Each of the latest laptops has a built-in connector that connects to the Wi-Fi. But what if you turn on a brand-new laptop with an operating system installed on it and connect to a router to get a connection fails? You need to “browse” the settings by connecting the Wi-Fi itself. We will consider the classic methods of checking the ability of the adapter mounted in a laptop to connect and present ways to help change the parameters of the Wi-Fi, configure it, in the operation of versions of Windows 7-10.
Turn on Wi-Fi in the laptop hardware
Hardware-type tools will help to enable the connection. To do this, use the buttons intended for connecting to wi-fi – this is the simplest option. If it doesn’t work, it’s worth looking to see if the driver on the laptop has crashed.
Turn on wireless connections with laptop buttons
Some versions of technology, equipped with an element that makes it possible to use wi-fi, require its separate activation: not every device assumes an automatic start of the wireless network. Some devices involve the use of two keyboard buttons, some are supplied with one key for adapter launch. On older versions of laptops, there is an independent button on the body, and not on the keyboard, made in the form of a slider.
If the user has examined the lining of the laptop, but did not find the stand-alone slider, you should take a closer look at the keyboard . Typically, function buttons F (first through twelfth) are used to turn on the transmitter, which allows you to join the wireless network variety.
You need to look at the symbols drawn on these keys. One of these keyboard elements has a wi-fi icon made in the form of an antenna.
Important: to connect to the Internet, which is a wireless type, the Fn + F5 combination is more often used, so you should first look at these keyboard elements.
Checking and installing drivers on Wi-Fi
If the user installed the operating system and connected to Wi-Fi by combining the necessary buttons or finding a separate one, but the connection did not work – all the “salt” is in the driver. The operating system could not find and install the correct driver for the built-in receiver.
To find out if the utility needed for the Wi-Fi connection is installed, the user needs to enter the manager displaying these programs and see if the notorious utility is there.
Important: to enter the manager, right-click on the “My Computer” (or enter this folder, and then click on an empty space) and select the section that will display the properties. Find the desired tab in it.
In the manager showing tabs for connected devices, find the one showing network type adapters. If the adapter is visible, then there is a driver, it is simply disabled or there are no grids to which the user can connect.
The user did not find any devices for wireless connection? There is no driver, so you need to install it. Find the disk that came with the laptop and install the desired version from it. Another option is to download from a site owned by the manufacturer.
Remember: when searching for the required driver on the website, indicate the exact name of the laptop model, for example, Lenovo Yoga 920-13IKB . If necessary, indicate the OS version installed on the laptop.
Once the driver is found and downloaded on your laptop, click on the downloaded file on your laptop and follow the suggested installation tips.
If the utility is installed, but the wireless Internet does not work, you should check for the presence of networks available to the user, and also restart the router . Didn’t these manipulations work? Reinstall or download driver updates.
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Turn on Wi-Fi programmatically
If the above methods failed to enable the element designed to connect to the network without wires, the adapter may have been disabled by software – it was disabled in the operating system options. The user can launch the adapter using the classic Windows settings in two ways.
Method 1
This method consists in using a center dedicated to managing network access. To start the device that connects the laptop to Wi-Fi, the user should use the Win + R combination, and then, when the window opens, type “ncpa.cpl”.
This request will bring up a section that allows you to change the connector parameters.
Attention! In older XP versions, this item is designated differently: you need to find a section for connecting a network type.
In the section, the user needs to find a column / option that gives information about the connection to the network, which belongs to the wireless type. If this column is gray, the element connecting to WiFi is disabled. To start its functioning, you need to click the button on the right side of the mouse and assign the option intended to be enabled. After that, it’s worth trying to connect to an available network.
Method 2
This method assumes the use of a manager, which is designed to monitor the operation of devices. In the dispatcher, the connectors are disconnected infrequently: usually the termination of the functioning of the connector is caused by a malfunction of the laptop (especially inexpensive but convenient models like ASUS X515MA-EJ013 ).
Important: if the Wi-Fi connector built into the laptop is turned off, then in the column displaying connections related to the network type, the icons corresponding to the wireless connectors will not be visible.
To enter the dispatcher, the user should press Win + R on the keyboard that is built into his laptop. In the window that opens, for execution, you need to drive in devmgmt.msc and confirm the request.
When the dispatcher window opens, in the graph displaying adapters, find the one whose name suggests “Wi-Fi” or “Wireless”.
Then you need to select the option in the menu that uses the connector: it is called by clicking the right touchpad button on the name of the device.
Attention! If you get an error at startup, check the drivers: they will have to be reconnected, updated or reinstalled.
Additional way
If the laptop has factory Windows installed , then sometimes the laptop user has to turn on a utility created for managing grids that belong to the wireless type from the device manufacturer. These programs come bundled with almost any laptop.
These classic utilities are located in the start-up: to connect to the Internet wirelessly, the program must be running – otherwise the adapter will not work.
See also: How to turn on Bluetooth on a laptop: life hacks on the 3 latest Windows OS
Setting up WiFi on a laptop with Windows 10
Unlike the eighth option, the tenth (for example, Windows 10 Home 64-bit Russian 1pk DVD ) does not have a panel that drops out on the right, namely, it cannot be “summoned” by clicking on the “network bar” located in the system type tray ( it is next to the clock and date).
Because of this, users who have used a different version of Windows may get confused while setting up Wi-fi. This is also due to the fact that in the tenth version of the operating system, the user receives only a list of connections that are available for the connector mounted in the laptop and are within the radius available to it.
In order to correctly configure Wi-Fi in the tenth version of an operating type system created by Microsoft, and not knock off other settings, the first thing to do is to find a shortcut in the system tray. The icon will display a list of those networks that are open for connection.
Attention! If, after clicking on the icon, the network list is not visible, click on the line that can show the available connections. After the user clicks on the label, a panel will be displayed on the right.
When the network is found, click on it: if it is protected, enter the password and confirm. After that, a successful connection message will appear on the computer monitor . In order not to drive in a password every time, you should tinker a little with the settings.
Select the option that gives access to additional parameters. When the window opens, click on the section leading to the center, which is designed to indicate the parameters of the grid. Find the connection in the center, click on it and select the option leading to its network properties.
Important: after the performed actions, you should note those functions that the user considers necessary in order to work with Wi-Fi comfortably.
Thus, the user is free to connect to any non-password-protected network visible to the device. This column is located in the tab designed to control connections that belong to the type of wireless.
Also, the owner of the laptop, who works on the “top ten”, has the ability to open automatically triggered – turned on without a request – access for peripheral devices . This section is on the tab that displays the network connectors.
To start automatic access, the laptop user will need to click on the section for network connections, go to the properties and tick the corresponding item.
Interesting: the same column contains other options related to network settings.
In the center, where it is allowed to work with connected devices of a network plan, the user of the laptop has the opportunity to program the router and “create” a new connection, which belongs to the category of those that connect wirelessly. There you can also set up a telephone or network VPN, designed to access work data from a distance.
The user can also create a local group and enable / disable the Firewall.
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Configuring Wi-Fi on Windows 8-8.1
To make settings on a laptop that runs on the eighth version of Windows, you need to find the network shortcut in the tray and click on it using the left touchpad button (double short pressing on the manipulator mounted in the laptop will also work).
This action will “announce” the list of connections available for the laptop connector, which are wireless. After that, you need to click on the Hotspot to which the user wants to connect, and then confirm the action by clicking on the line with the same name. A field will be highlighted in which you need to type a password that gives access to the network point.
Attention! In order for the laptop user to be able to see the text of the password that he wrote, he will need to click on the icon made in the form of an eye, which is located on the right side of the field. It should be remembered that the printed text is visible only if you “pinch” the “eye”.
When the password is typed, the user will need to click on “next”. If the password characters are typed correctly, then in a minute the maximum connection will be established. It takes longer to connect to the network only with a slow Internet connection.
The sign that everything is connected is the changed appearance of the network shortcut, which is located in the tray. Conveniently, Windows sets all the configurable parameters that are required for a new connection “automatically”, except for the password.
When the system goes online, it “asks” to determine the type of network. The request is about whether the user wants the printer or other peripheral class device to connect immediately, without asking for access. Also, the user will need to indicate whether he wants the information on his laptop to become available to other computers .
Attention! If you click “yes”, then on the network under the name selected by the user, the exchange of information between the connected PCs and MFPs (printing without wires) will be available. It is convenient for the office. If you click “no”, the network will only work with the Internet.
Changing indicators
Everything in the same tray, on the “network” tab, you need to use the right touchpad button, and in the drop-down optional window, click on the section that is the center that allows you to interact with the network settings.
In the center, you need to find the name of the “hotspot” and click on it to call the option that displays its status. In this window, you should click on the properties related to the network connection. There you need to tick the necessary items related to the settings.
See also: TOP-8 programs for distributing WiFi from a laptop
Setting up WI-FI on a laptop with Windows 7
In the seventh version of Windows, the steps required to set up Wi-Fi on a laptop are similar to those in the newer series described above.
The classic way
So, go to the tray, located in the lower right corner of the panel designed for daily tasks, click on the network icon with the left key of the manipulator or touchpad. In the menu that opens to the user’s eyes, it is required to select the hotspot of interest to him, click on it and confirm the connection.
After that, a line for entering a password will appear on the “table”. When the owner of portable computer equipment has entered the password and confirmed it, the connection will begin, which will take a couple of minutes. The network icon will change when the connection is established. If you click on it, the selected access point will be displayed in the network list: it will be highlighted.
Interesting: all the settings of the network plan, except for the password, will be delivered automatically by the system.
“Central” method
This additional method, which allows you to create and configure a laptop to connect to the Internet without wires , is a little more complicated than the previous classic method, since it requires more steps. But this method allows the laptop owner to set some of the characteristics belonging to the new connection manually.
To use this technique, go to the section that is designed to interact with the parameters inherent in the network. The laptop user will then need to click on a link that will show the settings regarding the new Internet connection.
When a dialog section opens on the table for work displayed on the display , the user should select manual setting. Another window will open in which you will need to type the name of the point that provides access, select the type of encryption, as well as security, and enter the password. If done correctly, this network will appear in the tray.
Note: if the laptop owner wants to change the parameters of an existing connection, he will need to click on the left button located on the network shortcut, and then the right button on the name of the connection whose settings need to be changed. A menu will open where you need to click on “properties”, which calls up a dialog section with parameters: the user can only check or uncheck the items of interest.
Read also: 5 reasons to buy a new laptop
The above methods allow you not only to connect to the Internet, but also to set the necessary settings for the user, which relate to the wireless connection, quickly and easily. The user of the device, which is compatible with the system for interacting with a PC, released by Microsoft, can only find a specific, sharpened for the OS, option: the rest is a matter of a couple of clicks.
Watch the video to learn more about the features of connecting to Wi-Fi on laptops.
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