A wireless Internet connection has many advantages, but there is often a situation when the laptop does not see the Wi-Fi network. To begin troubleshooting the problem, you first need to understand what exactly is going on. Sometimes the laptop “refuses” to see a specific connection point, in other cases the device cannot connect to any wireless network.
Why doesn't my laptop see the network?
The most common situation is when the laptop does not find any point at all Wi-Fi access. In this case, the following conditions are met:
- The home Wi-Fi router is working fine and connection to the access point is allowed
- have you tested the laptop in other places where there is wireless Internet, for example, in a cafe
- phone, tablet or other devices connect to Wi-Fi normally
To understand why this is happening and to deal with the problem, you must first try to manually turn on the network adapter. Depending on the operating system, this is done in the following ways.
For Windows 7 the sequence looks like this:
- You need to go to the Control Panel and select Network and Sharing Center, and in it - Change adapter settings.
- If the wireless network icon is inactive, you need to right-click on it and turn it on.
If you have windows computer 8, then the activity check is done through the PC Settings section, which is located in the Control Panel. In it you need to select the Wireless connection item and move the slider to the “Enabled” position.
In Windows XP, the adapter usually does not need to be enabled manually. If this is still necessary, then this is done in the same way as in Windows 7 or through the icon on the taskbar.
The same can be done through Device Manager - Network adapters.
Whatever the operating system, if a yellow triangle with an exclamation mark glows next to the adapter icon, this means that either the adapter is not active, or the driver of the wrong version is installed for it. If the device does not show a connection due to the driver, then you should download the correct version that is suitable for your laptop.
The network is disabled by hardware
Network access can be disabled on the laptop itself using a keyboard shortcut or a special switch on the case. How to make the device connect to the Internet? You must press the same combination again.
For different models On laptops, this action is performed using various key combinations: “FN+F2”, “FN+F12”, “FN+F3”, “FN+F9”. These combinations help you turn off the network, for example, before a flight - this option is called “On the plane” and is available on all modern mobile devices.
No network after cleaning
Also, sometimes you may find that the laptop has stopped seeing the Internet after cleaning the dust from inside. If this happens, then you probably accidentally turned off the wireless module or disconnected the wires somewhere during the cleaning process. In this case, the laptop does not even search for the network. To fix the problem, you will need to reconnect the adapter, and if this does not help, replace it with a new one.
All devices except the laptop see Wi-Fi
Now let's consider another case, namely, when there is one point wifi access, which is seen by the phone, netbook and other devices, but the laptop does not catch it. In such a situation, the sequence of actions looks like this:
- First try changing the encryption method by going to your wifi security settings
- Try setting different values in the “Channel” item, perhaps after this the computer will connect to the network
- You can also give the network a new name, avoiding overly complex symbol combinations.
Another common reason that a device ignores a certain network or does not see access points at all, including on Windows 10, may be the presence of virus software in the system. In this case, you need to scan your PC for viruses and remove them.
Problems with the router
The “culprit” for the fact that the PC does not find the network may be the wifi router itself. What to do in this case?
- First, you should find out if your router has the latest firmware installed. If it's already out a new version, then, accordingly, it needs to be installed on the device.
- A more radical option is to reset your home Wi-Fi router to factory settings and configure the device again
- Sometimes you have to act more cunningly. More than one is installed first old version firmware, then all network parameters are configured, after which the firmware is updated.
Whatever problem causes the laptop to not see the wireless network, it can be solved using any of the methods listed above. First, in any case, it is worth installing the latest drivers and checking whether the wifi module is functioning normally.
Video - what to do in such a situation?
To prevent such problems from returning in the future, it is worth periodically installing the latest versions of software on your laptop or netbook. This can be done either manually or using special programs.
We will explain why the laptop does not see Wi-Fi and how to solve the problem in the article, since no one is immune from faults in the wireless connection to the Internet. The WiFi connection may not be functional for a number of reasons. And it is not necessary that these reasons will be somehow related to each other.
Content:
Check why the laptop does not see Wi-Fi networks, you can simply. To do this, we first check the access point or router, as well as the laptop itself, for functionality. It is important to know which device is causing the problem.
Let's start with the router. A fairly common cause of malfunction is the banal “freezing” of the equipment. The first sign of this is an atypical indication, that is, the LEDs on the router blink in an unusual mode. To correct the situation, restart the device or unplug it, wait a couple of minutes, and then turn it on again. If it's a minor internal glitch, restarting solves the problem. The laptop, in turn, will quickly pick up the signal.
Voltage fluctuations can cause parameters to be reset. The router stops transmitting the signal. In some cases, the Internet connection also gets lost. If this happens, the settings must be entered again using the device’s web interface. Addresses to enter: 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1. The choice will depend on the router model. You can access the interface from any browser. If after this the connection works, then everything is fine with the device.
Helpful advice: The cause of router inoperability is often an involuntary reset of the router to initial settings. To set up the configuration again, it is better to use the services of specialists from the provider company.
If each method of checking the router does not bring results, you need to check why the laptop does not see Wi-Fi. First of all, we check the activity of the network equipment. Most modern laptop models have LEDs on their bodies. We will be interested in the one marked with an antenna icon or directly with the inscription “Wi-Fi”. If the diode is lit, then the built-in adapter is functioning. Otherwise, the adapter must be started. Press the “Fn” key and another one where there is an antenna icon.
The cause of temporary inoperability may be a malfunction software operating system. The connection activity will be checked through the Windows Control Panel. If it does not work, then start using context menu.
The network element may be completely absent from the list available connections. We check the “Network adapters” section, and more specifically, “Wireless” devices. We enable the adapter using the context menu. Then we restart the computer.
Why doesn't my laptop see wifi? Typical reasons
There are several simple reasons why the laptop does not see Wi-Fi. For example:
- The router is not turned on - turn on the router;
- No Wi-Fi coverage– we come closer to the source;
- Your router is “buggy” - reboot it;
- The Wi-Fi receiver is not turned on - turn it on.
However, there are also more serious disruptions to the connection. These include:
Wi-Fi is slow, why?
In addition to the fact that the computer does not see Wi-Fi, the problem of a slow connection is also relevant. There are several reasons:
Wi-Fi technology is very widely used in the life of a modern person, as it allows you to easily and quickly solve the problem of connecting to the Internet without using conventional wires. This is especially true when using laptops, which can be used to access the Internet in any convenient place thanks to the presence of a built-in Wi-Fi adapter.
That is why the situation when Wi-Fi does not work on a laptop leads to significant inconvenience and even some problems. There are many reasons why Wi-Fi may not work on a laptop computer. It is simply unrealistic to solve the most serious of them on your own without the help of specialists, but there are quite a lot of them that can be eliminated on your own. Let's look at them.
Is the problem with your laptop or router?
A fairly common problem is that the laptop has stopped connecting to WiFi networks, the problem is not with the laptop itself, but with the settings of the router, which distributes the network. Thus, the laptop can be configured correctly, but Wi-Fi still does not turn on precisely because it has nothing to connect to.
To rule out the possibility that the problem is related to this, you should try to connect to the network from any other device that is equipped with a Wi-Fi adapter - from another laptop, smartphone, tablet, etc.
If Wi-Fi does not work from another gadget, then the problem lies in the Wi-Fi router distributing the Internet. If the connection is successful, the problem is in the laptop and before solving it, you first need to determine why Wi-Fi stopped working.
Hardware enable adapter
Based on such diagnostics, you can accurately determine that this problem arose precisely because of the laptop. When Wi-Fi does not work on it, you can try using several methods.
The first one is to check if the wireless adapter on your laptop is enabled. Almost everything modern models have indicator lights WiFi work module and there are special key combinations for its hardware activation.
Typically, a lit indicator indicates that the module is turned on. If the indicator does not light up at all or lights up in red, then Wi-Fi is not working precisely because of the wireless network adapter. It must be turned on.
Most often, such indicators are located directly on the keyboard, side or front panel of the device case. Sometimes they are located on the monitor body or near the touchpad.
To enable the module of such a network, press the key combination Fn and one of the system keys F1-F12. The specific combination depends on the laptop manufacturer. Usually, the corresponding antenna icon is located on the desired key. If it is not there, then to turn on Wi-Fi you should try pressing standard for specific model combination:
Fn+F3 for Acer;
Fn+F2 for Asus, Dell or Gigabyte;
Fn+F5 on Fujitsu devices;
Fn+F12 on HP laptops.
After pressing the corresponding keys, we check whether the wireless connection module operation indicator lights up or whether it stops glowing red. After this, you should try to connect to the network again. If this does not help, move on to the next step.
Software enablement
When Wi-Fi stops working and turning it on in hardware does not give positive results, you also need to turn it on in software, which is done directly from the operating system the laptop is running.
To programmatically enable WiFi that has stopped working on Windows 7, 8 or 10, you need to perform the following sequence of actions:
1. On the notification panel, which is located near the clock, select the network connection status icon;
2. From the list that opens, select “Network and Sharing Center” shared access" or " Network settings» depending on the operating system version;
3. The next step is “Changing adapter parameters.”
Among the list of all existing connections you need to pay attention to the color of the “Wireless” icon network connection" If your WiFi does not work and the wireless adapter is disabled, the connection icon will not be highlighted. In this case, click on its icon right click mouse, select “Enable” from the context menu that opens. The color of the connection icon should change.
In this case, the wireless network adapter turns on, all you have to do is find the one you need in the list of available wireless networks and connect to it.
If after such Wi-Fi action which has stopped working continues to be inactive, you need to move on to the next method of solving the problem.
Driver installation and update
Quite often, the wireless Wi-Fi connection does not turn on due to the lack of a driver or when it is very outdated. To determine whether the driver is installed, you need to select “Properties” from the context menu of the “My Computer” icon, which is located on the desktop or in the “Start” menu. Next, in the window that opens, select the “Device Manager” command from the menu on the left.
In the new window that opens with a list of connected devices, you need to find the name of the laptop’s wireless network adapter. Usually its name is “Wireless Network Adapter” or “Wireless Network Adapter”, along with which the device manufacturer should be indicated: Realtek, Atheros, Qualcomm or something else.
Having found the desired item and right-clicking on it, select “Properties” from the context menu. In the window that opens, there should be an item “Device is working normally.” But even if there is a mark about normal operation device, this is far from a guarantee that the correct driver version is installed and Wi-Fi is turned on correctly. To check it, in the window with the properties of the wireless device, go to the “Driver” tab and pay attention to the items “Date of development” and “Vendor”.
In the event that the supplier is Microsoft or the date of development of the program is several years behind the current one, go to the official website of the laptop manufacturer and download the latest official version drivers.
The same must be done if among the list installed devices There was no wireless adapter.
If in the list of devices the module wireless communication is present, but marked with a yellow exclamation mark, this means that the device is disabled, as a result of which the network stopped working. In this case, opening the device properties window, you need to click the “Engage” button.
Another reason why Wi-Fi stopped working on a laptop may be that the energy-saving mode is enabled, which prevents the wireless connection from working. To disable it, you need to do the following:
1. Open Control Panel;
2. Select the “Power Options” icon;
3. In the window that opens, select the “High Performance” or “Balanced” mode.
External obstacles to the signal
It's also worth noting that a broken wireless network can also be the result of more than just laptop problems. The wireless signal is affected by some external factors that may weaken it. Ceilings, walls, floors and similar obstacles significantly degrade the signal quality of the access point and laptop.
As is known, the signal quality is personal computer is displayed in the form of several marks - the more there are, the higher the quality of the signal. If the wireless connection level is displayed as 1 or 2 marks, then you don’t have to try to use WiFi - in this case it will not work normally.
In this case, you need to move the router closer to your workplace, move workplace closer to the Wi-Fi router or buy a new, more powerful router.
Other causes of Wi-Fi problems
The causes of problems with the functioning of the wireless network adapter described above are the most common and you can fix them on your own.
It is worth noting that all this is software methods solutions to the problem, which can be solved by installing, reinstalling or updating the device driver, as well as performing certain operations with the OS.
But often the problem with the operation of the wireless connection module lies in hardware errors. What are these errors? These are problems that are directly related to the board itself, most often due to its physical damage.
To fix such problems, you will need to disassemble the laptop. It is worth noting that such actions can only be performed if you have certain skills in this area. If such skills are missing, it is better to entrust the work to professionals.
One of the most common physical damages is an unconnected antenna wire to the proximity module. This problem occurs with laptops that have been repaired or if their owner independently cleaned the cooling system from dust. In such cases, the antenna is sometimes simply forgotten, as a result of which the adapter will not be able to establish a connection even near the signal source. To fix this problem, you just need to connect its antenna to the Wi-Fi module.
Sometimes the reason that Wi-Fi stops working is the usual overheating of the network card. Most often this is the result of the laptop being placed on some kind of soft surface. The thing is that at the bottom of the device there are holes through which cold air enters, cooling all the computer boards. By blocking these holes, the system will overheat, which can lead to failure of certain components.
Another common cause of device overheating is dust, which can prevent cold air from entering the cooling system.
That is why, in order to avoid such problems, it is recommended to clean the laptop from dust at least once every year: in this case, it will be possible to avoid repairing the laptop as a result of overheating of its components.
In the most extreme cases, the wireless adapter may even burn out. In this case, only replacing it with a new one will help. You can determine this problem using the device manager, in which the module will simply no longer be displayed. When you try to install a driver for a wireless network, a message appears stating that the corresponding device is not installed on the system.
If all else fails
If none of the tips above helped, you can use a simple, but often effective solution: restart both your computer and your wireless router. Please note that after a reboot, the router turns on for up to 5-10 minutes before it starts distributing the network. Be patient. Also, despite the opinion of many skeptics, sometimes the troubleshooting function that is included in the wireless network helps to solve problems with the wireless network. operating system Windows.
Thus, most of the existing solutions to problems related to the fact that Wi-Fi has stopped working on a laptop have been listed above. Almost all such methods and recommendations can be used by anyone who is faced with a similar problem, since this does not require any special skills.
If nothing helps, and the wireless network has not started working, there is only one way out - go for help to a quality service center, where they can solve any problems with your laptop.
If the article did not help solve your problem and Wi-Fi still does not work, write in the comments, I will try to help.
Many users sooner or later encounter this problem. There may be various reasons why Wi-Fi on a laptop does not work. Perhaps you recently installed a new operating system, bought a new router or flashed an old one, etc.
In general, if you also find yourself in this situation, and you are unable to connect your laptop to a Wi-Fi network, then in this article we will look at several methods that should help you connect your laptop to Wi-Fi.
Let's start with the simplest - reboot the router. To do this, you need to unplug the power supply, wait 10 seconds and plug it back in. Then restart your operating system.
Network diagnostics
Do network diagnostics. Although many are quite skeptical about this advice, but sometimes it can help too. Right-click on the wireless network icon in the tray and select "Diagnosing problems". Windows will scan and if it finds a problem, it will suggest ways to solve it.
If after diagnostics the message appears: then in a separate article you can read about ways to solve this error.
If after this, the laptop still does not see Wi-Fi, check Is the Wi-Fi adapter turned on on the laptop?.
Find the wireless network icon on one of the F1-F12 buttons, for me it’s F2. Also, on the button itself, near the power button or touchpad, there should be a light indicator that indicates that Wi-Fi is on. Specifically in my case, if Wi-Fi is turned off, the indicator light is on. To turn it on, press the combination Fn+F2.
You also need to check that it is turned on LAN card. To do this, right-click on the wireless network icon in the tray and select "Network and Sharing Center".
In the next window click "Change adapter settings".
If you have "Wireless Network Connection" highlighted in grey, right-click on it and select “Enable”.
After this, the icon should become colored. This indicates that the network adapter is enabled and the laptop can connect to the Wi-Fi network.
Checking drivers
Check your network adapter drivers. Click “Start” and write in the search bar "Device Manager" and follow the found link.
Expanding the list "Network adapters". Required adapter will be called something like: model name and “Wireless Network Adapter” (may be written Wi-Fi).
First you need to make sure it is turned on. Therefore, right-click on it, and if there is an item in the menu "Engage", click on it.
Now pay attention that there is no yellow one near the adapter Exclamation point or a red cross. If you have it as in the figure below, then with installed drivers Everything is fine. If you have one of the mentioned signs (in the picture I indicated with an arrow what it might look like), you need to install or update the drivers.
If you came with a disk with your laptop containing drivers for installed devices, use it and reinstall the driver. If this does not help and the laptop still cannot connect to Wi-Fi, go to the official website of your laptop manufacturer, download the drivers for the network adapter from there and install them.
You can read about installing drivers in the article:.
Also, to update or install missing drivers, you can use.
Checking the WLAN AutoConfig Service
This service is responsible for wireless network adapters, and if it is not running, the adapters will be unavailable, and accordingly, the laptop will not be able to connect to Wi-Fi.
Go to the Start menu and write “Services” in the search bar. Let's move on to the relevant point.
Then we look in the list "WLAN AutoConfig Service", right-click on it and, if it is disabled, click “Run”.
Checking router settings
Router settings can go wrong, and not always through the user’s fault. Perhaps the network access password was simply changed.
If your wireless network icon is muted and has a yellow star next to it, click on it with the mouse, select the network and try to connect to it, after finding out if the access password has changed. This may be the reason.
Also pay attention to the network information section (LAN). You may need to change the settings here according to your provider.
For those who get an error when trying to connect: the article at the link can help.
I hope that at least one of the tips helped you solve the question: why the laptop does not connect to Wi-Fi, and now your device is successfully connected to the network.
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Discussion: 13 comments
I tried everything to connect to the network after the children stumbled on something on the computer... And this article...... It wasn’t even an article, but a picture that helped solve the problem for a teapot like me.. All I had to do was press two buttons to connect to the F5/Fn router and everything worked….
Answer
Hello, a user’s comment helped me, attach it to the article because I’m probably not the only one, this is what he writes
SALEX 12/03/2017 at 00:00 I tried everything: I have firewood and wi fi is on and in the device manager everything is fine, but the network is gone. Finally I found a way out: “You go into the control panel, find hardware and sound, it has the name “Configure default mobility settings”, go there, a window appears” Windows Mobility Center “, in the Wireless network column you need to activate the “Connect a wireless network” button and a connection with the router will immediately appear. After connecting, enter the password and enjoy. Good luck.”
Today it is difficult to imagine using a laptop or any other portable device without Internet access. Most often, connection to world wide web carried out wirelessly- With using Wi-Fi router network. However, the user often encounters various kinds of problems when trying to get to the coveted Internet. One of them may be that the laptop does not see the Wi-Fi network. Let's consider the probable causes of such malfunctions. At the same time, let’s leave out very similar cases when a laptop finds Wi-Fi, but cannot connect to it, or connects, but the Internet still does not work.
Most of the situations in which the problem we have raised can be divided into two categories:
- The laptop does not see any Wi-Fi networks at all, although they definitely exist and are detected by other devices;
- The laptop does not find your specific wireless network, but it sees surrounding Wi-Fi networks.
Based on this gradation, we will identify the cause of the problem.
Why doesn't my laptop see any Wi-Fi networks?
This malfunction is almost 100% related to the client device itself and its settings. Let's try step-by-step to check a few main points that can affect the visibility of wireless networks.
Is Wi-Fi enabled on your laptop?
Any laptop computer is equipped with a wireless adapter that provides the ability to search for Wi-Fi networks and establish a connection with them. Typically, such a module has “On” and “Off” modes. This means that you need to make sure that on your portable computer Wi-Fi the module is currently active. This will be indicated by a corresponding light indicator, the location of which depends on the laptop model.
If the module is disabled, it must be activated. Typically, a special key combination is used for this Fn and one of the range function buttons F1-F12. About which one system keys is responsible for turning on the wireless communication module; you can recognize it by the corresponding icon on it.
On laptops from some manufacturers, the Wi-Fi module is turned on/off using a two-position toggle switch or a separate button.
If when turned on Wi-Fi adapter The laptop still does not detect wireless networks, move on to the next step.
What is the wireless connection status in Windows
At this stage, you need to check the connection status in the operating system itself. To do this we go to Control Panel - Network and Sharing Center - Change adapter settings.
Find here wireless connection and check its activity. If the icon is highlighted, then the connection is enabled, otherwise it needs to be enabled.
Right-click on the icon and select “Enable” from the menu that appears.
After this, the icon in the system tray (notification area) should change.
Are drivers installed for the laptop's Wi-Fi module?
To check the presence and correct installation of network adapter drivers, go sequentially along the path Control Panel – System – Device Manager. In the list we find the item “Network adapters” and expand it.
If there are no exclamation marks next to the device, then most likely the drivers are installed correctly. Let’s make sure of this by right-clicking on the name of the adapter and selecting the “Properties” line. On the General tab, the Device Status field should say “Device is working normally.”
The “Driver” tab allows you to perform various manipulations with drivers - update, roll back or delete. If you do not have the necessary software, you can find it on the Internet.
In theory, if there are no questions about all of the above points, then the laptop should be able to see nearby Wi-Fi networks without any problems. If this does not happen, then there may be problems with the laptop adapter itself.
The laptop does not detect my router's network, but sees others
The most trivial reason such a metamorphosis - your laptop is located too far from the desired source WiFi signal. Despite the fact that modern routers have a fairly wide coverage area, in some corners of your house or apartment the reception may be unstable. In such a situation, it is necessary to correctly place the router so that all consumers are within reach. You can find out about this on the pages of our website.
And yet, in most cases, problems with detecting the wireless network of one particular router are associated with its incorrect configuration. Let's try to figure out what Wi-Fi settings can significantly affect signal quality. Let's take . Let's go to its administrative panel and select the section Wireless mode– Wireless settings.
Let’s immediately make sure that the checkboxes next to the items “Enable wireless broadcasting” and “Enable SSID broadcasting” are checked (the operating status of the Wi-Fi network will be indicated by the indicator on the router itself).
Now let’s pay attention to the most important parameter – the Wi-Fi network channel. In Russia, 13 channels are used, but only a few of them may be optimal (least loaded) for you. It all depends on what channels nearby routers use. Try setting it to a static value (except 12 and 13) or Auto mode.
Reboot the router and check if the laptop can now see target network Wi-Fi.
If it doesn’t help, try experimenting with Wi-Fi settings again - change channels, network name, adjust the filter by MAC addresses. As a last resort, you can reset the router settings to factory settings.