No wifi connections found

How to Troubleshoot When You Have No Wireless Connection

Former Lifewire writer Melanie Uy has 5+ years’ experience writing about consumer-oriented technology and is an expert telecommuter.

Chris Selph is a CompTIA-certified technology and vocational IT teacher. He also serves as network & server administrator and performs computer maintenance and repair for numerous clients.

In This Article

This article explains what to do when your Wi-Fi stops working, detailing how to troubleshoot common wireless connection problems using any device.

Make Sure Wi-Fi Is Enabled on the Device

On some devices, wireless capabilities can be turned on and off via a physical switch on the edge of the device. At the same time, most devices let you toggle Wi-Fi on and off through the software.

Check both of these areas first, because that will save you troubleshooting time if the wireless connection is simply disabled.

Check the Wi-Fi Switch

If you’re on a laptop, look for a hardware switch or special function key that can turn the wireless radio on and off. It’s relatively easy to flip it by accident, or maybe you did it on purpose and forgot. Either way, toggle this switch or press that function key to see if this is the case.

If you’re using a USB wireless network adapter, make sure it’s plugged in correctly. Try a different USB port to be sure the port isn’t to blame.

Enable Wi-Fi in the Settings

Another place to look is within the device’s settings. You might need to do this on your phone, desktop, laptop, Xbox, or other devices—anything that can turn Wi-Fi on and off will have an option to do so.

For example, in Windows, within Control Panel, look for the Power Options setting and choose Change advanced power settings to make sure the Wireless Adapter Settings option is not set to a «power savings» mode. Anything but Maximum Performance might negatively affect the adapter’s performance and affect the connection.

Also, check for a disabled wireless adapter from the list of network connections in Control Panel. To do that, execute the control netconnections command in Run or Command Prompt, and check for any red networks listed there.

Another place where system settings could be causing no Wi-Fi connection is if the wireless adapter has been disabled in Device Manager. You can easily enable the device again if that’s the cause of the problem.

If you have an iPhone, iPad, or Android device that shows no wireless connection, open the Settings app, and find the Wi-Fi option. Make sure the Wi-Fi setting is enabled (it’s green when enabled on iOS, and blue on most Android devices).

Move Closer to the Router

Windows, walls, furniture, wireless phones, metal objects, and other obstructions can affect wireless signal strength.

One study quoted by Cisco found that microwaves can degrade data throughput by as much as 64 percent and video cameras and analog phones can create 100 percent decreased throughput, meaning no data connection at all.

If you’re able to, move closer to the wireless signal source. If you try this and find that the wireless connection works just fine, either eliminate the interferences or strategically move the router elsewhere, like to a more central location.

Some other options that could alleviate distance issues with the router are purchasing a Wi-Fi repeater, installing a mesh Wi-Fi network system, or upgrading to a more powerful router.

Restart or Reset the Router

Restart and reset are two different things, but both can come in handy if you have networking problems or poor Wi-Fi performance.

If your Wi-Fi router hasn’t been powered down in a while, try restarting the router to flush out anything that could be causing hiccups. This is something to try if the no network connection problem happens sporadically or after a heavy load (like Netflix streaming).

If restarting the router doesn’t fix the problem, try resetting the router’s software to restore it to factory default settings. This permanently erases the customizations you may have made on it, like the Wi-Fi password and other settings.

Check the SSID and Password

The SSID is the name of the Wi-Fi network. Normally, this name is stored on any device that previously connected to it, but if it’s not saved any longer, then your phone or other wireless devices will not automatically connect to it.

Check the SSID that the device is trying to connect to and make sure it’s the right one for the network you need access to. For example, if the SSID for the network at your school is called «SchoolGuest,» be sure to choose that SSID from the list and not a different one that you don’t have access to.

Some SSIDs are hidden, so if that’s the case, you must manually enter the SSID information, instead of just selecting it from a list of available networks.

The SSID is only part of what’s required to connect to a network. If the connection fails when you try, and you know the SSID is right, double-check the password to ensure that it matches the password configured on the router. You might need to speak with the network administrator to get this.

If you reset the router, it may not have Wi-Fi turned on anymore, in which case you’ll need to turn it back on. If the reset router is broadcasting Wi-Fi, it’s no longer using the previous SSID you used.

Check the Device’s DHCP Settings

Most wireless routers are set up as DHCP servers, which allow computers and other client devices to join the network so their IP addresses don’t have to be manually set up.

Check your wireless network adapter’s TCP/IP settings to make sure your adapter is automatically obtaining settings from the DHCP server. If it doesn’t get an address automatically, then it’s likely using a static IP address, which can cause problems if the network isn’t set up that way.

You can do this in Windows by running the control netconnections command-line command via Run or Command Prompt. Right-click the wireless network adapter and enter its properties and then IPv4 or IPv6 options to check how the IP address is obtained.

Similar steps can be taken on an iPhone or iPad via the Settings app in the Wi-Fi options. Tap the (i) button next to the network that’s experiencing the wireless connection issue, and make sure the Configure IP option is set up appropriately, with Automatic chosen if it’s supposed to use DHCP, or Manual if that’s necessary.

For an Android, open the Settings > Wi-Fi menu and then tap the network name. Use the Edit link there to find the advanced settings that control DHCP and static addresses.

Update the Network Drivers and Operating System

Device driver issues can also cause problems with network connections—the network driver may be outdated, a new driver is causing problems, or the wireless router was recently upgraded.

Do a system update first. In Windows, use Windows Update to download and install any necessary fixes or updates, both for the OS and for any network adapters.

Also, visit the manufacturer’s website for your network adapter and check if there are any updates available. One easy way to update most network drivers is with a free driver updater tool.

Let the Computer Repair the Connection

Windows can repair wireless issues for you or provide additional troubleshooting.

To do this, right-click the network connection icon in the taskbar and choose Diagnose, Repair, or Diagnose and Repair, depending on your version of Windows.

If you don’t see such an option, open Control Panel and search for Network and Sharing Center or Network Connections, or execute control netconnections from Run or Command Prompt, to find the list of network connections, one of which should be for the Wi-Fi adapter. Right-click it and pick a repair option.

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How to Fix No WiFi Networks Found Windows 10

Here are 4 fixes that have helped other users resolve the no WiFi networks found issue. Just work your way down the list until you find the one that works for you.

Before you start, please check other devices (such as your tablet, mobile devices or other computers) to see if they’re connected to the WiFi network properly. If they can’t be connected to the WiFi either, then your WiFi router is probablt at fault. You might need to do some troubleshooting on the WiFi router or turn to your ISP provider for assistance.

Fix 1: Rollback your Wi-Fi adapter driver

This problem may occur if the current WiFi adapter driver is corrupt. So you can roll back your WiFi driver to see if it fixes the issue.

Here is how to roll back your WiFi driver:

1. On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and R at the same time, then type devmgmt.msc and click OK.
   
2. Double-click on Network adapters and then double-click on your Wi-Fi adapter.
   
3. Click the Driver tab >Roll Back Driver >OK.
   

Fix 2: Reinstall your Wi-Fi driver

If rolling back the WiFi driver is no joy, you can reinstall the driver to see if it fixes the issue.

Here is how to reinstall the WiFi driver:

1) On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and R at the same time, then type devmgmt.msc and press Enter.

2) Double-click on Network adapters. Then right-click on your Wi-Fi adapter and click Uninstall device.

3) Click Uninstall to proceed.

5) On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and R at the same time, then type devmgmt.msc and press Enter.

6) Click Action > Scan for hardware changes.

Your PC will automatically detect the missing Wi-fi driver and install it on its own.

7) Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

8) Check to see if your computer can connect to a WiFi network. If yes, then congrats! If the issue persists, please try Fix 3, below

Fix 3: Update your Wi-Fi driver

This problem may occur if you are using the wrong WiFi driver or it’s out of date. So you should update your WiFi driver to see if it fixes your problem. If you don’t have the time, patience or skills to update the driver manually, you can do it automatically with Driver Easy.

Driver Easy will automatically recognize your system and find the correct drivers for it. You don’t need to know exactly what system your computer is running, you don’t need to be troubled by the wrong driver you would be downloading, and you don’t need to worry about making a mistake when installing. Driver Easy handles it all.

You can update your drivers automatically with either the FREE or the Pro version of Driver Easy. But with the Pro version it takes just 2 steps (and you get full support and a 30-day money back guarantee):

1) Download and install Driver Easy.

2) Run Driver Easy and click the Scan Now button. Driver Easy will then scan your computer and detect any problem drivers.

3) Click Update All to automatically download and install the correct version of ALL the drivers that are missing or out of date on your system (this requires the Pro version – you’ll be prompted to upgrade when you click Update All).

4) Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.

5) Check to see if the No WiFi networks found issue has been resolved. If yes, then great! If the issue still occurs, please try Fix 4, below.

Fix 4: Disable the airplane mode

Turning off the air mode is also an effective way to fix the no network found error on Windows 10 as reported by many users. To do so:

1. Click on the network icon in the bottom right corner of your desktop.
2. Click to make sure the Airplane mode icon is grayed out.
3. Check if your computer can detect any Internet connections now.

Hopefully you have successfully resolved the No WiFi networks found issue by now. If you have any questions, ideas or suggestions, please let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading!

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