Laptop Not Connecting to WiFi: Quick Fixes
If your laptop will not connect or cannot see WiFi, work through these fixes for Windows and Mac in order.
Laptop WiFi problems fall into two groups: the laptop cannot see any networks, or it sees them but will not connect. The fixes overlap, so start at the top and stop when it works.
Laptop WiFi problems fall into two groups: the laptop cannot see any networks, or it sees them but will not connect. The fixes overlap, so start at the top and stop when it works. First check whether phones connect fine: if they do, the problem is on the laptop, not the router.
Check whether phones connect fine. If they do, the problem is on the laptop.
Windows fixes
- Turn airplane mode off and WiFi on in Quick Settings or with the keyboard WiFi key.
- Run the Network troubleshooter: Settings, System, Troubleshoot, Other troubleshooters.
- Forget the network and reconnect.
- Device Manager, Network adapters: enable the WiFi adapter, then update or reinstall the driver.
- Turn off power saving for the adapter in Power Management.
- Run
netsh winsock resetandnetsh int ip resetas admin, then restart. - Settings, Network and internet, Advanced, Network reset.
The troubleshooter is the step I run before I touch any driver.
Mac fixes
- Turn WiFi off and on from Control Center.
- System Settings, Wi-Fi, forget the network and join again.
- Remove old network profiles and VPN configurations.
- Renew DHCP lease under Details, TCP/IP.
- Restart the Mac. On Intel Macs, reset the SMC if WiFi still fails.
Forgetting the network and joining again is the Mac fix I try first.
Laptop cannot see your network
- The laptop may not support 5 GHz. Try 2.4 GHz. See 5GHz not showing.
- The network may be hidden. Add it manually.
- Router channels 12 and 13 are not visible in some regions. Use 1, 6 or 11.
- Some laptops have a hardware WiFi switch on the side.
The 5 GHz blind spot is the cause I rule out first on older laptops.
Check the simple things first
It’s easy to jump straight into drivers and settings, but a surprising number of laptop WiFi problems come down to something small:
- Airplane mode is on, sometimes from a keyboard shortcut.
- A WiFi switch or key on older laptops is turned off.
- The laptop is too far from the router, or on the wrong side of a thick wall.
- The network is 5 GHz only and the laptop’s card is 2.4 GHz only.
- The router itself is down. Check whether a phone can connect.
Most of the time, the fix is one of these small things.
Update or reinstall the WiFi driver on Windows
- Right-click Start and open Device Manager.
- Expand Network adapters and find your WiFi card (Intel, Realtek, Qualcomm or MediaTek).
- Right-click it and choose Update driver, then Search automatically.
- If that doesn’t help, download the latest driver from the laptop maker’s support page.
- If problems continue, right-click the adapter, choose Uninstall device, then restart. Windows reinstalls it.
Before uninstalling, download the new driver to a USB stick or the desktop. Without WiFi, you won’t be able to download it afterwards.
Downloading the driver first is the step I never skip before an uninstall.
When a USB WiFi adapter is the quickest fix
If the internal WiFi card has failed, or it only supports old standards, a USB WiFi adapter is an inexpensive workaround. A dual-band WiFi 5 or WiFi 6 adapter plugs in, installs a driver and works within minutes. It’s also a quick way to test whether the problem is the laptop’s card or something else.
A USB adapter is the test I use when I suspect the card itself.
Fix WiFi on a Mac that won’t connect
- Click the WiFi icon and turn WiFi off, then on.
- Open System Settings, Network, WiFi, and remove the network from Known Networks.
- Restart the Mac.
- Run Wireless Diagnostics (hold Option and click the WiFi icon).
- Install any pending macOS updates.
Wireless Diagnostics is the tool I run when the simple steps do not work.
Laptops and 5 GHz-only networks
Some routers or mesh systems are set to broadcast certain networks only on 5 GHz. Older or budget laptops with 2.4 GHz-only cards won’t see them at all. Check your router’s band settings, or add a dual-band USB WiFi adapter to the laptop.
A 2.4 GHz-only card is the limit I check first on a budget laptop.
| Cause | Fix |
|---|---|
| Airplane mode is on | Turn airplane mode off and WiFi on in Quick Settings or with the keyboard WiFi key. |
| WiFi switch or key is off | Turn the hardware WiFi switch on. |
| Saved network is wrong | Forget the network and reconnect. |
| WiFi driver is missing or old | Enable the adapter in Device Manager, then update or reinstall the driver. |
| Power saving turns the adapter off | Turn off power saving for the adapter in Power Management. |
| Network is 5 GHz only, laptop card is 2.4 GHz only | Try 2.4 GHz. |
| Network is hidden | Add it manually. |
| Router channels 12 and 13 not visible | Use channels 1, 6 or 11. |
