WiFi adapter not working. Why doesn't Wi-Fi work on a laptop (netbook)? How to connect a laptop to a Wi-Fi router? Error “Windows could not connect to…”

WiFi router- a useful device that saves the user from having to be literally tied to the Internet with a wire. According to numerous experiments, the signal range of a medium power router reaches 100 meters indoors, and 300 meters outdoors. Once configured, a wireless router does not need any additional maintenance, it is as easy to use as possible, but, like any technical means, is not immune from failures and breakdowns.

Examples when a seemingly properly configured router does not distribute Wi-Fi are not so rare. At the same time, the status of the network, depending on the nature of the problem, may be "No access to the Internet" or "Limited", although such a scenario is not excluded, in which the network is determined by the system, but there is no actual connection or large traffic losses are observed. In this article, we will try to figure out why the router does not distribute the Internet via Wi-Fi, and at the same time we will see what can be done in this or that case.

Temporary failure of the router

If the router works day and night without a break, sooner or later it may fail, so the very first thing to do if the router stops distributing the Internet is to turn it off, wait a few minutes, and then turn it back on.

Rebooting the router can also help the device (computer or tablet) detect the network if it is suddenly not detected at the time the device is turned on. This problem is often encountered by users of devices that are connected to one or the other wireless network.

Problems on the provider's side

If restarting doesn't help, the next thing to check is if there are any restrictions from the ISP. It is likely that an accident occurred somewhere on the server, the main cable was damaged, unplanned maintenance work is being carried out, and you will delve into the settings and wonder why the router does not distribute Wi-Fi. Dial a number technical service your ISP and make sure that the problem is not on their side, and only then look for the source of the problem on your own.

Hardware failures

At the next stage, we check the health of the equipment - cables and router. If the power light is not on, the wire or power supply may be damaged. We check the condition of the cables in the house (apartment) and beyond, see if the plugs are tight in the sockets. Many modern routers have hardware power on / off buttons and WiFi sharing.

It often happens that someone at home picked up the router and accidentally pressed one of these buttons. This point also needs to be checked. The wireless network indicator deserves special attention. If the Wi-Fi icon on the router is not lit, this may indicate several problems.

• Breakdown in the distribution system. You yourself will not do anything here, you need to call the master.
• Crash in the router software. It is eliminated by rebooting, correcting or resetting the settings, in extreme cases, flashing.
• Disabled Wi-Fi sharing button. In this case, the router does not distribute Wi-Fi, but there is Internet and you can connect to it through the router via cable. If cable connection it is possible only directly, without a router, this may indicate both a breakdown of the device and a failure of its settings.

Wrong Wi-Fi settings

Incorrect router settings are most often indicated by a burning but not blinking Wi-Fi indicator, as well as a change in its color from green to orange or red. Troubleshooting correct setting network settings. AT different models routers, this procedure is somewhat different, although the principles are the same. If you have never configured routers before, it is best to entrust this matter to a master called to your house, but at least you can check if the wireless network is enabled in the device settings.

To enter the router settings, connect it to a PC via a cable, go to 192.168.1.0 or 192.168.1.1 in any browser and log in with login/password (admin/admin by default). AT TP-Link routers, for example, you need to go to the "Wireless" section and check if the "Enable Wireless Router Radio" item is checked. The checkbox in the "Enable SSID Broadcast" item must also be checked, otherwise the devices will not be able to see the network. In other models, the setting may be in a different location (look for the Wireless network or WLAN section).

A very interesting case is when a laptop sees the network, but a smartphone or tablet does not. It turns out that the router does not distribute the Internet via Wi-Fi only for mobile devices. This problem is sometimes faced by owners of smartphones and tablets brought from the United States. The reason for this is the discrepancy between the channel selected in the router settings and the settings specified in the firmware of the mobile device. The problem is usually solved by manually selecting the channel, 1st or 6th.

Incorrect network adapter settings

If Wi-Fi does not work on the router, this does not always have to mean that the problem is hidden in the router. It is possible that the settings on the receiving device have gone wrong - a computer, laptop or tablet, in any case, check the configuration wireless adapter not prevent. Open by team ncpa.cpl network connections, go to the properties of your wireless network, in the list of parameters on the "Network" tab, find the IP version 4 (TCP / IPv4) item and double-click on it.

In the properties window that opens, set the acquisition of the IP address and DNS server address in automatic mode. If automatic is already set, try manually setting DNS address 8.8.8.8 (Google) or 77.88.8.88 (Yandex). You can also set the address of any other alternative DNS server, which is not difficult to find on the Internet.

Conclusion

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Wi-Fi module in a tablet or phone in the operating room Android system- one of the most important components today. Wireless networks surround not only at home, but also at work, in your favorite coffee shops and even in public transport. Wi-Fi on Android usually does not turn on at the most inopportune time. Why might this be happening? There are several options:

• the password is entered incorrectly;
• the network connection or system settings have gone wrong;
• there was a failure in the operating system;
• the wrong firmware was installed;
• The Wi-Fi module itself has failed.

Most often, the problem is in the settings. Of course, if the smartphone fell into the water, there is a possibility that something is wrong with the module. But if nothing happened, and the network disappeared suddenly, the error is most likely software.

If Wi-Fi on Android does not start, first of all you should:

Often the reason for a non-working Wi-Fi is very simple. But not always it consists in the wrong password or downed time. If after all the actions the Wi-Fi icon is still gray, it's time to move on to more decisive ones.

Restore settings

Most simple solutions on wifi recovery are to set the correct date and time. If the "airplane" mode is not active, and the date and time are correct, you can try to reset the device to factory settings. After saving the data in cloud storage or on another device.

Android Users encountered the problem of eternal loading when trying to update or install applications through Play market. It also affected the performance of the network. If this is your case, try clearing the Play Market cache, deleting temporary files.

Router settings

You enter additional settings and you get the error "mac address not available"? Turn off Wi-Fi on the device, as well as the router itself. After a while - connect back and try to go online again. If this does not help, the encryption settings on the router itself may have been changed. Some Android devices simply do not see encryption channels above 11. Change the router settings and connect again.

Android engineering menu settings

If your device is powered by a MediaTek processor (which is not available on most devices with a Qualcomm processor), you can exit to engineering menu and set the Wi-Fi settings directly through it. You can open it by the command "*#*#3646633#*#*" entered in the dial pad. For some tablets that do not have this panel, you can install special utilities to enter engineering mode. The settings are checked and set in the "connection" tab.

Setting up something through the engineering mode is only worth it if you are an advanced user Android platforms. This is a mode for developers, any changes at random can lead to unpleasant consequences.

Wi-Fi settings on Android TV-box

The TV Box, which also runs on Android, like smartphones with tablets, also does not remain without connection problems. To work with it, it is recommended to use an external wifi adapter or connect a cable, but this will only help improve the speed. And if WiFi connections not at all, it is recommended:

1. Go to file manager.
2. Find the WIFI folder and the wpa_supplicant.conf file in it.
3. Delete a file.
4. Wait a while, start searching for Wi-Fi on the set-top box.
5. The device will automatically find the connection.

Did not help? Time to check the software.

Software failures

Wi-Fi may not work or randomly turn off due to recent installed apps. Log in to the app manager on your mobile device and see which app has the most activity during your flight. Such an application usually also mercilessly eats the battery, so the smartphone or tablet "dies" faster. It will be enough to remove the application or install another version with which the error was not observed.

It is recommended to check if you have applications that restrict access to the Internet. So through a series of firewalls you can put restrictions even without root rights. Also, to check the software, there are special utilities, thanks to which you can see which application the network gives an error. Additionally, it is recommended to check the device for viruses - some of them can create problems with the Wi-Fi network connection.

Installing the wrong firmware

The reason for the problems with the operation of the Wi-Fi module may be custom firmware blocking the connection. Manufacturers recommend installing only official firmware versions: custom versions are far from always reliable. If problems appear after flashing, you should roll back the device to the factory or flash it again. Only to the official one.

If Wi-Fi does not work on your phone, then this article will help you quickly solve this problem and use the wireless network again. Often, many smartphone owners are poorly versed in the settings of their devices and do not know what causes problems with Wi-Fi. However, malfunctions can be hidden not only in a mobile device, but also in an Internet access point - a Wi-Fi router. We will consider both cases in the framework of this instruction.

Why Wi-Fi does not work on the phone: possible reasons

All problems can be divided into two groups according to their origin:

1. incorrect ones that interfere with the transfer of data from the access point;
2. incorrect settings on the Wi-Fi router, due to which the mobile device cannot connect to the wireless network.

Let's consider all cases in more detail.

The Internet does not work on the phone via Wi-Fi due to a malfunction of the device itself in the following situations:

1. Failure of the wireless network adapter in the smartphone;
2. Incorrect settings in the device menu.

In the first situation, you need to take your smartphone to a repair shop so that the experts restore the adapter to working order (often it comes out of its connector when it is shaken or dropped) or replaced with a new one. If Wi-Fi stopped working after repair, then all the blame lies entirely with service center.

In the second situation, you can try to set up a Wi-Fi connection yourself. To do this, go to the settings menu.
Depending on the manufacturer and operating system, you should select the "Wireless Network" section.
Next, click turn on Wi-Fi
and select your home router from the list of found access points.

If the smartphone does not see the Wi-Fi router at home, but connects to other modems, then the problem is in your router.
If this did not help and the Internet still does not work on the phone via Wi-Fi, then you can try to do hard reset or just reload mobile device.

In order to make a Hard reset, dial the command *2767*3855#. Attention! In this case, all data will be deleted from internal memory phone (contacts, photos, videos, programs, settings). Therefore, do not forget to backup or copy them to your computer.

We figured out why the smartphone does not see the Wi-Fi network. But what if the phone connects to the router, but the Internet still does not go?

Let's try to solve this problem.

Connecting a laptop to a wireless, wi-fi, network does not always go smoothly.

If you're having trouble, check out the step-by-step instructions to help you troubleshoot.

Diagnosing the source of the problem

If your device, a laptop, has failed to connect to a Wi-Fi network, the problem may be hiding in wrong settings router. The first step is to find the source of the malfunction that leads to a connection error. It is on this that the further “treatment” depends.

To determine the source, connect your iPad, smartphone, computer (any other device) to a Wi-Fi network. If the connection on any of the devices is successful, the conclusions are obvious - the problem lies in the laptop. And if you didn’t learn how to connect via a wireless network, as in the first option, it means that the router is not configured properly. We will consider both cases separately. So, what to do if the problem is in the laptop?

Hardware inclusion of the Wi-Fi module of the laptop

The diagnostics carried out earlier (see step one) revealed the following: if, for example, a tablet or smartphone was connected to a wireless network, then everything is in order with Wi-Fi, and the problem lies precisely in the laptop.

To solve it, the first step is to check the status of the wireless adapter of the "problem" device. It can be disabled, respectively, and the Wi-Fi network does not work on this device. The adapter is connected by a certain set of buttons and with the help of a light indicator shows the work.

It is important! If the indicator is on, the wireless module is enabled on the device. And if the light is off, the Wi-Fi adapter is disabled.

The light indicator is traditionally located on the front or side of the laptop. But there are some models of portable computers that differ in the location of the indicator. For example, it can be located on the monitor (its body) or touch panel. And there is a third group of laptops. They have a light indicator that shows whether the wireless network module is working or not, located on the power button (that is, built-in).

A specific key combination is required to connect the wireless network module. Any combination begins with the Fn modifier key, to which one of the functional ones is added - F1-F12. If you take a close look at the function keys, you will see the wireless, wifi, network icon.

Acer laptops differ from more modern models by turning on the wireless network module using a special two-position switch. If you have a laptop from this company, you will most likely find this switch on the side. In the screenshots below, we showed how the Wi-Fi adapter is turned off or turned on on laptops from different manufacturers.

Fujitsu: Fn + F5

Gigabyte: Fn + F2

If the wireless network module is working, connect via Wi-Fi network. Do problems remain? So take the third step.

Programmatic inclusion of the Wi-Fi module of the laptop

The second step we tried to fix the problem was to hardware-enable the wireless network adapter. Now we will try to do it programmatically. And this means that our next steps will be performed in the OS itself, the software that is installed on our portable computer.

If you have an operating Windows system version 7, follow these steps:

Act one

To enable the Wi-Fi module, go to the "Network and Control Center" section. public access” (where the time is shown).

Action two

On the left, click on "Change network module settings".

Act Three

Here you will see a list of connections. When connected via a wireless network, the indicator should be on, if not, the module is disabled. Click on it and turn it on.

If the icon lights up, the Wi-Fi adapter is on.

act four

Go to the taskbar (where the clock and other icons are). As you remember, in the second step, the problem was that the wireless module was working fine, but there was no network to connect to, which means that the router was not configured correctly. The picture shows 2 connection states in the desktop task area: the first - there are no networks available and the second one is.

With the help of the third step, you have enabled the wifi adapter, now you need to find your network and just connect.

The module has been successfully enabled software methods, now try connecting to a Wi-Fi network. Does the problem remain? Follow the next, fourth, step.

Installing/reinstalling drivers for the Wi-Fi module

Now you need to check if there is a driver in the system. In "My Computer" click on "Properties" and from there go to "Device Manager".

The menu window will open. Here you need " Network modules". You need to find the name of your wireless module. In this name you will meet the word Adapter (if the operating system on the laptop is on English language) or "Wireless network adapter" (if it is in Russian). For example, the name of the module would be: Qualcomm Wireless Network Adapter . Click on the name of the adapter and in "Properties" see how the device works. It should work fine.

Important information! If you did not find the name of the wireless module installed on the laptop in "Network adapters", then there are no drivers. Download them from a disk or find them on the official website of the manufacturer.

Troubleshooting connection problems in the router

What to do if the problems lie precisely in the settings of the router? We cannot consider each individual case, since both routers and those installed on them software(firmware) enough. Therefore, we will limit ourselves to only general tips that will help you, we hope, solve the problem with connecting a wireless, Wi-Fi, network.

1. Put the router next to the computer.
2. Check if the wireless network adapter is turned on (if there is an indicator light).

Check the following in your router settings:

• Is the wireless network module enabled;
• Whether the broadcast channel is included in the Service Set Identifier;
• Check if your laptop's unique identifier (its MAC address) is blacklisted.

Here we have a list of problems that make it impossible to connect to a wireless network normally. For each case, we wrote detailed guide, which should solve the connection problem. If something didn’t work out for you, check carefully whether you correctly identified the cause of the malfunction and whether you followed the sequence of actions.

After completing the diagnostics of the operating system described in this article, you should solve the problem of connecting Wi-Fi on a laptop.

Hello dear friends. As you probably already understood from the title, today I decided to touch on a very serious and painful topic, and try to figure out what to do when Wi-Fi does not work on a laptop or netbook and how to still connect a laptop to WiFi router. By the way, it can be not only a laptop, or a netbook, it can also be an ordinary desktop computer with Wi-Fi receiver. There have been a lot of similar questions lately, mainly to the article.

Now we will try to figure out step by step what and why problems may appear when connecting a laptop to a wireless WiFi networks. We will also try to find a solution to this very popular and unpleasant problem with connecting to Wi-Fi, or rather an unsuccessful connection.

Most often, problems arise when you cannot turn on the Wi-Fi module itself on a laptop. And when Wi-Fi turns on, the laptop finds all available networks, but when you try to connect, it writes. You need to check if the drivers are installed on the Wi-Fi adapter, if Wi-Fi is enabled on the laptop, etc. Now we will do this.

I noticed that most often problems with connecting to Wi-Fi are found in Windows 7. It is on this OS that the error network without access to the Internet very often appears, I wrote how to solve this problem in the article, the link to which is above. In fact, as practice shows, there can be a lot of reasons for this problem. And if there are many reasons, then there are many ways in which you can make a laptop connect to a Wi-Fi router.

But it is not always the laptop, netbook, etc. that is to blame. There may be a problem in the access point, that is, in the Wi-Fi router. And the first thing we need to do when there is a problem with connecting to Wi-Fi is to determine what is the reason, in a laptop, or in a Wi-Fi router. Now I will consider the problem with connecting to my own router. Because if you are unable to establish a connection with someone else's Wi-Fi, then all claims are against the neighbor, it is most likely that he has problems :).

Who is to blame, laptop or Wi-Fi router?

As I wrote above, you first need to find the culprit. Before you make any settings on a laptop or Wi-Fi router, you need to understand what the problem is, which is why you can’t connect your laptop to Wi-Fi. You can just set it up so that you then have to do it and set everything up again. Most The best way to determine in which device the problem is hiding, it is to try to connect another device to the router, for example, another laptop, tablet, or phone. And a laptop that has problems connecting to Wi-Fi, you need to try connecting to a different wireless network.

I think that you understood my idea. If there are other devices connected to your router (best with similar operating system) will connect without problems, then the problem is in the laptop. Read this article further, now we will try to solve it.

Well, if problems when connecting to your network occur on other devices, and the “problem” laptop connects to other networks without problems, then the problem is in setting up the Wi-Fi router. See the article on, it might come in handy.

I will show on the example of a laptop that runs on Windows 7. This is currently the most popular operating system.

I advise you to immediately pay attention to the icon that displays the status of the Internet connection. It's in the notification bar.

If the internet connection status looks like this:

First you need to check if the Wi-Fi drivers are installed and if the Wi-Fi adapter is enabled.

Click right click on the "My computer" and select "Properties". Left select "Device Manager".

Open a tab in a new window “Network adapters” and see if there is a device like Wireless Network Adapter (Your name may be different). If you have such a device, then right-click on it and select "Properties". Another window will open, make sure it says "The device is working properly."

If everything is about the same as mine above in the screenshot, then everything is fine, the driver is installed. And if there is no Wireless Network Adapter device and you have unidentified devices, go to the website of your laptop manufacturer, download and install the Wireless Network Adapter driver for your model.

Learn more about installing and updating the driver for the wireless adapter -.

Dealt with the drivers.

Checking if Wi-Fi is enabled on the laptop

If the driver is installed, but the Wi-Fi module is disabled, then the connection status will be the same:

Usually the wireless network adapter on the laptop is turned on, but it doesn't hurt to check. Wi-Fi on laptops (netbooks) is usually turned on and off with a keyboard shortcut. On my ASUS K56cm, these are the keys FN+F2. But although when I press these keys, I get a message that wireless adapters are enabled / disabled, but nothing happens. Look for a key on your laptop FN and key with a picture of a wireless network. Press them at the same time.

On some laptops, there may be a special switch on the case that you can turn Wi-Fi on or off. For example on Toshiba Satellite L300 it looks like this:

Enable or disable the wireless Wi-Fi adapter in Windows 7

But the best way to check if the wireless network adapter is working or not is to go to the network control center and see.

So on the notification panel, right-click on the Internet connection status icon and select "Network and Sharing Center".

Then select on the left.

Looking for connections “Wireless network connection” . If everything is fine and the Wi-Fi adapter is enabled, then it should look like this:

If the adapter is disabled, it will look like the screenshot below. Click on it with the right mouse button and select "Enable".

Using the methods described above, we must make sure that the status of the Internet connection on the notification panel is like this:

This status means “No connection - Yes available connections” - this means that the Wi-Fi adapter is turned on and there are available wireless networks for connection.

If the connection status is like this:

This means that Wi-Fi is on, but the laptop simply does not see networks available for connection.

Error “Windows could not connect to…”

We figured out the problem when the wireless network module is disabled, or does not work at all. Now consider the case when the laptop finds available Wi-Fi networks, but when trying to connect to Wi-Fi it says: “Windows could not connect to…”, where instead of dots is the name of the network you want to connect to.

If you have a network connection status such as in the screenshot above (via one, network with yellow icon), then click on it, and you will see a list of networks available for connection.

Select the desired network, click on it, then click the "Connect" button.

If the set is password protected, then Windows will ask you for a password. Write down the password for the network and click "OK".

And if everything is fine, then your laptop should connect to the Internet via wireless connection. And the Internet connection status should look like this:

But it is at the moment of connection that the error "Windows could not connect to ..." very often appears. It looks like this:

Unfortunately, friends, there is no definite solution to this problem. But I can download that very often the problem with such an error appears due to WiFi settings router. Maybe through the type of security and encryption that is installed on the Wi-Fi router, read more about this in the article. There may also be a problem with the distribution of IP addresses.

If you notice, then in the window with the error "Windows could not connect to ..." it is possible to run “Troubleshooting”, sin not to use. Try to run it, I heard somewhere that there are cases in which it helps :). But seriously, sometimes it really helps. Windows will check if the wireless adapter is ready, check settings, etc. And if it can, it will fix the problem that is preventing you from connecting to Wi-Fi.

Just reboot the router and then the laptop. Very often this helps.

Update

I noticed that in Windows this error appears when the settings that are saved on the computer for your network do not match the current network settings. I'll explain now.

For example, your laptop was connected to Wi-Fi, it automatically connected to the network. But you took and changed the password, or the type of network encryption. Now the laptop is trying to connect to the network, but the parameters no longer match, that's the error.

It is enough just to delete the network on the computer and re-establish the connection. I wrote about it in an article

Conclusion

Great article turned out, and I hope that it is useful. I wrote it for half a day, intermittently, of course, there were still problems with adding screenshots to the site, but I sort of solved it.

I tried to collect all the necessary information that should help you solve the problem that occurs when connecting a laptop or netbook to Wi-Fi. If I forgot to write something, then in the future I will definitely supplement the article, I will also be very grateful if you share information in the comments that helped you solve the problem with connecting to a wireless network.

If you have any questions, then ask them in the comments, we will try to figure it out. Good luck!