How to enable Wi-Fi wireless network on a laptop. Enabling WiFi on laptops of different models Switch to enable wireless communication on a laptop

Twitter

Laptop owners usually use a wireless connection to access the Internet; fortunately, a Wi-Fi adapter is available on all laptop models without exception. However, to use it, sometimes you have to figure out how to turn on wifi on a laptop.

Hotkeys or hardware switch

The first step is to physically turn on the Wi-Fi adapter. This procedure differs slightly on different laptop models, but its meaning is the same: you need to find a hardware switch or use the function keys. Let's look at a few examples:

You can continue the options for turning on Wi-Fi for a long time, citing methods for MSI, Acer, Samsung and other brands. Even different series from the same manufacturer have different ways of activating the wireless module, therefore:

Inspect the laptop case for a hardware switch or Wi-Fi power button.
Examine the keyboard - one of the keys in the F1-F12 row should be marked with a wireless connection icon. If you press it together with the Fn button, the adapter will turn on or off.

If you have a Sony Vaio series laptop, then there may be neither a hardware key nor an Fn button on its keyboard. For Wi-Fi to work in this case, you need a special VAIO Smart Network utility, which can be found on the manufacturer’s official website.

Fn button doesn't work

What to do if the Fn button does not work? How to turn on the adapter in this case? First you need to figure out why the key does not work. Fn operates under BIOS control and has its own utility, without which the key does not function. Therefore, if the button does not work, you first need to find a utility for enabling hot keys on the manufacturer’s website for a specific laptop model (the name should contain the word “HotKey”).

If installing the utility did not help or the key is physically damaged, you will have to use an alternative method of turning on the adapter. On Windows 8 and Windows 10, to turn on the adapter, just click on the Wi-Fi icon in the notification panel and move the “Wireless network” slider to the active position. If the adapter drivers are installed correctly, then the icon must be there.

There is no such function in Windows 7, but you can try to enable the wireless connection through the window for changing adapter settings (this is discussed below). If this method does not help, then you will have to look for an external keyboard with a working Fn key and then never turn off the Wi-Fi module.

Setting up Wi-Fi on different versions of Windows

You will figure out how to physically turn on the module quite quickly. Sometimes this is where the Wi-Fi setup ends: the system performs the rest of the necessary actions on its own, displaying a list of available wireless points. But sometimes you have to establish the connection manually.

Regardless of the version of Windows, you first need to check that the Wi-Fi module drivers are installed without errors:

To be sure, it is better to go to the official website of the laptop manufacturer and find the latest version of the wireless network module driver for your model. In addition, right-click on the adapter and select “Enable” (if its operation is stopped).

Windows XP

In theory, Windows XP should have been discontinued a long time ago, but on some older Dell models and other laptops, the legendary system still continues to perform its functions. Wi-Fi in Windows XP is configured as follows:

There should be a Wireless Network Connection icon in the File Explorer window. Its presence demonstrates that the Wi-Fi module is working correctly. Right-click the icon and select Enable. Further:

If the list of available points does not include the network that your router distributes, click “Update list”. Then select the desired point by name and click “Connect”. If the network is password protected, you will be prompted to enter an access code, after which a connection will be established.

Windows 7

On Windows 7, the procedure for connecting to a wireless network has changed slightly, becoming a little easier. Now all available networks are displayed after clicking on the Wi-Fi icon in the system tray. But if there is no icon, then:

Go to Network and Sharing Center.
Click "Change adapter settings."
Find your wireless connection and make sure it is turned on.

After turning on the wireless connection, the Wi-Fi icon will appear in the tray. Click on it to see a list of available points, select the network and click “Connect”.

Windows 8

On Windows 8, the procedure for connecting to Wi-Fi remains the same, but an Airplane mode has been added, which you need to know how to work with. If the adapter driver is installed and the wireless connection is working correctly, then in the notification panel you will see a Wi-Fi icon, when you click on it, a list of available networks appears.

If there is no icon, follow the same steps as on Windows 7 - open the “Change adapter settings” window and turn on the wireless connection. If there is no wireless connection itself, check the drivers and the status of the module - everything should be turned on and installed.

If the adapter is turned on, the drivers are installed, but no available networks are detected, check that the Airplane mode icon is not hanging on the notification panel. If it is, you need to disable this mode. To do this, click on the icon and move the slider to the “Disabled” state.

Windows 10

On Windows 10, everything remains the same with a few minor changes, so you'll quickly figure out how to connect your laptop to Wi-Fi:

Click on the wireless connection icon in the tray.
Select the desired network.
Click "Connect" and enter your password.

If the access point does not appear, try adjusting your network settings. Click on the link of the same name - the “Network and Internet” section of Windows 10 settings will open.

There are two tabs of interest here:

Wi-Fi - Make sure your wireless network is turned on.
Airplane mode - make sure the mode is turned off.

You can go to the section for changing adapter settings and enable the wireless connection. Simply put, on Windows 10 you have several equivalent options - you just need to choose the more convenient method for yourself.

The question of turning on Wi-Fi on a laptop interests many. Difficulties may arise due to the fact that each model has its own recommendations and instructions. Sometimes a key combination is enough, in other cases a mechanical switch is used.

Turn on Wi-Fi on laptops

Turn on Wi-Fi on a laptop using the Fn+F5 keys

Typically, the keys responsible for connecting to the Network have a stylized image of an antenna. It doesn’t matter which laptop – Acer or HP. You can always find such a button. But different combinations are created with it.

Fn+F2 is a working combination for WiFi of the Asus model range.
Fn+F12 should be pressed by those who purchased an HP laptop. Or there is a separate button that shows a wireless network.
Fn+F3 – combination to enable WiFi communication on MSI models.
For Samsung, there are two options: Fn+F12, or Fn+F9.
Lenovo is different from HP or Acer. To establish the connection, mechanical switches are more often used in this model range. But the Fn+F5 keys also work.
F8+Fn – keys that allow you to establish communication on any Toshiba laptop.
The presence of a mechanical switch is also typical for the Sony Vaio model range.

You can look for a button that acts as a switch on the end of the device if Fn is missing. You managed to connect WiFi on your laptop, but something else is not working? Perhaps the problem lies in the WiFi settings of the Windows operating system.

What about software enablement?

Sometimes you need to use special software to enable the adapter on your laptop. For Samsung models, the Easy Settings utility is responsible for this function. Intel PROSet is a program installed on almost any laptop from Intel. This must be taken into account if you cannot find a mechanical switch when the combinations indicated above do not work.

Establishing communication in the Windows operating system

Sometimes the adapter is built into the operating system from the very beginning, at the software level. Then turning on Wi-Fi is as easy as shelling pears, without additional steps.

Open the desired item on the control panel, as our picture shows. We need a button that offers to change the adapter and its parameters.

A list will appear in which there will be more than one adapter. We need one that has the postscript Wireless or “Wireless Network”. This is the Wi-Fi adapter itself, we need to connect it.

Users may encounter two situations in this case.

Gray icon when the adapter is turned off.
The adapter is colored, but there is a red cross on it.

What about the second situation?

The device was connected, but the Wi-Fi network was not turned on.

Sometimes this happens due to the operating mode "in flight". In other situations, disabling occurs in additional parameters. Just right-click on the Wi-Fi icon to enable communication.
A separate window will pop up, where we need to select the function to turn on “Wi-Fi”. Or a wireless network. Once everything is turned on, a list of available Wi-Fi networks will appear that you can work with. All that remains is to connect.

Checking the drivers. Are there any problems with them?

Sometimes it is not possible to set up a Wi-Fi network due to missing drivers. Either when they are accidentally deleted by the user, or when they are not installed at all.

First, open the device manager. It is located in the Windows Control Panel, under Hardware and Sound.
We need to see if there is any equipment with an exclamation mark next to it that is yellow or red. This especially applies to elements responsible for WiFi reception.

If there are problems, you will need to install WiFi drivers.

About some connection settings

Incorrect location of the router is a mistake that many users make. Because of this, WiFi does not work as fast and stable as we would like. Even on high-quality Acer models. It is recommended to install routers at some distance from electronic household appliances. This is due to the devices operating at the same frequency as WiFi – 2.4 GHz. Because of this, the WiFi speed on the laptop decreases, even if you managed to turn on everything according to the instructions.

Setting up WiFi for a local network

We connect the computer and router via cable. Before trying to configure or enable anything, make sure that the connection has been established. If everything is in order, a corresponding image will appear next to the clock. This operating scheme is equally suitable for Acer models. HP and others.

In the connection properties, you must enter a specific set of data.

IP address: 192.168.0.2 Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0 Default gateway: 192.168.0.1 DNS: 192.168.0.1

Some model manuals may provide different information. We insert exactly what is said in the accompanying documentation. Open the command line to explore other options. You can set up WiFi through the Start menu, just write “cmd” in the search. In the command line that opens, type the combination ping 192.168.0.1. In response, packets will be received from this address if everything went well. You need to find out what IP address the router accepts on the internal interface if a message appears that “wait limit exceeded.” Otherwise, you will not be able to configure and enable WiFi.

You can configure WiFi by changing the last two digits if the limit message continues to appear.
1. 1.2
2. 1.1
3. 0.2

Go to the Wireles Settings section to configure Wi-Fi. After this, we need to give a name to our own Wi-Fi network. This is done in the Name (Ssid) line. In the Channel item, select the Auto function and find your region from the list. Thanks to this solution, you can configure your Wi-Fi router so that it automatically searches for channels with the least amount of interference. Click on the Apply button to save what we managed to configure.

How to enable WiFi in Windows 8?

Setting up WiFi on this operating system is no more difficult than on others.

Select Start, and then go to Control Panel.
Click on switch to classic view. We find the center responsible for managing network connections. Here we will see a section with a wireless WiFi connection.
Right-click on the utility. And select the item with WiFi properties. There should be a line here that automatically obtains an IP address. Click OK when there is a check mark.
We return to the folder with network connection management. Again, you will need the WiFi section for your wireless network connection. Right-click on it and select “connect-disconnect”.
All you have to do is select and connect to the desired WiFi network.

The corresponding icons usually appear on the screen in the right corner, at the bottom. If everything is done correctly, the WiFi image will always be active. If everything is in order with the network itself, you will always be able to connect to it.

Due to the lack of a unified standard for the method of enabling WiFi on laptops, even in the line of models from the same manufacturer, users often have problems with how to enable WiFi on a laptop, for example, of the popular HP brand. Below is a detailed guide describing how to activate the WiFi adapter on HP laptops.

Preparatory actions

Before you turn on WiFi on your laptop, you need to make sure that the software is correctly installed for the normal functioning of the WiFi adapter built into the device. You can check the installation of hardware drivers using the Network and Sharing Center or through Device Manager.

You only need to perform a few sequential steps:

To solve the problem through Device Manager, you should take the following steps (using Windows 10 as an example):

As in the instructions above, you will also need to visit the official resource of the equipment manufacturer on the Internet, download the appropriate drivers for the adapter from there and then install them in the laptop.

Procedure for turning on Wi-Fi

Enabling can be done using several methods.

Method 1: Using HP Connection Manager

The algorithm of actions consists of the following steps:

Method 2: Using buttons on an HP laptop

Most often, HP laptop models use a combination of buttons on the keyboard. For example, you need to hold down “Fn” and click on “F12”. Sometimes, instead of “F12”, another button is provided, but this key always has a picture with a WiFi symbol.

There are HP laptops equipped with special buttons that perform the function of activating the WiFi adapter. For example, in earlier models such a key was located above the keyboard, and in some subsequent models the manufacturer began to place it below the keyboard.

There are often modern models that implement a method of activating WiFi using a touch button, which is indicated by a characteristic Wi-Fi wireless network icon. Sometimes there will be an "X" next to the symbol representing a wireless network. If this symbol is active, then Wi-Fi is turned off.

The presence of Wi-Fi makes it possible to use the Internet in a variety of places. But before you can comfortably sit in a cafe or on a park bench and plunge into the world of the Internet, you need to figure out your laptop and find out how and where to turn on the network on your laptop.

How to enable a wireless network on a laptop?

There is nothing difficult about enabling wireless communication on a laptop. You just need to know the function keys to enable wireless communication on your brand of laptop, because each manufacturer uses key combinations in its own way. For those trying to understand:

how to enable wireless communication on an Asus laptop, you just need to press Fn and F2;
the wireless button on an HP laptop is a combination of Fn and F12 or a touch button with an antenna pattern in those models that have one;
on Lenovo press Fn and F5 or a special switch, which is indicated in the instructions;
Acer and Packard Bell turn on the network with a combination of Fn and F3;
on different Samsung models it is either Fn and F9 or Fn and F12.

If the standard combinations are not suitable (a different one may be introduced in new models), then you should pay attention to the instructions from the manufacturer, which must indicate all the necessary information related to the functionality of the laptop. In any case, this should be the Fn button, and in its absence, press a special button with an antenna pattern or a switch.

Other ways to enable wireless connectivity on your laptop

If the switch is not marked on the keyboard, it can be placed on the side panel or bottom of the laptop. The buttons located on the bottom are made inconspicuous, so you need to pay special attention to find them there. If neither the combination nor the switch could turn on the wireless network, then most likely Wi-Fi is simply not configured, and it’s time to do it.

How to enable the wireless network adapter?

Any setup begins with checking the availability of the necessary drivers, which are connected if they are present, but not connected, and first downloaded and installed, and then connected if they are not in the laptop. You can check the drivers through the “Control Panel”, the “Device Manager” menu item. If this subsection is not immediately visible, it may be under the Hardware and Sound section.

From the “Dispatcher” you need to go to “Network Adapters” and find the Wireless section there, which is what you need. It may be that there is no inscription, or it is marked with an exclamation mark. This is direct evidence of problems with drivers that will have to be installed first. They must be present on the disk that came with the laptop. If the disk is lost or for some reason the installation fails, you can search for them on the manufacturer’s website.

If there are drivers, but they are marked with an exclamation mark, then you need to right-click on this icon and select the appropriate item in the menu that appears. Usually the phrase is “Engage.” You may additionally need to turn it on if the adapter is connected to power saving mode.

You can eliminate the saving factor in the Windows 7 menu in the “Properties” section, where there should be a “Power Management” subsection. There is a checkmark in the “Allow shutdown to save money” option.

After unchecking the box, the drivers will work and the connection can be made using a standard keystroke. If the above manipulations do not bring results, the laptop needs to be shown to a specialist - it may be damaged.

Problems with wireless networks arise for various reasons: faulty network equipment, incorrectly installed drivers, or a disabled Wi-Fi module. By default, Wi-Fi is always on (if the appropriate drivers are installed) and does not require any special settings.

If you do not have Internet due to Wi-Fi being disabled, then in the lower right corner you will have this icon:

It indicates that the Wi-Fi module is turned off. Let's look at ways to enable it.

Method 1: Hardware

On laptops, there is a key combination or a physical switch to quickly turn on the wireless network.

Find on the keys F1 — F12(depending on the manufacturer) icon for antenna, Wi-Fi signal or airplane. Press it at the same time as the button "Fn".
A switch may be located on the side of the case. As a rule, next to it there is an indicator with an image of an antenna. Make sure it is in the correct position and turn it on if necessary.

Method 2: "Control Panel"

If there are no problems with the drivers, the network connection will turn on and the Internet will work.