Connect to computer using wifi

How to Connect a Desktop to Wi-Fi Without an Adapter

Jon Martindale has been a feature tech writer for more than 10 years. He’s written for publications such as Digital Trends, KitGuru, and ITProPortal.

Michael Heine is a CompTIA-certified writer, editor, and Network Engineer with 25+ years’ experience working in the television, defense, ISP, telecommunications, and education industries.

In This Article

What to Know

• Plug your phone into your PC using a USB cable and set up USB tethering.
• On Android: Settings >Network and Internet >Hotspot & Tethering and toggle on Tethering.
• On iPhone: Settings >Cellular >Personal Hotspot and toggle on Personal Hotspot.

This guide will walk you through connecting your desktop to your local Wi-Fi network without the need for a wireless adapter or dongle.

How Do You Connect a Desktop Computer to Wi-Fi?

Most desktop computers come with a built-in Ethernet port for connecting to your local network and the internet via an Ethernet cable, but not all with Wi-Fi connectivity pre-installed. You can use a Wi-Fi adapter, of course, but you can also connect a desktop to Wi-Fi without an adapter.

The easiest way to do it is using your smartphone’s built-in USB Tethering.

For our screenshots below, we’ll use Android, but we’ll include the steps needed for an iPhone.

1. Make sure your PC and smartphone are running the latest versions of their respective operating systems.

On Android, navigate to Network and Internet >Hotspot & Tethering and toggle on USBTethering. On iPhone, navigate to Cellular >Personal Hotspot and toggle on Personal Hotspot.

Your PC should have connected to your local Wi-Fi network via your smartphone. You can confirm its active network connection by selecting the Taskbar Icon arrow in the bottom right of your screen, then select the network icon. It will appear as a rectangular screen—not a Wi-Fi symbol, as the computer is technically connected to Wi-Fi over a wire).

Select the network’s name to open the Network and Sharing Center. There you’ll see your newly connected network as being Connected. If it says No Internet, confirm that your smartphone is on the Wi-Fi network. If it is, but you still don’t have internet, follow router troubleshooting steps to get yourself back online.

How Do I Connect My Old Desktop to Wi-Fi Using Internet Sharing?

If you have an older laptop with an Ethernet connection, there is another method you can use for connecting your desktop PC to Wi-Fi: Internet sharing. You’ll need to connect your laptop to your chosen Wi-Fi connection, then connect it to your desktop PC using an Ethernet cable.

Can a PC Connect to Wi-Fi Without Ethernet?

Ethernet is a wired connection, so if you want to connect to a wireless Wi-Fi network, you don’t need Ethernet at all.

The best way to connect to your Wi-Fi network is by using a Wi-Fi adapter. Some desktop PCs and most laptops have them built-in, but there are add-in ones you can buy. They are relatively affordable and offer the best speeds without being limited by battery life. Alternatively, you can use a smartphone and USB tether it as in the instructions above, but you’ll need the correct USB cable, and you won’t be able to unplug your smartphone if you want to retain that Wi-Fi connection on your PC.

How Can You Connect a Desktop PC Without Internal WLAN to a Wireless Network?

If your desktop PC doesn’t have a built-in Wi-Fi adapter, then your best bet is to add one yourself. They are affordable and easy to install and offer the best wireless performance. Alternatively, you can use USB tethering to connect your smartphone to get you on the Wi-Fi network relatively quickly. The only downside is that you must leave your smartphone plugged in to take advantage of it.

To connect a wireless network in Windows 7, go to Start > Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center. Select Connect to a network, choose your wireless network from the list, and select Connect Automatically > Connect. If prompted, enter the network password.

To access Wi-Fi on your Dell desktop, your computer must have a wireless network adapter built-in, or you’ll need to connect an external Wi-Fi adapter. To connect to your wireless network, go to the Windows taskbar and select the wireless network icon. Next, choose your Wi-Fi network > Connect > enter your network password, and follow any additional prompts.

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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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Connect to a Wi-Fi network in Windows

Whether you’re at home, work, or out and about, chances are you’ll find a Wi-Fi network that you can connect to for internet access.

Select the Network, Sound, or Battery icons ( ) on the far right side of the taskbar to open quick settings.

The Disconnected icon appears when you’re not connected.

On the Wi-Fi quick setting, select Manage Wi-Fi connections .

Choose the Wi-Fi network you want, then select Connect.

Type the network password, and then select Next.

Whether you’re at home, work, or out and about, chances are you’ll find a Wi-Fi network that you can connect to for internet access.

1. Select the Network icon on the taskbar. The icon that appears depends on your current connection state. If you don’t see one of the network icons (or a similar one) shown in the following image, select the Up arrow to see if it appears there.
2. Choose the Wi-Fi network you want, then select Connect.
3. Type the network password, and then select Next.
4. Choose Yes or No, depending on the type of network you’re connecting to and if you want your PC to be discoverable by other PCs and devices on the network.

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