Where is the wireless switch. How to turn on WiFi on a laptop yourself: a detailed guide

The presence of Wi-Fi allows you to use the Internet in a variety of places. But before you can, comfortably sitting in a cafe or on a park bench, plunge into the world of the Internet, you need to deal with your laptop and find how and where to turn on the network on your laptop.

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

how to turn on wireless 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 on models where available;
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, this is either Fn and F9 or Fn and F12.

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

Enabling wireless communication on a laptop in other ways

If a switch is not marked on the keyboard, it can be placed on the side panel or the bottom of the laptop. The buttons located on the bottom are made inconspicuous, so you need to pay special attention to find it there. If neither the combination nor the switch could turn on the wireless network, then most likely the 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 for the presence of the necessary drivers, which are connected if they are, but not connected, and are first downloaded and installed, and then connected if they are not in the laptop. You can check the drivers through the "Control Panel", the menu item "Device Manager". If this subsection is not immediately visible, then it may be located in 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 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 it is the phrase "Engage". You may need to turn it on additionally if the adapter is connected to the power saving mode.

You can eliminate the savings factor in the windows 7 menu in the "Properties" section, where there should be a "Power Management" subsection. It has a checkmark on the item "Allow shutdown to save."

After unchecking the box, the drivers will work, and the connection can be made by standard keystrokes. If the above manipulations did not bring results, the laptop should be shown to a specialist - it may be damaged.

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How to turn on the wireless network on a laptop

Wireless network Wi-Fi is the ease and convenience of surfing the Internet in any place where there is access to it. But sometimes many are faced with the problem of connecting a laptop to a Wi-Fi network. In most cases, it is easy to fix, but sometimes you have to make certain adjustments.

Wireless Internet in some laptops is turned on using the button with the image of the antenna. You should look for it on the body of the device.

Most new laptop models do not have a separate power button. Then the wireless Internet must be turned on by pressing a specific key combination:

Asus - "Fn" - "F2";
MSI - "Fn" - "F10";
Acer - "Fn" - "F3";
HP - "Fn" - "F12";
Lenovo - "Fn" - "F5";
Samsung - "Fn" - "F9" or "Fn" - "F12".

If an external adapter is used to connect to the network, then it must be connected to the laptop via a USB port.

If the laptop has a built-in Wi-Fi adapter, then in order to connect to a wireless network, you need to enable it in the windows settings. To do this, press the "Win" - "R" keys, then enter "ncpa.cpl" in the window. Under "Change adapter settings" (or "Network connections") is "Wireless network connection". If it is gray, then you need to right-click on it and select "Enable".

Due to a failure, the Wi-Fi adapter may be disabled in the Device Manager. If this happens, then in "Network Connections" the icon "Wireless Network Connection" will be missing. To fix this problem, you need to press the "Win" - "R" keys, enter "devmgmt.msc" in the pop-up window. In the "Device Manager" select the "Network Adapters" section and find the Wi-Fi or Wireless device. Right click on it and select Enable. If it was not possible to turn on the device, you need to download and install drivers for the Wi-Fi adapter.

Sometimes you need to enter the network settings yourself, which works in stealth mode. To do this, you need to open the "Network and Sharing Center", select "Manage wireless networks", "Add" and then "Create a network profile manually". Enter the required parameters in the table, click "Next" and "Connect".

Sometimes you can find laptops in which, in order to connect to a wireless network, you first need to launch the “Wireless Assistant” or “Wi-Fi Manager” utilities located in the Start menu. After that, you can freely turn on Wi-Fi.

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Enabling and configuring Wi-Fi on laptops with different versions of windows

Laptop owners usually use a wireless connection to access the Internet, since there is a Wi-Fi adapter on all laptop models without exception. However, in order 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. On different laptop models, this procedure is slightly different, 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 enabling Wi-Fi for a long time, giving ways for MSI, Acer, Samsung and other brands. Even different series of the same manufacturer have different ways to activate the wireless module, therefore:

Inspect the laptop case for a hardware switch or Wi-Fi enable button.
Examine the keyboard - one of the keys in the F1-F12 row should be marked with a wireless 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 not be a hardware key or Fn button on its keyboard. For Wi-Fi to work in this case, a special VAIO Smart Network utility is required, which can be found on the official website of the manufacturer.

Fn button not working

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 runs 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 the installation of the utility did not help or the key was physically damaged, then you will have to use an alternative method to turn 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 described below). If this method did not help, then you will have to look for an external keyboard with a working Fn key and then no longer turn off the Wi-Fi module.

Setting up Wi-Fi on different versions of windows

With the physical inclusion of the module, you will figure it out quickly enough. Sometimes the Wi-Fi setup ends here: 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 a connection manually.

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

To be sure, it is better to go to the official website of the laptop manufacturer and find the latest wireless network module driver for your model. In addition, right-click on the adapter and select "Enable" (if it 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 a windows XP environment is configured as follows:

Check that the Wi-Fi indicator on the laptop is on (that is, you have turned on the adapter and installed the drivers).
Open the Control Panel.
Find the "Network Connections" section.

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 contain 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 the 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 the Network Sharing Center.
Click "Change adapter settings".
Find your wireless connection and make sure it's turned on.

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

windows 8

On windows 8, the procedure for connecting to Wi-Fi remains the same, but the “Airplane” mode has been added, with which you need to be able to work. If the adapter driver is installed and the wireless connection is working correctly, then you will see the Wi-Fi icon on the notification panel, 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 enabled and installed.

If the adapter is turned on, the drivers are installed, but there are no available networks, check that the Airplane mode icon is not hanging in 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 changes, so you will quickly figure out how to connect a 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 is not displayed, try configuring the network settings. Click on the link of the same name - the "Network and Internet" section of the windows 10 settings will open.

Here you are interested in two tabs:

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

You can go to the adapter settings section and turn on the wireless connection. Simply put, on windows 10 you have several equivalent options - you just need to choose a more convenient way for yourself.

Sometimes some laptop users have a problem in which wi-fi stops working. Moreover, it is not defined and the wi-fi icon takes the form of an antenna with a cross. However, if you run troubleshooting, an error “Wireless is disabled” is detected.

In this article, we will tell you how to fix this problem and enable wireless communication. It is worth noting that the method works not only in Windows 7, but also in Windows 10.

What does "Wireless disabled" mean?

This error indicates that the network adapter installed inside the laptop and responsible for the operation of the wireless network, that is, Wi-Fi, is disabled.

You can enable it in several ways.

To get started, look on the keyboard, where the F1-F12 buttons are, the key with the image of the antenna. Usually this is F2, but there may be others. She looks like this.

Keyboard shortcut to turn on Wi-Fi

Now try clicking on it 1 time. See if Wi-Fi networks have begun to be detected. If not, then press the Fn button and do not release it, the button with the image of the antenna.

Check again if Wi-Fi networks are displayed. If displayed, the wireless network is enabled.

We go to the control panel

Network and Sharing Center

Adapter Options

There, at the top left, select “Change adapter settings” and check that the wireless connection is not in the “Disabled” state. If so, enable it by right-clicking on it and selecting "Enable".

Enable wireless connection in control panel

On some older laptop models, somewhere on the case there is a separate button or switch, pressing which turns on the wireless network. Carefully inspect your laptop for the presence of such a button. If there is, click on it or move it to the opposite state.

Separate wireless activation button on some laptops

Another way to enable wireless communication in Windows 7 is through the windows mobility center. It is located in the control panel.

Mobility Center

Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 have Airplane mode. When it is activated, wireless communication is turned off and it will not be possible to turn it on while this mode is activated.

To turn it off, go to the settings through the notification icon in the lower right corner of the screen and select “All settings” in it.

Network and Internet settings in Windows 10

In the menu on the left, select “Airplane Mode” and see that it is disabled. Also check the "wireless network connection" checkbox.

Turn on wireless in windows 10

If, after all the above steps, you still could not turn on wireless communication, most likely you need to try reinstalling the Wi-Fi driver and check the wi-fi module that is in the laptop.

The question of turning on wi-fi on a laptop is of interest to 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

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

Usually, on the keys responsible for connecting to the Network, there is a stylized image of the antenna. It doesn't matter which laptop - Acer or HP. You can always find such a button. But the combinations with it are different.

Fn + F2 is a working combination for the Asus WiFi range.
Fn + F12 needs to be pressed by those who purchased an HP laptop. Or there is a separate button that depicts a wireless network.
Fn+F3 is a combination to enable WiFi connection for MSI models.
For Samsung, there are two options: Fn + F12, or Fn + F9.
Lenovo is different from HP or Acer. To establish a 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 a connection on any Toshiba laptop.
The presence of a mechanical switch is also characteristic of the Sony Vaio lineup.

You can look for a button that plays the role of a switch on the end of the device if Fn is missing. Did you manage to connect WiFi on the laptop, but something else does not work? Perhaps the problem lies in the WiFi settings of the Windows operating system.

What about software inclusion?

Sometimes you need to use special software in order to enable the adapter on a 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 it was not possible to 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 figure shows. We need a button that offers to change the adapter, its parameters.

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

Users may encounter two situations in this case.

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

What about the second situation?

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

Sometimes this is due to the in-flight mode being running. In other situations, the shutdown occurs in additional parameters. Just right-click on the Wi-Fi icon to turn on the connection.
A separate window will pop up, where we need to select the function to enable “Wi-Fi”. Or a wireless network. After you turn everything on, a list of available Wi-Fi networks that you can work with will appear. It remains only to connect.

We check 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 removed by the user, or when they are not installed at all.

First, open Device Manager. It's located in the Windows Control Panel, under Hardware and Sound.
We need to see if the equipment next to which the exclamation mark is lit is yellow or red. This is especially true for the elements responsible for receiving WiFi.

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

About some connection settings

Incorrect router location is a mistake that many users make. Because of this, WiFi is not as fast and stable as we would like. Even on quality Acer models. Routers are recommended to be installed at some distance from electronic household appliances. This is due to the operation of devices at the same frequency as that of WiFi - 2.4 GHz. Because of this, on a laptop, the WiFi speed is reduced, even if everything was turned on according to the instructions.

Setting up WiFi for the local network

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

In the properties of the connection, 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

The manuals for some models may provide other data. We insert exactly what is said in the accompanying documentation. Open a command prompt to explore other options. You can configure 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. We 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 set up 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 Wireless Settings section to configure Wi-Fi. After that, we need to give the name of our Wi-Fi network. This is done in the Name (Ssid) line. In the Channel item, specify the Auto function, find your region from the list. Thanks to this solution, you can configure the 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 the Control Panel.
Click on switch to classic view. We find the center responsible for managing network connections. Here we will see the section with a wireless WiFi connection.
Click on the utility with the right mouse button. And select the item with WiFi properties. There should be a line with automatic obtaining of an IP address. Press the OK button if there is a check mark.
We return to the folder with network connection management. Again, you will need a WiFi network connection section. Click on it with the right mouse button, select the item "connect-disconnect".
It remains only to choose 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, then 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.

Problems connecting to a wireless network from a laptop often occur even for experienced users, and beginners do not even know how to approach the settings. Therefore, we decided to consider this issue in more detail. In the article we will understandhow to turn on wifi on laptop, while providing a connection algorithm for different types of operating system. We will also find out what are the main problems users face and how to solve them.

How to turn on wifi on laptop

First of all, let's figure out how to activate the Wi-Fi module on the device. Without this, you will not be able to use wireless communication and set up a connection. Usually, the inclusion depends on the laptop model and varies slightly in each case. Certain function keys are involved in the process.

For an ASUS laptop, this is FN + F .
If your gadget is called Acer or Packard bell, then you need to press FN + F3.
Gadget from HP turns on the WiFi module with a dedicated touch button marked with an antenna icon or FN+F12 . A number of models from this manufacturer have a simple button with an antenna to activate the wireless connection.
Lenovo - FN+F5 if there is no dedicated button.
Samsung - FN + F9 or FN + F12, depending on the model.

We have listed the most common manufacturers of equipment. If your laptop is manufactured by another company, then the desired combination can be clarified in the instructions for the gadget or on the company's website. Usually this is the FN function key, which is available on all modern laptops and an additional one from the F1-F12 series.

If the button to turn on is dedicated, then you can search for it in a separate block or even on the ends of the case. Usually it is indicated by the corresponding icon associated with the signal distribution.

Wi-Fi settings depending on the OS

Now let's talk about those inclusion methods that are intrasystem. Simply, how to enable a wireless network connection in the operating system. We will analyze the two most common, by analogy, you can make settings on other versions of Windows.

Windows 10

How to turn on wifi on laptop, if everything is in order with the settings, the answer to this question is no less important than turning on the module. So, we bring to your attention a step-by-step algorithm for the tenth version of the operating system.

That's all. As a result, the laptop will connect and you will be provided with Internet access.

Windows 7

We also consider setting up for this version, provided that the system is equipped with the necessary drivers and has a network adapter. That is, all the nuances are technically observed and the WiFi module is turned on.

In the case of this version of the OS, everything is much simpler. You can simply click on the Internet connection icon in the lower right corner and select the desired network from the list of available wireless connections. Enter the password and wait for the connection to be activated. That's all.

What to do if you can't connect

Often there are situations in which, when the above algorithms are executed, the connection to the network is not performed. In this case, two options are available:

disabled WiFi adapter;
required drivers are missing.

Don't be afraid. In both cases, the issue is not as terrible as it seems, and everything is completely solvable.

The seventh version of the operating system

For the seventh version of Windows, the verification algorithm will be as follows.

The absence of an entry or the presence of a yellow sign next to the inscription means there are problems with the drivers for the adapter. In this situation, you will have to reinstall them from the disk provided with the laptop or the official website of the manufacturer. In any case, the process is simple, just download the necessary programs and reboot the computer, the system itself will distribute the software to the right place and activate it.

If there is a yellow icon, then click on it and in the menu that opens, click the “Enable” command. Then right-click on the adapter and in the "Properties" section select "Power Management" and in the option to turn off the adapter in power saving mode, uncheck it if it is.

Turn on the adapter in "Network Connections", here find the wireless connection and click the "Enable" command next to it. On this, all the problems in Windows 7 that the user can solve on their own have been fixed, and if the problem remains, then the matter is in the technical component and it is better to contact a professional.

Tenth version of Windows

If you have a "Ten", then, solving the issuehow to connect wifi on laptop, you should also rule out problems with the adapter and drivers.

If the icons for connecting to Wi-Fi are not found on the taskbar, then the adapter is disabled. To be able to connect to the Internet, you must first enable it.

If there is no “Wireless Network” icon at all, then we go to the first section of our article and read how to enable WiFi hardware.

To check the drivers, you need to right-click on an empty spot on the taskbar and select the "Settings" section in the context menu. Then in the main section, select "Devices" and go to "Device Manager". Expand the "Network adapters" block and look for an entry with the word Wireless. If the icon is supplemented with an exclamation point, then the driver is not working correctly and needs to be reinstalled. If after downloading new drivers the problem is not resolved, then it is also worth contacting a professional.

What could be easier than connecting to a wireless WiFi network? It is enough to enter the password and wait for the connection to be established. This usually happens, but what if the connection is limited (no Internet access) or the connection is not established at all? Let's talk about the reasons why such failures occur, and how to deal with them.

Why Windows 8 Can't See or Connect to WiFi Networks

A computer or laptop running Windows 8 does not see the Wi-Fi network for the following reasons:

WiFi adapter is not installed, disabled or defective;
the system does not have a wireless network driver;
Airplane mode is enabled on the computer;
there is no wireless network access point in your area;
the access point (wireless router) that is nearby is disabled, misconfigured, or malfunctioning;
computer and access point communication standards are not mutually supported;
there is a device nearby that interferes with the radio signal;
the WiFi adapter is in monitoring mode.

If the network is visible, but the connection is not created or is limited:

Internet access for this network is not configured or denied;
network connection is limited by the administrator;
the access point cannot process the request due to congestion;
Wrong access point settings are being used.

Restoring the connection to the wireless network

Checking the network adapter

Desktop PCs are sold without WiFi network adapters, so you will need to purchase and install an adapter separately to connect to wireless networks. For example, such as in the picture.

You do not need to buy a Wi-Fi adapter for a laptop - it is already inside.

In order for the laptop to see and connect to wireless networks, WiFi must be enabled. On some models, a switch or button on the case is provided for this.

Others use the Fn+F1…F12 key combination. The key with the image of the antenna is responsible for turning on the wireless adapter.

After enabling the WiFi adapter, it should appear in the Windows 8 Device Manager. To check this, launch the manager from the context menu of the Windows button (Start)

and expand the "Network adapters" list. If your adapter is on this list, then the system recognized and installed it. If it is displayed as an unknown device, go to its manufacturer's website and install the driver.

If the adapter is connected, but the system does not see it, make sure that it is enabled in the BIOS.

The option that is responsible for the operation of the built-in WiFi is called OnBoard Wireless LAN or Wireless LAN support. Its value must be "Enabled".

Among other things, make sure that the wireless adapter is not in monitor mode. Although those who use this mode always know about it (it requires a special driver to be installed).

Checking the access point

If your PC or laptop does not see your home hotspot, try connecting to another one. To check, you can use public networks, for example, in cafes or parks, or private ones - with your friends. To check a stationary computer without taking it out of the house, you can temporarily create a virtual access point on another device.

If wireless networks are not detected anywhere, problems should be looked for in the WiFi adapter or settings on the computer, and if there is no connection to only one access point, the problem is probably in it.

Diagnostic steps (if the previous step did not resolve the issue, continue to the next one):

Make sure the access point is turned on and emitting a signal (detected by the glow of the wireless network indicator).

Make sure that there are no devices that create electromagnetic interference near the router and the computer - cordless phones, microwave ovens, powerful power cables. Try moving the access point closer to your PC to improve the signal strength.
Turn off the power of the router and turn it on again. If problems persist, reset the settings: with a sharp object - a toothpick or a paper clip, press the recessed Reset button, which is located on the back or bottom of the device. After this manipulation, all settings will be restored to the state as after the purchase.

Change the frequency channel of the broadcast. Connect the computer to the access point via a cable, enter the wireless settings menu, find the option " Channel” and switch to another channel. Perhaps one of them will reconnect.

In the same menu, check the "Hide SSID" setting and, if it is active, check "No". Hiding the SSID disables the broadcast of the network name - such a network is not displayed in the lists of available connections. Also enable support for b/g wireless standards in case the Wi-Fi adapter on your computer works on one of them, and the access point on the other, for example "a", which "b" and "g" do not support.

If many devices connect to the access point at the same time, it may stop responding due to overload. At home, such situations are unlikely, but often happen in organizations. Try connecting to a different, less busy network, or try again after a while.

Checking Windows 8 Settings

Airplane Mode

WiFi may disappear due to the fact that the user has activated the "Airplane" mode in Windows 8 - in this mode, the network adapter turns off and the computer does not see any wireless network. To determine that the problems really arose because of this, the network icon in the system tray will help - it takes the form of an airplane.

To exit Airplane Mode in Windows 8, open the Charms pop-up bar and click the Settings charm.

Then click "Change PC settings".

Make sure Windows sees WiFi again and the network tray icon is back to normal.

Network Diagnostics

Windows 8 has a tool that automatically diagnoses network connection problems. It's called Windows Network Diagnostics. This tool sees and removes many obstacles to WiFi, for example, when there is a connection, but the computer does not access the Internet (connection is limited), or the Internet is available, but access to sites is limited.

When the connection is limited, the network tray icon is marked with an exclamation mark.

To launch the Windows 8 Network Diagnostic Tool, right-click on the network icon and select Troubleshoot from the menu.

The utility will check all network connections on the computer and determine what limits access to the Internet. Local problems that can be fixed will be fixed automatically. And if the connection cannot be restored, for example, due to problems with the access point or problems on the provider's side, the information will be displayed in a window marked "Not fixed".

If your PC has multiple connections, of which only one is limited, or if the diagnostic tool does not see a problem, you can only diagnose the selected network. To do this, enter the "Network and Sharing Center" and navigate to the "Network Connections" folder (click "Change adapter settings" in the navigation bar).

Open the context menu of the connection, which is limited, and click "Diagnostics".

WLAN autoconfiguration service

Connectivity issues can also occur after network services stop, either accidentally or unknowingly. The WLAN autoconfiguration service is responsible for WiFi operation in Windows 8. If the wired Ethernet connection is not limited by anything, and the system simply does not see wireless networks, start checking with this service.

Launch the Services application: open the context menu of the Windows (Start) button and click Run.

Next, type in the "Open" command services.msc and click OK.

Find WLAN autoconfiguration in the list of Windows 8 services, open its menu and select "Properties".

If the service is stopped, click "Start", and from the "Startup type" drop-down list, select "Automatic".

In order for the WLAN AutoConfig Service to start, another service, Windows Connection Manager, must be running. Find it in the same list and set similar settings for it.

The rest of the WiFi connection settings on the PC do not require manual configuration. All data for accessing the Internet - IP, gateway address, DNS, etc., is automatically received by the network from the DHCP server of the access point.

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