What to do if you can’t see Wi-Fi. The laptop does not want to see your Wi-Fi network in Windows - several effective ways to solve the problem

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The situation when a laptop does not see the wifi network is quite common. Any user can encounter this problem. But not everyone can fix the problem. Therefore, in this article we decided to tell in detail why the laptop does not see the Wi-Fi network. Let's touch on the main reasons and, of course, how to eliminate them.

First reason. Checking the router

First you need to check if everything is okay with the router. The easiest way to verify that the router is working is using a tablet, smartphone, or netbook. Turn on and scan the radio, you will see a list of networks available for connection. Find the network you need, try connecting. If the gadget connects without problems, then everything is fine with the router. And if the gadget does not see your Wi-Fi network, then there is a problem with the router.

Let's look at simple steps to troubleshoot the problem that anyone can do:

There is an “ON/OFF” or “On/Off” button on the back of the device, you just need to press it. On the front panel, the LEDs will all go out, and then press this button again, the LEDs will light up again. It is also possible to simply remove the power supply from the 220V outlet and insert it back after 5 seconds.

Settings are wrong

Due to a voltage drop (as well as a number of other reasons), the settings could be lost. In this case, you will see your WiFi network under a different name. These will be the default settings. Ideally, we recommend that you reset the settings again before setting up. To do this, take a match and press the “ Reset” button, hold it down for 15-20 seconds. Now you can safely begin entering parameters on the router. If you don’t know how to do this, then on our website find an article with a complete description of how to connect and configure a Wi-Fi router.

Changing the Wi-Fi broadcast channel

It happens that the laptop sees a bunch of wireless networks unfamiliar to you, but does not see its own network. Most often, this problem occurs on gadgets (smartphones, tablets). What's the catch, you ask? There are several reasons:

Perhaps your neighbors or router have set the broadcast channel to the same as yours. Their signal is stronger, so it clogs your signal.
Modern routers can operate at 5 GHz, but laptops often cannot operate at these frequencies. Therefore, when choosing a frequency, make sure that your device supports this frequency.
There is Wi-Fi channel 14, which you could force set on the router. Or do you have the “Auto” mode in the “Channel” item? As a result, many devices will not be visible and connected. Keep in mind that not all gadgets can work in channel 14 (2.484 GHz).

To correct the situation, go to the router settings menu and change the channel:

Launch the browser and enter the IP address of the router in the command line.
In the settings menu, find the “Wireless” section, then click on “Wireless Setting”.
The “Channel” column displays the current broadcast channel, change it to any other.

Weather conditions

You don't have Wi-Fi after a rain and thunderstorm? It’s not surprising, because after such weather conditions, routers are brought to service centers en masse. Not everyone knows that Wi-Fi routers are very afraid of thunderstorms. After such bad weather, it often happens that the router works, everything lights up, but there is no Wi-Fi, the reason for this is that the Wi-Fi module has burned out. Therefore, we recommend that during a severe thunderstorm, turn off the power supply and remove all network cables (twisted pair) from the rear sockets. Just pull it out carefully, don’t pull too hard, otherwise you’ll tear off the RG 45 plug. Then you’ll have to read our article,

The second reason. Laptop problem

Having made sure that the router is in perfect order, we continue to find out why your computer does not see Wi-Fi. Now we will calculate the fault on a PC. Of course, we will not disassemble the laptop and check the serviceability of the WiFi adapter, but we will provide simple methods for troubleshooting that any user can perform.

Wi-Fi module is inactive

Checking the availability of drivers for the WiFi adapter

There is a possibility that your laptop does not see Wi-Fi due to a lack of drivers. This can happen for various reasons. For example, your PC became infected with a virus, the wrong folder was accidentally deleted, the computer was turned off incorrectly, or it simply crashed. Therefore it is necessary to check.

Find “Search in Windows”, either in Start or on the desktop, click.
We write “ device Manager" A window will pop up in which you need to expand “ Network adapters».
We have this " Realtek 8821AE Wireless LAN…." Your name may be slightly different. We see that there is no yellow exclamation mark, which means everything is fine with the drivers. If there is an exclamation mark, this will mean that there is a problem with the drivers.

Your task is to download the latest drivers from the official website of the laptop manufacturer and install them.

Checking whether the WLAN autoconfiguration service is running or not

You need to check whether the WLAN AutoConfig service is enabled or disabled. Without this service running, all adapters will be unavailable. Well, accordingly, the computer will not see the Wi-Fi network.

We enter the words “Services” in the search bar in Windows.
We find " WLAN AutoConfig Service", Move the cursor over this service, right-click. If it works, then there is nothing unnecessary to do; if it is disabled, then select “Run".

We diagnose problems

The diagnostic option doesn’t often help, but it’s worth a try. Click on the WiFi icon, which is located in the tray (nearby is the time). Several options will pop up, select " Troubleshooting" The check will last a couple of minutes, and upon completion Windows will provide options for solving the problem.

Problem with Wi-Fi adapter

Don't know why the laptop doesn't see the wi-fi network? Try to remember how old he is. Perhaps it is already 10 years old, then it is not surprising, any device has a service life. You are unlikely to be able to disassemble your laptop and check the Wi-Fi adapter. It is better to contact a service center, they will carry out a full diagnosis. After which they will give you a verdict.

Signs of problems that require you to seek professional help:

The module works, but there is no Wi-Fi connection and does not respond to commands.
The adapter has stopped remembering the entered settings. Because of this, the laptop sees, but does not connect.
The adapter has disappeared in the task manager.
I started connecting only at a distance of no more than one meter.
It periodically disappears, or the wifi on the laptop disappears completely and rebooting does not help.

Conclusion

After reading to the end, we hope it became clear to you why the laptop does not see Wi-Fi. In this article you will find a suitable way to solve this problem. Do not forget that first of all it is better to double-check the router, and then delve into the laptop. Because most often problems arise in routers.

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 a laptop or computer running Windows, for the life of us, does not see the 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 a new laptop with Windows 8 installed and we try to connect to Wi-Fi, but the operating system cannot find the network. The list of available connections is 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.
Wi-Fi controller is disabled in 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 next to the 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 and the problem has not disappeared, pay attention to the laptop case; most often the wireless network enable button 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 the 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 how it can look from different laptop manufacturers:
In the second case, if the Wi-Fi controller is disabled, you should check two different Windows 8 settings.

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 pane of Windows. Move the mouse cursor to the upper or lower right corner of the monitor and go to the “Wireless Mode” section. We turn on the adapter, but if it is disabled only for the “Airplane” mode, we check whether it is currently in use. 6. Checking the Wi-Fi driver. 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 the text devmgmt.msc into the command line. 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 the 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.

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:

You can easily check why your laptop does not see the Wi-Fi network. 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 its original 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 of the operating system software. The connection activity will be checked through the Windows Control Panel. If it does not work, then launch it using the context menu.

The network element may be completely absent from the list of 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;
There is 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:

I am glad to welcome you, dear visitors, to the website! In today's article we will take a closer look at what to do if your laptop does not see the wi-fi network. Today, a wi-fi network can be found very often, especially in big cities.

In restaurants, pubs, bars, cinemas, service stations, etc. This list can be continued endlessly, besides, the lion's share is also distributed through a wi-fi router.

The laptop does not find the WiFi network.

If the router whose network you cannot connect to belongs to you, try using the instructions

But what to do if you are sure that wi fi is definitely there and you even see it on another device (smartphone, tablet, etc.), but your laptop or netbook does not find a single wi fi network? Let's take a closer look at this problem.

After all, in reality there are not so many reasons. It is enough just to check each of them one by one. For some, there must be access to a router.

1. Check available networks in your radius.

By the way, if we talk about the range of a wi-fi router, here we can note distances from 10 m (in an apartment or house) to tens of kilometers (in open areas without obstacles and on an industrial scale).

Among the factors that affect the range of a wi-fi network are data transmission protocols (802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g and 802.11n), room walls, tree foliage (due to water content, which has a dampening effect on wi-fi) , included microwave (also uses microwave frequencies), other wi-fi networks.

If you know other factors that affect signal attenuation, write about them in the comments.

To increase the range of the Wi-Fi network, you can use intermediate devices. But this is closer to industrial use.

If you have access to the router, then it would not be superfluous to reboot it by simply turning off and on the power.

2. Is Wi-Fi turned on on your laptop?

In order to turn it on, you just need to press the power button or the key combination (fn+F1-F12) to turn on wi fi, depending on your laptop model.

Then click on the “Connections” icon next to the clock. Select "Change adapter settings" and make sure that "Wireless network connection" is active (right-click → "enable").

3. Check if wi-fi is turned on on the router?

Everything is clear here - the network and power cables are connected. The router should show signs of life (there is a light indication).

If there is no indication, the problem is in the wires, the socket or the router itself.

4. The driver is not installed or is out of date.

Another reason why a laptop adapter may not see wi fi is the lack of a corresponding driver on the laptop.

To check the version, open Device Manager (right-click on My Computer → Manage). In the window that opens, select “Device Manager” → “Network Adapters”. Here, in addition to the network connection, there should be a similar entry:

If it is not there, you need to download and install the required driver.

If the device still appears in “Network adapters”, right-click on it and select “Properties”. And in the new window, in the “Driver” tab, pay attention to the “Development date” item.

If the difference with the current date is significant, you need to update this driver from the official website of the developer.

5. Service center.

If you do not experience any of the above breakdowns, then it makes sense to contact a specialized service center. Perhaps the problem is with your router (if the laptop sees other networks) or the laptop itself (if it does not display any networks, but you are sure of their presence).

The most common problems with laptops are setting up and connecting to Wi-Fi networks. Therefore, before proceeding with possible solutions to this particular problem, you first need to check whether the connection itself is configured properly or not.

What is the reason?

The fault may lie, for example, in the router that the user is using, or in the operating system itself. The most common reasons why Wi-Fi is not displayed or the laptop does not see it may be due to the fact that: the Wi-Fi router is frozen or not configured, there may be various problems with the device that connects to Wi-Fi , Internet access is blocked by a firewall or antivirus, and DHCP does not issue an IP address.

Troubleshooting

To determine the cause and then resolve the problem, you need to check the router. To do this, you should restart the router and see if the network appears in the list. If this has not happened yet, then you need to disconnect the network cable from the router and move it to the appropriate connector.

This will allow you to check whether the Internet is coming from the provider at all or not. If the Internet is not available, then the problem is directly with the service provider, but otherwise, it will be required. To configure it, you need to go to the address 192.168.1.1, or 192.168.0.1, depending on the router model.

If everything is fine in the settings, then you need to update or install drivers for the network adapter. You can easily find them on the Internet, but to do this you will need to know the model. To do this, you need to open the “Control Panel” and select “Device Manager” from the menu. In the list you need to find the “Network adapters” item. Here you will see a list of all network devices running on the computer, and in order to find Wi-Fi, you should select the item where the phrase “Wireless device...” is present. After searching and installing all drivers, Wi-Fi networks should be displayed.

If none of these methods helped resolve the immediate problem, then most likely the problem lies directly with the device itself, which is trying to find and connect to the wireless network. To check this, you can purchase an inexpensive USB Wi-Fi adapter or borrow it from a friend and install it