The problem may be in Windows settings, hardware drivers, or router settings.
1. Airplane mode is enabled
If your laptop can’t connect to a Wi-Fi network, the first thing to check is whether it’s in airplane mode. In this case, an airplane icon appears on the taskbar.
You can accidentally activate this mode by pressing a special key on your laptop – often located in the row of buttons F1, F2, etc. Some devices also have a separate button (usually with an antenna icon) or a wireless switch.
To enable Wi-Fi network scanning, tap the airplane icon in the lower right corner of the screen and turn off Airplane Mode. Another option is to tap Start → Settings → Network & Internet and turn off Airplane Mode there.
Another option: If you have a Wi-Fi button or switch, make sure it is in the “On” position. Usually, a light on the button will be lit.
2. Wi-Fi is disabled in the system tray
Another reason is that Wi-Fi search is disabled in the menu in the lower right corner of the screen. Click on the “No Internet Access” icon, which looks like a globe, and make sure the Wi-Fi button is enabled.
If it is not highlighted, left-click on it. Then click on the arrow icon next to it and find your network in the menu that opens. Click on it, then on the “Connect” button and enter the password if necessary.
3. The laptop is too far from the router.
If your laptop is too far from the router or there are many walls between the devices, then Wi-Fi may simply not reach the computer. The solution is simple – move closer to the router and try to connect again.
However, sometimes you need a laptop where the signal is always weak, and moving it closer to the router is not an option. In this case, you should buy and install a Wi-Fi amplifier between your computer and the router.
4. A laptop reboot is required
Sometimes Wi-Fi problems can be caused by temporary Windows glitches or drivers that are not fully installed or updated. The easiest way to try to fix this is to reboot the system.
Click Start → Power button → Restart (or Update and restart if there are updates available for the system). Wait for the computer to restart and check if the problem is solved.
5. The router has failed.
If you have Wi-Fi problems on multiple devices at once, your router may be to blame. Restarting your router may fix the connection issues.
The process of rebooting a router may vary from device to device. Modern models have a corresponding button on the case. If yours does not have one, disconnect the router from the power supply and wait a minute, then reconnect it.
You can also initiate a reboot in the router settings. Open a browser and enter the router’s IP address – usually 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1. A panel will appear with fields for login and password to access the settings. By default, admin and admin or admin and password are often used. If they do not work, find the necessary combination in the instructions for your router.
When you open the router settings, click the “Restart” button there – sometimes it is located directly on the home page of the settings, sometimes in the Administration settings section. Wait at least two minutes, then try connecting to Wi-Fi again.
6. There are problems with the Wi-Fi network profile
This may seem a bit counterintuitive, but sometimes Windows will successfully detect a Wi-Fi network if you force the system to forget it and then re-add it. Just be sure not to lose the password, or you won’t be able to connect.
Press Win + I to open the Settings menu. Then open Network & Internet → Wi-Fi → Manage known networks. Select your network and click Forget. Wait a bit and try connecting to it again.
7. The network card needs to be restarted
The network interface card of the laptop is responsible for both wireless and wired communication. If the network problems are caused by glitches of the card, you should disable and re-enable it.
Press Win + I to open the Settings menu. Then click Network & Internet → Advanced network settings. Select your Wi-Fi adapter and click the Disable button. Then wait a moment and click Enable again.
8. Windows network settings need to be reset
If your laptop is the only device that can’t connect to Wi-Fi, and your smartphone, tablet, and other devices have no problems, try resetting your network settings.
Press Win + I to open Settings and click Network & Internet → Advanced network settings. Find the Network reset button and click it. The computer will reset all settings and you will be able to connect to your Wi-Fi network as if you were connecting for the first time.
9. Incompatible network selected
Most modern routers have two Wi-Fi frequency bands: one labeled 2.4 GHz and one labeled 5 GHz. Typically, the 2.4 GHz band provides better coverage and is compatible with more devices, while the 5 GHz option provides faster speeds. Many older devices are not compatible with the faster standard.
If you can’t connect to your Wi-Fi network labeled 5G, choose a network with the same name but without the label — or with 2.4 added. Your computer’s wireless module may not be able to connect to the first network option, and replacing it will solve the problem.
10. The desired Wi-Fi network is hidden
Some Wi-Fi networks have their name (SSID) broadcast disabled. Usually, a router broadcasts its name so that all nearby devices can find and connect to it. But some users hide this information so that their router does not appear in the list of available access points. This is done for additional protection from neighbors who are greedy for someone else’s Wi-Fi.
If your network is hidden, you will need to connect to it manually. Press Win + I to open the Settings menu. Then click Network & Internet → Wi-Fi → Manage known networks → Add new network. Enter the SSID (network name), select the security type, and enter the password. Then click Save.
If you don’t want the SSID to be hidden, you need to change it in the router settings. Open a browser and enter the router’s IP address – usually 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1. Enter the login and password to access the settings – by default, admin and admin or admin and password are often used.
In the settings, find the Wireless Settings section. It may have a different name depending on the model. Find the option “Hide SSID”, “Broadcast SSID” or something similar and disable it.
Save your settings and search for your network again.
11. There are problems with the network card drivers
Sometimes the inability to connect to Wi-Fi is due to glitches in the video card driver. Let’s try reinstalling it.
You will need an internet connection. Take a LAN cable and connect one end to the router port and the other to your laptop. This temporary solution will allow you to access the Internet without Wi-Fi.
Now press the Win + X key combination and select “Device Manager” from the menu that opens. Find the “Network adapters” category and expand it. Right-click on your network card and select “Update driver”. Next, “Search automatically for updated driver software”. If Windows finds a new driver, it will install it.
Sometimes an update is not enough and you need to uninstall the driver and reinstall it. Right-click on your network card and select “Uninstall device”. Confirm the action in the window that appears. Restart your computer. Windows will automatically try to install the driver the next time you start it.
Sometimes the standard Windows driver does not fit the card of a particular laptop model (old devices are often guilty of this). In this case, you need to install a specific version for a specific laptop model.
Open the manufacturer’s official website and find your model there – to do this, you will need to type its name or serial number in the search bar. Then find the network card driver in the downloads section, download and install it.
12. The computer time is set incorrectly.
Sometimes the laptop is prevented from connecting to the Internet by incorrectly set system clock. This happens if you have not turned on the laptop for a long time or its BIOS settings have been reset. Or after an unsuccessful update.
To set the correct time, you need to go into your laptop’s BIOS. How to do this depends on the computer model – usually you need to press the Del, F1, F2, F8 or F12 key at startup. Read our guide to figure it out, or refer to the manual from the laptop manufacturer.
Once you enter the BIOS, look for the section of settings that contains the system clock settings. These may be called General Settings, Main, Standard CMOS Features, and so on. You will need to find the System Time or System Date option. This allows you to enter the hours, minutes, and seconds in 24-hour format, as well as the date, month, and year. Make sure that the data entered there is correct, then save the BIOS settings and reboot.
If the BIOS has the correct time, but the system does not, right-click the clock in the corner of the screen and select “Adjust date and time”. Specify the desired time zone, uncheck “Set time automatically” and enter the correct values.
13. The “Quick Start” feature interferes with the Wi-Fi connection
You may have noticed this pattern: Wi-Fi never connects after you first turn on your computer, but if you reboot, the network works fine. This happens when the system is hampered by the default “Fast Startup” power feature. This is a rare problem, but it does happen.
Click “Start” and start typing the word “Power”. Open the found item with a green battery.
In the window that opens, find the section “Choose what the power buttons do” on the side. Click “Change settings that are currently unavailable” and uncheck “Turn on fast startup”. Click “Save changes” and turn off the computer, then turn it on again. Check if everything works.
Please note that with Fast Startup disabled, the system may start up slower than usual, but with a modern SSD this is not a big issue.
14. The system turns off the adapter to save power
Maybe Wi-Fi works fine on your laptop when it is “awake”. But if you leave it for a while, it goes into sleep mode. And when you wake the system, Wi-Fi stubbornly refuses to reconnect. This may be due to the computer’s power consumption policy: the system turns off the Wi-Fi module during sleep and for some reason cannot turn it back on.
To fix this, press Win + X and select Device Manager from the menu that opens. Find the Network Adapters category and expand it. Right-click on your network card and select Properties. On the Power Management tab, uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power and save the changes.
Now click “Start” and start typing the word “Power”, open the found item with a green battery and find the active power plan there. Click on the blue inscription “Change power plan settings” → “Change advanced power settings”. In the window that opens, in the “Wireless network adapter settings” section, set “Maximum performance” and apply the changes.
Now Windows will not turn off the Wi-Fi module during sleep.
15. Router settings need to be reset
If not only your laptop but also all the devices in your home are not connecting to Wi-Fi, try resetting your router settings. This is an extreme measure that should be used when you have already tried everything else. Keep in mind that you will need to know how to set up the router yourself, without the help of an Internet provider. You must remember your login, password, and sometimes even the address of the provider’s DNS server.
Open your browser and enter your router’s IP address – usually 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1. Enter your login and password to access the settings – admin and admin or admin and password are often used by default. Go to the “Administration” section, “System” or something like that – the names may vary. Find the “Reset settings” button, “Factory settings”, “Factory Reset” or something like that and click it.
You can also reset the router using the hardware button on its back panel. It is usually small and recessed into the case to prevent accidental pressing. You can press it with a paper clip, a SIM card tray key, or another similar tool.
Wait a few minutes, and when the router reboots, configure it again.