding software for wireless equipment (you need to search and install drivers);
- A device that provides connection to Wi-Fi is not included in the PC equipment (you need to purchase a device, for example, an external connection type via a USB port - “TP-LINK TL-WN721N”);
- The device that provides connection to Wi-Fi is out of order or there are malfunctions in the OS, infection with malicious software, etc.
If the WiFi adapter breaks down or if the PC is simply not equipped with it, then, as stated above, you will need to purchase and install it. In case of problems with the software, you will need to search for and install them, and in order to first make sure that the drivers are available, you must perform the following steps:
Sometimes the adapter is simply not activated and needs to be enabled. To do this, you need to perform the following sequential actions:
- In accordance with the previous instructions, launch the “Network and Sharing Center” shared access»;
- Click “Change adapter settings.” When the status is “Disabled” in context menu Click on the “Enable” line.
Some laptop models have a mechanical device switch on one of the side panels, so it is recommended to carefully inspect your PC for its presence and if it is set to the “Disabled” position, then switch it to the “On” mode. Also, some laptop manufacturers provide for turning on the adapter using buttons on the keyboard, for example, you need to hold down the “Fn” button and click on the button with the WiFi pattern (these combinations are written in the PC instruction manual, since they are different for each laptop model ).
Using wireless networks has already become a habit, but where convenience meets new technologies, various problems can still arise. It is for this reason that today we decided to take a closer look at what to do if Windows 8 does not connect to Wi-Fi.
In the article below, we will consider in as much detail as possible possible diagnostics and ways to eliminate such an unpleasant problem, but the first thing you should understand is that it, in fact, can be both on the side of your computer and on the side of the router.
Where to start
Don't forget to carefully check the password that you, as always, enter when connecting - perhaps you have the wrong language or Tab is enabled. You can check what you enter by clicking on special character next to the password - then you will see it not in the form of asterisks, but in the form of symbols.
Checking your computer
Sometimes diagnostics can help: turn it on by pressing right click by the Wi-Fi network icon and finding the corresponding item there. Then just follow the prompts.
After this, you just need to take and reboot both the laptop/PC and the distribution point - the logic is that during loading there could be a failure and drivers were not turned on correctly. By typing “Wi-Fi doesn’t work on Windows 8” into the search, users are preparing for a huge number of different recovery manipulations normal operation, but, as a rule, it is this simple method that often solves most problems.
Checking the adapter
Next, we check whether the adapter is turned on on the computer at all. You should see an icon that shows available networks; if it is missing, then you should try clicking on the special button turn on Wi-Fi- usually it has a special designation and, in some cases, even an indicator. In some models, activation occurs using a combination of the adapter power button and an additional button.
Inside we already have the “Device Manager” parameter waiting for us, which you will find on the left.
In the provided device tree we find “ Network adapters", open it. Having found the one marked Wi-Fi, right-click and select “Delete”.
Now click just above “Update hardware configuration” and wait until the device is found. After this, it’s a good idea to update the driver manually again.
Of course, there are rare cases when after all these steps nothing works - either the adapter has failed, or the system needs to be reinstalled.
These, in fact, are all the steps that should be taken if the laptop does not connect to Wi-Fi on Windows 8. Now we will move on to analyzing possible options for dealing with the router.
Understanding the router
However, there are rare cases when it’s not just the computer. As you can see for yourself, there are more than enough problems due to which Wi-Fi does not connect on a Windows 8 laptop, and problems on the side of the distribution point are one of them.
Check whether the power supply device periodically comes off, and whether the provider cable is seated well in the socket (remember the case with the yellow exclamation mark?).
If you have not changed the settings and the router is protected by a password and normal encryption, then most likely it has either failed or the firmware has crashed. Both the first and second cases are sometimes difficult to detect, since if there are problems with the firmware, the device settings may even be available, but it will not work correctly.
First of all, try resetting everything to factory settings by simply holding down a separate key on the router or the power button, and then try again - if you fail here, then move on to flashing the firmware. It is produced according to the instructions that you will find on the manufacturer’s website, and there you need to download new version firmware.
Here is a complete list of actions that you will have to take if Wi-Fi does not work on Windows 8.
How to easily set up Wi-Fi on a Windows 8 laptop: Video
I work as a private computer technician. I have been repairing computers professionally for over 12 years, as an amateur since the 90s.
Worked as a manager for two years service center, specializing in connecting subscribers to the Internet and computer assistance.
Currently, the expression “a computer is a network, a network is a computer,” which was controversial 10-15 years ago, is perceived as an axiom. Computers and other devices at home and at work are connected to the network, and many people can no longer imagine their lives without the Internet. And if suddenly some kind of failure occurs and access to the World Wide Web is terminated, this is perceived extremely negatively. It also happens that everything is fine with the equipment, but for the life of me a laptop or computer running Windows cannot see Wi-Fi network. What could be the reasons for this problem and how to solve it, we will discuss in this article.
Causes and solutions
So, suppose we are on a business trip, upon arrival we receive new laptop With installed Windows 8 and trying to connect to Wi-Fi, but the OS cannot find the network. On the list available connections empty. There may be several reasons for this, and they are divided into hardware and software. With hardware, everything is quite simple - it is very likely that the Wi-Fi adapter on the laptop is broken. It is impossible to replace it yourself, so if you don’t have time to go to a service center, you will have to connect to the network with a cable the old fashioned way or use another computer. Of course, problems with the router are also possible, but if for other users the wireless network works flawlessly, and even your smartphone sees it perfectly, then it has nothing to do with the laptop.
Among the software reasons that the computer does not find the network, there are several most likely ones:
- You must use the wireless adapter on your laptop.
- WiFi controller disabled on Windows.
- Drivers are not installed or are not suitable.
1.BIOS.
In the first case, there is a chance that the wireless device is disabled through the BIOS. You can get there by pressing the F2, F10, Del key - the specific value also depends on the brand of the laptop computer. Next we find a section whose name contains the word Configuration, Advanced, System devices or something like that, the main thing is that it contains information about the built-in devices. We check whether the value Off or Disabled is opposite wireless adapter, designated as Wlan device, Wireless, Wi-Fi controller and so on. 
2. Power button on a laptop.
If everything is fine in the BIOS, but the problem has not disappeared, pay attention to the laptop body, most often the power button wireless network looks like a switch and is combined with an indicator: 
3. Keyboard power buttons.
It may happen that there is no hardware button, but this does not create a problem - you should study the keyboard, among function keys There is one that, when pressed together with the Fn key, turns on Wi-Fi. It is indicated by a special icon. Let's illustrate what it might look like different manufacturers laptops: 
In the second case, if the Wi-Fi controller is disabled, you should check two different Windows settings 8.
4. Turn on the Wi-Fi adapter.
The adapter itself may be turned off, to check, go to “Control Panel” - “Network and Sharing Center” - “Change adapter settings” and if we see that the wireless connection is gray and its status is “Disabled”, it remains simple turn it on. 
5. Checking whether Wi-Fi is enabled in Windows 8 software.
You need to make sure that Wi-Fi is not disabled in the right pop-up Windows panels. Move the mouse cursor to the upper or lower right corner of the monitor and go to the “ Wireless mode" We turn on the adapter, but if it is disabled only for the “Airplane” mode, we check whether it is involved in this moment.
6. Wi-Fi check drivers. Finally, if the previous options did not have an effect, you will have to tinker with the driver. If the one included with Windows 8 is installed, this may be the cause of the problem; it is always better to use the program from the manufacturer. Open the device manager by going to “Control Panel” - “System” or by pressing Win + R on the keyboard and entering command line text devmgmt.msc. Find the Wi-Fi controller (the name will contain the word “Wireless” or “Wi-Fi”). When the device icon looks like a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark, there is a problem with the driver and it needs to be reinstalled.
If, at first glance, everything is fine, you should make sure that the appropriate software is installed for the adapter. By right-clicking on its name, we will open the properties window, then go to the Driver tab and see information about the supplier and release date of the program. 
If Microsoft is listed there and two or three years have passed since the driver was released, you should definitely go to the official website of the laptop manufacturer, download and install latest version. It is possible that a different version of Windows was installed on the computer and the driver supplied with it is not suitable for this hardware.
Although it seems that connecting to the wireless Internet on Windows 8, just like on its predecessors, should not be accompanied by any difficulties, in practice anything can happen: either there is no corresponding adapter, or there is no required access point in the control panel, or after connection, the status is “Restricted”, etc. Therefore, in this article we will look at how to enable a wireless network on Windows 8, and also briefly describe some possible mistakes, problems and various other nuances.
Connecting to Wi-Fi in Windows 8: Ideally
First of all, let's look at the process of connecting to the Internet from a laptop running Windows 8 - the most common case in practice. That is, everything is fine with the corresponding module on the PC, it is available, the software for it is installed, Wi-Fi is turned on. In this case, the connection status will be in the form of division gray with an asterisk, which indicates that the laptop sees available Wi-Fi points.
After clicking on this icon, a list of networks that the PC has found will open. Select the one you need and connect (if protected, enter the password).
If everything went well, the connection status will appear as a simple green icon with the signal strength.
Otherwise, you will need to connect to the desired Internet access point manually. To do this, you will need to follow the path “Control Panel” - “Network and Internet” - “Network and Sharing Center” - “Creating and setting up a new connection or network” - “Connecting to a wireless network manually.” Having specified all the information requested below, you can create a wireless network on Windows 8, which you can then connect to.
Checking wireless connection status and running diagnostics: Video
Connection problems
The most common problem is that there are no available points or nothing is said about their availability at all. In such cases, the connection status will appear as a stationary monitor with a red cross.
The cause of this problem may be the following:
- the device is not equipped with Wi-Fi;
- no driver for Wi-Fi;
- The connection is simply disconnected, which happens quite often.
You should also not rule out a possible breakdown of the same board, any system failures, virus attacks, etc. .
Windows 8 won't connect to Wi-Fi: Video
Solution
If you don't have an adapter, you just need to buy one and connect it to your computer.
If there is no driver for Wi-Fi, just install it. True, it is worth saying that this is extremely rare, since the “eight” automatically selects it and installs it. You can check whether the software for this Internet card is installed on your PC by right-clicking on the Internet connection icon and selecting “Network and Sharing Center” - “Change adapter settings.” If there is no “Wireless network” in the window that opens, it means the driver has not been installed.
It may also happen that this adapter is simply disabled. Connect to world wide web in this case, you can turn it on and carry out the above-described sequence of actions to check the new state.
In previous Windows versions a certain key combination was provided, by pressing which it is possible to connect to wireless Internet. There is such a function in the “eight”, but it is important to note that here this will lead not only to connecting the device to the network, but also to its transition to “Airplane” mode. 
Windows 8 does not see Wi-Fi network: Video
The article shows ways to connect to a wireless WLAN on Windows 8
Navigation
This article will tell you about how to connect to your point Wi-Fi access on Windows 8, and how to set it up.
If we talk about whether there are differences in the processes when connecting to any access point on Windows 7 and Windows 8, then we can confidently say that there are no. After all, as many users of the Windows operating system have probably noticed, the difference between the seven and eight is only in changing the start, adding and supporting DirectX 11, as well as some parameters that are related to style.
But no matter how, it doesn’t work without this, many users still have problems out of the blue, as they say. Possible reason which may be a non-working adapter due to the lack of the necessary driver package, and hence the conclusion that Wi-Fi will not work. But the most painful problem with Windows 8 is the familiar “Restricted” wireless network status.
How to connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot on Windows 8?
Let's consider the option when everything is installed correctly on your computer, and now we are talking about drivers for the wireless network module.
If all this is done and the drivers are installed, the connection status will look like this. It is necessary to have the so-called "snowflakes"
What does the so-called "snowflake"?
It just means that your computer/laptop currently has the ability to connect to one of the access points, that is, it sees and picks up their signals.
- Click on the snowflake icon and you will see a list available networks to connect. Select your access point, and then click "Connect", now you need to enter a security password, which is to prevent unauthorized people from entering the network, and now click "Further"
- If you are asked to share your network, reject it, as activating sharing will infiltrate your network.
- After successfully connecting to your access point, you will see that the connection status has turned active white, and at some points the connection signal decreases
Well, now you are a full user of your Internet!
For what reasons may WiFi not work on Windows 8?
Well, let's now look at the reasons why you may not be able to connect to your access point.
Most A pressing problem when connecting to any access point is a notification that it is impossible to connect to this network.
Or the problem will be related to the fact that wireless networks will not be reflected at all, and the Internet connections icon on the taskbar will be displayed with a red cross, like below.
What could be causing the red cross in the taskbar?
- If you installed a Wi-Fi adapter on your processor, then it means does not work. The same answer can be given to a laptop that cannot find an access point
- No necessary drivers, which are designed to work correctly Wi-Fi adapter a, that is, a computer or laptop does not disassemble and does not recognize the Wi-Fi adapter unless the appropriate drivers are installed on it
- Activity switch button Wi-Fi work may simply be turned off by accident when you touch e.g.
- If you really haven’t installed a driver to use a wireless network, then you need to install it urgently. After all, if not today, then tomorrow the wireless network on your laptop should work
How to find out if the driver for the Wi-Fi adapter is installed?
- To do this you just need to go to "Control Panel" and click on the tab "Network and Sharing Center", where you need to click on "Change adapter settings"
- If in the tab "Network adapters", no adapter WLAN-related, then this only means that you have not downloaded and installed the drivers for the Wi-Fi adapter
- Turning on and off the wireless network, that is, the adapter, occurs using a switch button, which is usually very hidden and is located on the sides of your laptop
- IN operating system Windows 8 has a feature like "In airplane", so, its inclusion will be characterized by the absence of a possible connection to any access point
- To turn it off, you need to click on this airplane icon and set the switch to "Disable"
- Another, no less important problem is the incorrect entry of the security key.
- IN in this case you need to make sure what keyboard layout you have, Turned off whether CAPS LOCK, lit Is there a light button Num Lock
- Limited network, or Exclamation point next to the connection status in the notification panel. This is probably also a less common problem.
This is where we will end today this article. In this article we examined in detail the method of connecting to wireless point Wi-Fi access on a computer/laptop. So know that if you follow our advice, you will get what you came to us for.
Video: How to enable Wi-Fi network on a Windows 8 laptop?