Laptop not connecting to Wi-Fi? 10 fixes, step by step

Quick answer: find out where the fault is

Before changing any setting, spend two minutes working out whether the problem is the laptop, the router or the internet itself. It saves a lot of wasted effort.

1. Try your phone on the same Wi-Fi. If it connects and browses, the router and internet are fine and the problem is on the laptop.
2. Try the laptop on another network, such as your phone's hotspot. If it connects there, the laptop's Wi-Fi hardware works and the issue is the home or office network.
3. If nothing connects anywhere, or you cannot even see any Wi-Fi networks, the problem is probably the laptop's driver or adapter.

Use this to jump to the right section. Router and internet problem: section 3. Laptop-only problem: sections 4 to 9. No networks at all: section 8 and 9.

The simple checks that fix many cases

• Airplane mode. Click the network icon at the bottom right of the screen (or press Windows key + A on Windows 11) and make sure Airplane mode is off and Wi-Fi is on.
• The Wi-Fi key or switch. Many laptops have a function key with an antenna or aeroplane symbol, and a few older ones have a physical slider. Press it once and see if the Wi-Fi icon changes.
• Distance and obstacles. Sit close to the router. Walls, metal cabinets and microwaves weaken the signal.
• The right network. Neighbours' networks often have similar names. Check you picked yours and typed the password correctly. Passwords are case-sensitive.
• Restart the laptop. Use Restart, not Shut down. With Fast Startup enabled, Windows keeps part of the previous session after a normal shutdown, so a full restart clears more.

If your phone cannot connect either: fix the router or the data

When every device fails, the laptop is not the problem.

1. Restart the router. Switch it off at the power, wait a full minute, then switch it on and give it two to three minutes to start fully. After a power cut (NEPA-light) routers often come back in a confused state, and this simple restart is the cure.
2. Check the lights. A router with no internet light, or with a red or blinking warning light, has lost its connection to the provider.
3. Check your data or subscription. With MiFi devices, SIM-based routers and capped plans, a finished data bundle or expired subscription is a very common cause. The Wi-Fi signal stays on, so the laptop connects but cannot browse. Top up or renew, then reconnect.
4. Check the cables between the router and the wall or the modem, and the power adapter.
5. Call your provider if the router is working but the internet light stays off. It may be an outage in your area.

If the router is yours, you can also check its settings page, normally at an address printed on a sticker under it, to see connected devices and whether the maximum number of connections has been reached.

Forget the network and connect again

Saved networks sometimes keep outdated settings, especially after the router password or settings changed. Removing the network and adding it again clears this.

1. Open Settings (Windows key + I), then Network & internet, then Wi-Fi.
2. Choose Manage known networks.
3. Click your network and choose Forget.
4. Go back, select the network from the list, click Connect, and type the password again.

You should see "Connected, secured". If you are asked for a network security key, that is the Wi-Fi password, not your Windows password. If it says "Can't connect to this network", or keeps asking for the password after you type it correctly, move on to the next sections.

Connected but "No internet"? Check these

A message such as "Connected, no internet" or an exclamation mark on the Wi-Fi icon means the laptop reached the router but the router cannot reach the internet, or the laptop cannot translate website names into addresses.

Open a login page if you are on public Wi-Fi

Hotels, cafes and offices often require a login page. Open your browser and visit a plain address such as a simple http website. If a login page does not appear by itself, this usually forces it to.

Turn off a VPN or proxy

A VPN that has stopped working can block everything. Disconnect or close it and test. Also check Settings, Network & internet, Proxy, and make sure no proxy is switched on unless your workplace needs one.

Flush the network cache and renew the address

Right-click the Start button and choose Terminal (Admin) or Windows PowerShell (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin). Type these commands one by one, pressing Enter after each:

1. ipconfig /release
2. ipconfig /renew
3. ipconfig /flushdns

Then try a website again.

Try a different DNS

In Settings, Network & internet, Wi-Fi, click your network's properties, find DNS server assignment, choose Edit, switch to Manual, turn on IPv4 and enter 8.8.8.8 as preferred and 8.8.4.4 as alternate (Google), or 1.1.1.1 and 1.0.0.1 (Cloudflare). Save. If websites then open, the provider's DNS was the problem.

Run the Windows network troubleshooter

It is not magic, but it handles several known faults, such as an adapter that is disabled or a wrong IP setting.

• Windows 11: Settings, System, Troubleshoot, Other troubleshooters, then Run next to Network and Internet.
• Windows 10: Settings, Network & Internet, Status, then Network troubleshooter.

Follow the prompts and note what it reports. Even when it says "could not fix", the message (for example "Wi-Fi does not have a valid IP configuration" or "the adapter is not working") tells you where to look next.

Fix power-saving and the Wi-Fi driver

Stop Windows switching the adapter off

If the Wi-Fi drops now and then, this setting is a frequent culprit.

1. Right-click Start and open Device Manager.
2. Expand Network adapters and double-click your Wi-Fi adapter (the name usually includes Wireless, Wi-Fi or WLAN).
3. Open the Power Management tab and untick Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power. Click OK.

Update the driver

1. In Device Manager, right-click the Wi-Fi adapter and choose Update driver, then Search automatically for drivers.
2. If Windows says the best driver is installed, visit the laptop maker's support page, enter your exact model and download the Wi-Fi driver from there. Download it on another device or with your phone's hotspot, and move it over with a flash drive if you must. Use only the manufacturer's own site.

Roll back or reinstall

If the problem began right after an update, open the adapter's Properties, go to the Driver tab and choose Roll Back Driver if it is available. Otherwise choose Uninstall device (do not tick the box to delete the driver software), then restart. Windows reinstalls the adapter on startup.

Reset the network settings

This is the strongest software fix. It removes and reinstalls all network adapters and sets networking back to defaults. You will lose saved Wi-Fi passwords and any VPN settings, so make sure you know the password.

• Windows 11: Settings, Network & internet, Advanced network settings, Network reset, then Reset now.
• Windows 10: Settings, Network & Internet, Status, Network reset, then Reset now.

The laptop restarts after a few minutes. Reconnect to your network and test.

If you prefer commands, open an administrator terminal as above and run netsh winsock reset and netsh int ip reset, then restart. These repair the Windows network stack without removing your saved networks.

No Wi-Fi option at all, or no networks listed

If the Wi-Fi icon has gone, the Wi-Fi toggle is missing in Settings, or the list is permanently empty while your phone sees many networks, check:

1. Device Manager. Is there a Network adapters entry for a Wi-Fi device? If it shows a yellow warning mark, it has a driver or hardware fault. If there is no Wi-Fi adapter at all, or it shows as an Unknown device, Windows cannot detect the card.
2. Disabled adapter. Press Windows key + R, type ncpa.cpl and press Enter. If the Wi-Fi adapter is greyed out, right-click it and choose Enable.
3. A recent update or reset. Reinstall the driver from the manufacturer, as in the previous section.
4. Use a USB Wi-Fi adapter temporarily. If a cheap USB adapter works, your internal card has failed or lost its connection, and you can keep working while you arrange a repair.

If it still shows nothing, the cause is hardware.

When it is hardware: the card or antenna

Inside the laptop, the Wi-Fi card is a small module connected by two thin antenna wires that run up behind the screen. After a knock, a fall, a screen repair or simply years of use, a wire can come loose, or the card can fail. Typical signs:

• Wi-Fi works only when you sit next to the router.
• Signal bars are always very low compared with other devices.
• The Wi-Fi adapter disappears from Device Manager.
• Bluetooth stopped working at the same time (it usually shares the card).

This is a small repair for a technician: reseat or replace the antenna wires or replace the card. It is almost never a reason to replace the laptop. Do not open the laptop yourself unless you are experienced.

What to avoid, and how to keep Wi-Fi reliable

• Do not download "driver updater" programs or driver files from random sites. They often carry malware or install the wrong driver.
• Do not give your Wi-Fi password to unknown "technicians" or install remote-access software for strangers.
• Do not keep resetting Windows as the first step. Most Wi-Fi faults are fixed far earlier in this list.

To keep things stable, place the router in an open, central, raised position away from the microwave and thick walls. Use the 5 GHz network when you are close and the 2.4 GHz one when you are farther away. Restart the router now and then, especially after power cuts. Change the default router password so nobody else can alter your settings.

Frequently asked questions

Written by the ICT AccessPoint team

We repair laptops and build websites and business systems. Have a question this guide did not answer? Message us.

This guide is general advice. Every device and business is different, so if you are unsure, ask a technician before you act.