Can desktops use wifi

Setting up a wireless network in Windows

A wireless network at home lets you get online from more places in your house. This article describes the basic steps for setting up a wireless network and starting to use it.

Get the right equipment

Before you can set up your wireless network, here’s what you’ll need:

Broadband Internet connection and modem. A broadband Internet connection is a high-speed Internet connection. Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) and cable are two of the most common broadband connections. You can get a broadband connection by contacting an Internet service provider (ISP). Typically, ISPs that provide DSL are telephone companies and ISPs that provide cable are cable TV companies. ISPs frequently offer broadband modems. Some ISPs also offer combination modem/wireless routers. You can also find these at computer or electronics stores, and online.

Wireless router. A router sends info between your network and the Internet. With a wireless router, you can connect PCs to your network using radio signals instead of wires. There are several different kinds of wireless network technologies, which include 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ac, and 802.11ax.

Wireless network adapter. A wireless network adapter is a device that connects your PC to a wireless network. To connect your portable or desktop PC to your wireless network, the PC must have a wireless network adapter. Most laptops and tablets—and some desktop PCs—come with a wireless network adapter already installed.

To check whether your PC has a wireless network adapter:

1. Select Start , type device manager in the search box, and then select Device Manager.
2. Expand Network adapters.
3. Look for a network adapter that might have wireless in the name.

Setting up the modem and Internet connection

After you have all the equipment, you’ll need to set up your modem and Internet connection. If your modem wasn’t set up for you by your Internet service provider (ISP), follow the instructions that came with your modem to connect it to your PC and the Internet. If you’re using Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), connect your modem to a phone jack. If you’re using cable, connect your modem to a cable jack.

Positioning the wireless router

Put your wireless router somewhere where it will receive the strongest signal with the least amount of interference. For better results, follow these tips:

Place your wireless router in a central location. Place the router as close to the center of your home as possible to increase the strength of the wireless signal throughout your home.

Position the wireless router off the floor and away from walls and metal objects, such as metal file cabinets. The fewer physical obstructions between your PC and the router’s signal, the more likely that you’ll be using the router’s full signal strength.

Reduce interference. Some networking equipment uses a 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) radio frequency. This is the same frequency as most microwaves and many cordless phones. If you turn on the microwave or get a call on a cordless phone, your wireless signal might be temporarily interrupted. You can avoid most of these issues by using a cordless phone with a higher frequency, such as 5.8 GHz.

Securing your wireless network

Security is always important; with a wireless network, it’s even more important because your network’s signal could be broadcast outside your home. If you don’t help secure your network, people with PCs nearby could access info stored on your network PCs and use your Internet connection.

To help make your network more secure:

Change the default user name and password. This helps protect your router. Most router manufacturers have a default user name and password on the router and a default network name (also known as the SSID). Someone could use this info to access your router without you knowing it. To help avoid that, change the default user name and password for your router. See the documentation for your device for instructions.

Set up a security key (password) for your network. Wireless networks have a network security key to help protect them from unauthorized access. We recommend using Wi-Fi Protected Access 3 (WPA3) security if your router and PC support it. See the documentation for your router for more detailed info, including what type of security is supported and how to set it up.

Some routers support Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS). If your router supports WPS and it’s connected to the network, follow these steps to set up a network security key:

1. Do one of the following, depending on which version of Windows is running on your PC:
   • In Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, select Start, start typing Network and Sharing Center, and then choose it in the list.
   • In Windows 10, select Start , then select Settings >Network & Internet >Status >Network and Sharing Center.
   • In Windows 11, select Start, type control panel, then select Control Panel >Network and Internet >Network and Sharing Center.
2. Select Set up a new connection or network.
3. Select Set up a new network, then choose Next.

The wizard will walk you through creating a network name and a security key. If your router supports it, the wizard will default to Wi‑Fi Protected Access (WPA2 or WPA3) security. We recommend that you use WPA3 if you can, because it offers better security than WPA2, WPA, or Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) security. With WPA3, WPA2 or WPA you can also use a passphrase, so you don’t have to remember a cryptic sequence of letters and numbers.

Write down your security key and keep it in a safe place. You can also save your security key on a USB flash drive by following the instructions in the wizard. (Saving your security key to a USB flash drive is available in Windows 8 and Windows 7, but not in Windows 10 or Windows 11.)

Use a firewall. A firewall is hardware or software that can help protect your PC from unauthorized users or malicious software (malware). Running a firewall on each PC on your network can help control the spread of malicious software on your network, and help protect your PCs when you’re accessing the Internet. Windows Firewall is included with this version of Windows.

Connect a PC to your wireless network

1. Select the Network or Wifi icon in the notification area.
2. In the list of networks, choose the network that you want to connect to, and then select Connect.
3. Type the security key (often called the password).
4. Follow additional instructions if there are any.

If you have problems with your Wi-Fi network when using Windows 10, see Fix Wi-Fi problems in Windows for advanced troubleshooting info.

1. Select the Network icon in the notification area, then select the > icon next to the Wi-Fi quick setting to see a list of available networks.
2. Choose the network that you want to connect to, and then select Connect.
3. Type the security key (often called the password).
4. Follow additional instructions if there are any.

If you have problems with your Wi-Fi network when using Windows 11, see Fix Wi-Fi problems in Windows for advanced troubleshooting info.

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How to Connect Desktop To Wifi Without an Adapter

Having a wifi connection for your desktop is sometimes necessary. You may need it because you don’t want to depend on cables, or maybe you just want to place your desktop somewhere else.

But what if you don’t have a wireless network adapter or wifi connector for your desktop? Good news: you can still have a wifi connection in your PC without one. Read on to find out how.

3 Ways to Connect Your Desktop to Wifi Without an Adapter

If you don’t have a USB adapter, fret not. Here’s how you can connect your desktop computer to a wifi connection without one:

Use Your Smartphone as a Network Adapter

Below, we’ll tell you some simple steps that you can follow to have a wireless internet connection on your computer:

• Grab your smartphone and a USB cable and turn on your computer. Even a charging USB cable will work for this.
• After your computer is turned on, connect your phone with it using the USB cable. You will hear a recognition sound from your computer and see a notification as well.
• Turn on wifi on your smartphone.
• Next, drag down your smartphone’s notification bar and tap on the USB notification.
• Select ” USB tethering” from the list of options.
• Alternatively, you can go to your smartphone’s settings, connections, and then turn on USB tethering here.
• Wait for a minute. Eventually, you’ll see that the wifi bars symbol in your PC’s taskbar has changed into a desktop symbol. This means you’re connected and ready to surf the web now.

That was pretty simple, wasn’t it? You got a good enough internet connection on your computer and didn’t even spend a penny on a wifi adapter.

Use Your Laptop to Share Wifi

Here’s how you can use your laptop to connect your PC to wireless internet:

• First off, turn on your laptop and make sure it is connected to your wifi.
• Go to the control panel and then click on ‘network and internet’.
• Next, click on the first option that says ‘network and sharing center’.
• On the left, you’ll see some options. Click on the one which says ‘change adapter settings’.
• Find the wireless network that’s connected to your laptop and right-click on it.
• A box will open up, showing wifi properties. On the top, hit the sharing tab.
• Next, tick the box that says ‘allow other network users to connect through the computer’s internet connection’.
• Now, connect your laptop and PC together through an ethernet cable.
• Your PC will recognize the connection, and you’re ready to surf the web.
• However, in some cases, you may have to select the ethernet option after connecting the cable. Right-click on this and select Bridge Connections.

Ethernet Connection Between a Router and Pc

If you have a wireless device such as a MiFi, but you don’t have any wifi hardware for your pc, you can still establish a connection between the two. For this, you’ll need a router.

So, if you have a router lying around in the house, you can use it as a repeater which will connect your wireless device to your pc through an ethernet cable.

You won’t have to buy a USB wifi adapter for your pc this way. However, if you don’t have a router, buying a wifi adapter will be a much cheaper and simpler solution.

To use a router as a wifi repeater for a wifi connection in your pc, watch this video tutorial that explains the whole process in detail.

How Do I Connect to Wifi on Windows 10 Without an Adapter?

No matter what version of windows you got, the steps to connect your pc to a wireless connection will be the same as described above.

With only a few tweaks in the Windows 10 update, you won’t find it difficult to establish a connection between your pc and smartphone/laptop.

Can You Connect an Old Computer to Wifi?

Adding wireless abilities to old desktop pcs is tricky but not impossible. It depends on what version of Windows is installed on it, so if you have Windows XP or anything above, you can try the above-listed methods.

However, the connection may be too slow to be of any use, so you can, instead, buy a USB adapter, or, you can try installing a PCI express card on your computer.

None of these methods likely works if you have, for example, Windows ME in your computer, since wifi devices these days don’t support this version anymore. You can watch this youtube video for a detailed explanation.

Conclusion

You may have to seek professional help for installing a PCIe card in your computer, and this will, of course, cost money, just like buying an adapter would.

So unless you need super-fast internet, you should try the first two methods we discussed to get a wireless connection in your pc. They provide a stable and fast enough connection for everyday tasks and are simple to set up as well.

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