Wi-Fi disappeared on a laptop in Windows. There is no Wi-Fi adapter in device manager. Wi-Fi does not work on a laptop: how to restore the connection? Wifi loses connection

Is there no Wi-Fi icon on the Windows taskbar or in the Network and Sharing Center menu? This does not mean that the equipment has failed. Equipment breakdown is only one of the likely reasons. In some cases, you can do it yourself.

What to do if there is no “Wireless Network Connection” icon.

This problem occurs if:

Is there a Wi-Fi receiver?

If a receiver is not installed on your computer, you will not see the Wi-Fi network icon. But how can you check what kind of adapter you have? The simplest thing is to look at the PC characteristics. Laptops should have a sticker that lists the device specifications. Another option is to find out the adapter model and find information about it. Do you have a desktop computer? Then look for ports on the system unit for connecting a modem. If an antenna is installed there, then the product is suitable for operation via Wi-Fi.

And the easiest way:

1. You need the Windows Control Panel.
2. Open Device Manager. It's in the Hardware and Sound category.
3. Expand the Network Adapters menu.
4. See if there are any models that say "Wirelles", "802.11" or "WiFi".

If there are no such inscriptions, you will not be able to set up a wireless connection. But you can purchase a Wi-Fi module or a network card that already has an antenna. There are also external Wi-Fi receivers.

Driver

Windows usually loads the software it needs on its own. But if the network hardware driver is missing or damaged, it must be installed manually.

To connect you need to download the software. There are several ways. The first one is suitable if the driver was installed incorrectly.

1. In the Manager, right-click on the item with the yellow triangle.
2. Select "Delete" and confirm the action.
3. Restart your computer.
4. After Windows starts, it will “detect” the presence of a new device.
5. If this does not happen, go to the Manager again.
6. Select any item.
7. "Actions - Update configuration."

This will only work with equipment that is installed in a "Plug and Play" manner. The software for these devices downloads itself. You can use them immediately after connecting. If the board does not have such a function at all:

1. Select any item in the Manager.
2. "Actions - Install old device"
3. A window with explanations will open. Click Next.
4. Check "Automatic Search" or "Manual".
5. Select Network Adapters.
6. If you know the model and type of gadget, find it in the list.
7. Wait until the installation finishes.

To download an update for outdated software:

1. In the Manager, right-click on the device.
2. In the drop-down list, click on “Update Driver”. This option will be active if Windows has detected the hardware model.
3. Select “Automatic search” so that the system finds the software on the network and downloads it.
4. Or click “Search on your computer” to specify the path to the installer.

A disk should be included with your new Wi-Fi adapter or laptop. You can download the necessary software from it. If you do not have a CD with the driver, and the system itself did not find it:

1. Go to the network equipment manufacturer's website.
2. Copy the model name into the search bar.
3. Open the information page for your adapter.
4. Download the software from there. It is usually located in the “Support”, “Downloads”, “Files” or “Programs” section.

There are special applications for installing system software. For example, Driver Booster. It determines the hardware model and downloads the latest driver versions for it.

Settings

Your network configuration may be incorrect. To connect to Wi-Fi you need to configure it. Do some diagnostics first.

To connect to the access point, the Wi-FI module must be active. On laptops, it can be controlled using a keyboard shortcut. Which buttons to press depends on the gadget model. For example, "Fn+F5", "Fn+F7" or "Fn+F9". The corresponding images are drawn on them. But sometimes users touch them accidentally. Yes, and on a desktop computer the Wi-Fi module can be disabled. For settings:

Now you can restore your connection “over the air” if the Wi-Fi icon disappears. But if the network card still breaks down, it is better to contact a technician at a service center.

Routers and access points with Wi-Fi have been an integral attribute of home and mobile Internet users for 10 years now. One day, the speed of the Wi-Fi network can be greatly reduced, and sometimes the wireless connection disappears completely and for a long time.

The main reasons for disruption of the Wi-Fi network

Problems with wireless Internet access can be due to various reasons: router failures, incorrect computer or smartphone settings, interference from nearby equipment, etc. Viruses and even the actions of hackers can disrupt the operation. In all cases, you need to identify the cause of the malfunction and try to eliminate it - first yourself, and if that doesn’t work, then turn to professional computer specialists.

The Wi-Fi network is visible to devices, but they do not connect to it

There may be several reasons why there may be no connection to a Wi-Fi network.

Wi-Fi network is not visible to devices

There are several reasons why the Wi-Fi network is not visible from a gadget or PC.

Wi-Fi on PC or tablet does not work after reinstalling Windows

There are several reasons - from hardware to software.

Video: WI-Fi does not work after Windows 10 update

Laptop or tablet is connected to Wi-Fi, but there is no Internet

The reasons are due to the fact that the router does not have Internet access.

There is Internet via Wi-Fi, but it turns off on its own

There may also be several reasons.

1. Inadequate Internet connection quality. If the provider has an unreliable communication channel or, in the battle for first place in the list of the most popular operators, has gone too far with the number of clients, the speed of individual users will be very low, the connection will often reconnect due to equipment overload, and incoming traffic will freeze. Previously, cellular providers suffered from this - at the initial stages of development of the 2G/3G/4G coverage area, demand, in the context of a landslide reduction in the price of 1 MB of traffic, was far ahead of the construction and launch of new network facilities.
2. The router's RAM freezes (data buffer overload). Restarting it will help.
3. The device has overheated - any modern technology has protection against overheating of microcircuits. Both the CPU/RAM of the router or access point, as well as any of its microcontrollers that process data incoming/outgoing via LAN or Wi-Fi, can overheat. It is advisable to turn off the router for at least a few minutes.

If the 3G/4G signal is poor and the Internet speed is high, the 4G modem used with the router may also overheat. Users of Android smartphones and tablets (Yota subscribers), who distributed up to 40 GB every day via Wi-Fi (in the 2000s, these were Nokia and Motorola mobile phones connected via cable or Bluetooth), talk about cases when the device got hot like a kettle and turned off every hour or two of downloading/distributing torrents on the PC. The same thing happens with routers.

Wi-Fi does not work due to firmware glitches and viruses

No matter how simple, friendly and secure the firmware (firmware) of the router is, the router itself is not protected from malfunctions and viruses. Virus technologies disrupted the operation of Apple, Android and Symbian gadgets. The virus code penetrated card machines, ATMs and access control systems at protected sites with the Internet, and disabled the firmware in USB modems. Routers are also not insured - neither purely wireless from Beeline or Yota, nor home ZyXEL and TP-Link, nor Cisco access points, nor purely cable equipment used in facilities where any wireless element is prohibited by security rules.

Software failures can occur either due to inept flashing (by ignorance or accident, the power is reset during a firmware update in the router’s flash memory), or wear and tear of the flash memory chip itself (it’s impossible to even enter the router settings - underloading of the web pages). interface in the browser).

Viral activity is expressed in reprogramming the router settings: changing the IP DNS to the values ​​of the malicious server, substituting primitive passwords or turning off Wi-Fi security settings, switching wired protocols and cellular network operating modes, etc. To fix this, do the following.

Sometimes the virus changes the firmware file just before it is downloaded to the router. The solution is to remove viruses from the PC, using all means including formatting the drive (of course, transferring valuable data to other media before doing this) and downloading the official firmware version again from the manufacturer’s website.

Slow Internet speed via Wi-Fi

The reasons are related to both the quality of network access and Wi-Fi communication parameters.

1. Low speed cable or cellular provider tariff. If the Rostelecom company and its dealers have unlimited speed, then in cellular networks, for example, in MegaFon or MTS, after a certain number of gigabytes of traffic per month, the speed drops to 64 (or 128) kbit/s. Change tariff and provider.

   MTS limits the connection speed on the “Hype” tariff after the subscriber uses up 7 GB of mobile traffic per month

2. Unstable operation of LAN-Ethernet 10/100 networks. You can feel how the speed has dropped sharply due to a damaged provider cable coming from the optical terminal at the entrance to your apartment by watching movies in (Ultra)HD format online: movie playback, which was still stable yesterday, “slows down” every second , loading data. A few years ago, the provider himself was to blame, but now the speed of the same Rostelecom subscribers has increased so much that 95% of the time it will be normal, excluding evening hours, when the load is maximum. With constant “brakes” of online video, you can with 100% certainty suspect a malfunction of either the cable or the router itself.

   If the cable or router malfunctions, the connection speed drops sharply

3. Router data buffer overload. Restart it.
4. You are too far away from the device. In fact, the Wi-Fi speed, depending on the distance between the router and the gadget/PC, as well as the level of the Wi-Fi signal on the gadget itself, fluctuates hundreds of times - from 1 to 300 Mbit/s, this is how Wi-Fi technology works. If in one room the speed is 150–300 Mbit/s, then in the next room it can already be from 11 to 54 Mbit/s, and in the entrance or on the street it can drop to 1 Mbit/s. Wi-Fi interruptions will not affect your cable connection (LAN cable length up to 250 m).

   Choose auto speed switching using Wi-Fi technology

The last point requires clarification. The fact is that the Wi-Fi speed is switched by the router and the gadget automatically. Even if you forcefully turn on the maximum (802.11n or 150 Mbit/s), then if you go into the next room, you may lose your connection to the Internet - incoming and outgoing traffic will freeze, websites will stop opening and messengers will stop working, even simple ones like ICQ , since the lower level speed (802.11g, or 54 Mbit/s) will not be enabled.

Different types of Wi-Fi networks support different data transfer rates

Check the auto speed selection in the router settings.

Advice for experimenters: without highly directional antennas and amplifiers, do not be located far from the router.

Video: how the provider’s speed is “cut” by the router via Wi-Fi

Other Wi-Fi errors and their solutions

The full list of errors in Wi-Fi operation is not limited to failures of the Wi-Fi repeater alone or problems on the provider’s side.

Network cable is not connected

The provider's network cable connected to the WAN socket may not be connected either to the router itself or to the entrance terminal. The reasons are as follows:

• damaged cable wires;
• broken RJ-45 connector retainer holding the cable in the LAN socket;
• power outage (the terminal has no autonomous power supply);
• malfunction of the LAN interface in the terminal and/or router (burnout of network equipment throughout the entire area from electrical interference, an accidentally dropped network wire, static discharge when touching materials or a lightning strike on external cables);
• a faulty LAN network card in a PC or laptop (it happens that the adapter in Windows is detected as a working device, but the connection cannot be recognized);
• viruses on PCs that overload Windows performance (displaying incorrect connection status or connecting with a delay of minutes or hours).

The connection is already in use or not configured

Error 651 indicates that the modem or dedicated one is already in use or has not been configured.

If the router is not configured or is already in use by other processes, error 651 is displayed

Your connection needs to be removed and reconfigured. The instructions are suitable for Windows 7/8/10 - working with the network connection setup wizard in the latest versions has not been enriched with anything special.

1. Give the command “Start - Control Panel - Network and Sharing Center”.

   Network Preferences Center is ready to go (Windows 7/8/10)

2. Select to create a new network connection.

   To create a new connection, select the network connection option

3. Select to create a high-speed connection.

   At the step of selecting the connection type, set to work using the PPPoE protocol

4. Enter the connection name, login, password, and check remember password. It is advisable to enable the use of this connection by other users (if the problem is common to everyone).

After clicking the “Connect” button, a connection to the Internet will be established. If the problem persists, contact your provider's support. In the worst case scenario, reinstalling Windows helps.

Infinitely obtaining an IP address from the router

Without receiving at least a temporary IP address from the DHCP IP address numbering range of the router, the gadget or PC will not be able to access the network. And this is typical not only for Wi-Fi connections - the assignment of an IP to a computer or mobile device was established when TCP/IP was created.

If the device freezes at the stage of obtaining an IP address, you need to check the router settings

You need to check the router's IP settings.

Checking Wi-Fi settings

Do the following.

1. Restart your router.

   To avoid unplugging the power adapter, press the power button twice

2. Give the command “DHCP - DHCP settings”, check whether the DHCP function is enabled and what address range is assigned to third-party devices.

   Make sure WPA2/TKIP encryption is enabled and a key you know is assigned

3. Go to the “MAC address filtering” item and check that the MAC address filter settings are disabled and the option “Accept requests from devices whose MAC addresses are not listed” (Allow the stations specified by any enabled entries in he list to access) - installed.

   MAC address filtering often causes confusion when Wi-Fi security requirements are less stringent

4. Save your settings by clicking the “Save” button on each page and try reconnecting.

You may need to restart the router again.

Checking services and connections in Windows

Ensure that all services, addresses, and protocols critical to the network are enabled correctly. The following services are responsible for Windows networking capabilities:

• DHCP client;
• DNS client;
• WLAN auto-configuration service;
• web client;
• IP auxiliary service;
• routing and remote access;
• server.

Do the following.

The connection of the router or cable modem to the network is broken

ADSL modems, popular in the 2000s, are being actively replaced by ONT modems (optical network terminal) - these devices support Internet speeds of up to 1 Gbit/s (using GPON technology), which differs from the throughput of an ADSL modem by 10 times. Already, Rostelecom and local providers provide Internet speeds of about 35–100 Mbit/s.

The reason for the decrease in Wi-Fi speed may be not only the reduced external speed at the cheapest available tariff, but also damage to the optical cables in the section ONT-modem - home rack-terminal - the nearest provider node. The LAN cable between the router and ONT modem may also be damaged.

The router in access point mode acts as a LAN/Wi-Fi distributor

The user can diagnose the entire subnet of the router (the router itself and its external cable). In case of damage to cables and equipment, including the ONT modem, telephone, IPTV set-top box and cables in the entrance, you should use the help of technical specialists from the same Rostelecom. This is also explained by the fact that if a twisted pair cable can be restored/replaced independently, then the subscriber simply may not have the tools to splice damaged fiber-optic lines.

Video: Tablet does not connect to Wi-Fi - overview lecture

Solving problems with Wi-Fi at home and at work is not particularly difficult. In many cases, the user will figure it out on his own. The help of a specialist is required only in cases where problems arise on the provider’s side.

When starting a laptop with Windows 10 / Windows 7 or a buggy Windows 8, one day you may find that the wireless network icon - wifi - has disappeared. What to do then? How to fix?

Wi-Fi (Wireless) is the most widely used wireless connection between a laptop and the Internet.

Wireless Wi-Fi connection is almost a monopoly in its industry and the versatility of this solution is beyond doubt.

It minimizes compatibility issues and this technology is rapidly developing.

Unfortunately, the more users use it, the more errors and malfunctions arise, one of them is that the icon is missing or has disappeared.

ATTENTION: the entry below is already a little outdated (written at least 5 years ago), so I recommend looking for a solution in a new one, written quite recently -

No wifi icon

To connect to a Wi-Fi wireless network, you must have an appropriate receiving device (for example, a network adapter) that is compatible with the sending device (for example, a router).

When you start your laptop, you should be able to view detected networks by clicking the wireless network icon. It happens that the icon is not displayed - it has disappeared. Why?

If you're using a mobile device, you'll first need to find out if it's in Airplane mode, which disables the ability to communicate.

If after starting the device in standard mode the wireless network icon is still not displayed, check whether the network card is running.

In laptops, it is launched using a special switch (on the case) and through a combination of function keys.

To do this, launch Device Manager (Control Panel → Hardware and Sound → Device Manager), select Network Adapters, open Properties, and launch the appropriate settings.

Other solutions to missing wifi icon

If the adapter is not visible in Device Manager or shows an error in operation, you need to use the troubleshooting tool provided by Windows 7 - windows10.

It finds and diagnoses problems and proposes appropriate solutions.

To launch it, open the “….” section. and click on the “troubleshoot” option.

If your problem is not solved automatically and the adapter is visible in the system, then you need to manually install the latest drivers.

It is best to download them from the website of the card or laptop manufacturer - I do not recommend using the program.

If the network card does not appear in the system, it may be physically damaged. Then you can’t do without the service.

Let's hope this is not your case. Of course, the problem may be purely “personal to your laptop,” but it can be solved on an individual basis. Good luck.

Electronic gadgets: computers, laptops, smartphones and tablets are found in every home. To ensure that all devices receive unlimited access to the Internet, users install routers in their apartments. These devices provide wireless access to the network from a single exit point. But here people are faced with the situation that the Internet through the router periodically disappears. We'll tell you how to solve the problem yourself, without involving specialists.

Possible reasons

If the Internet speed fluctuates, check the router's access to the network. When access is stable, the indicators should glow a steady green light. When there is a problem on the line, the indicators flash. The network disappears due to interference or incorrect device settings. You can solve the situation by rebooting the router; there is a button on the back panel for this.

WATCH THE VIDEO

If the Wi-Fi connection is lost, the following messages are displayed on the monitor screen:

• No internet access. The problem is caused by an incorrect connection or a problem with the line. In this case, the Internet via cable connection and remote access disappears.
• Obtaining an IP address. due to incorrect network settings. Check the setting in Network Sharing Center.
• Lost connection. If it is constant, adjust the power setting. In particular, disable disabling network adapters to save power.

If the signal is unstable and the speed leaves much to be desired, contact your provider's technical support.

Important! The provider's responsibilities do not include setting up a home connection if this item is not specified in the connection agreement!

If there are no technical faults on the line, but the signal level is still low, perhaps the problem lies in the reception. If Wi-Fi on your phone is lost, move your gadget closer to the access point. The speed has increased, which means there is interference on the path between the device and the router. The way out would be to install an additional amplifying antenna. When the signal level does not depend on the distance between the device and the access point, you need to look for a free connection channel. This situation is typical for apartment buildings, where several routers operate at the same frequency. Let's look at how to solve this problem.

How to connect to a free frequency?

If Wi-Fi on the router has disappeared, then you need to install the InSSIDer program on your computer. The application will scan for available wireless networks and display free channels with a graphical image.

Please note that the utility costs money. The free version is only available for Android mobile devices.

Let's understand how the utility works.

From the same graph it is clear that the fourth channel is free. To troubleshoot connection problems, you need to connect the router to a different frequency.

Please note that it is recommended to select a channel that is farthest away from other frequencies in use. It is worth considering that the frequency width varies between 20-40 MHz, and the channels are located 5 MHz from one another. Accordingly, the selected frequency will invariably overlap with neighboring ones. Choosing the right channel will fix the problem when the laptop loses the Wi-Fi network. It is worth noting that router models have from 11 to 13 channels of available connection, so reconfiguring the device will not be difficult.

If the network on your phone disappears, the mobile application will help. This utility will not only determine the free frequency, but will also help check the quality of reception at various points in the apartment. The application displays a graphical representation of wireless networks, allowing you to select the optimal frequency. Thanks to this, you can correct the situation when Wi-Fi on your tablet or mobile device disappears.

Other options

You need to check the default settings of the router.

1. The installed parameters must match the recommended ones. If there are discrepancies, the device does not work correctly. Some routers may not be able to handle the flow of information.
2. In addition, budget models do not support dual-frequency operation. High speed and dual-stream connection overheat the router. The result is unstable operation and causeless connection breaks. In this case, the solution to the problem is to replace the router.

There are several options for getting out of the situation; using the tips provided, you can establish a stable wireless connection in your apartment.

Wi-Fi on the laptop has disappeared and there is a red cross everywhere - this is the most common error. Although any user of modern devices has ever experienced problems with Wi-Fi connection to the Internet. Unstable Internet (or even its complete absence) is usually very annoying; you want the problem to be solved as soon as possible, but it cannot be solved on its own - you need to diagnose the problem and make efforts to solve it. Just today we will look at the most common problems of wi-fi connections to the Internet and ways to solve them.

Why wifi disappears - reasons

There are incredibly many reasons that could potentially cause the lack of a stable wifi connection (or connection at all), such as banal removal at an excessively long distance, the presence of any radio interference in the coverage area of ​​the access point, and the presence of all kinds of shielding elements between the router and you. However, most often the network disappears due to software errors and hardware failures.

Diagnosis of the problem

If the Internet via wifi is lost, and there are no obvious signs of a hardware malfunction (a broken router antenna, for example), and getting close to the access point to a distance of 3-5 meters did not help, you should start looking for software errors. The mechanism for detecting them is individual for each specific OS and gadget. And yet, in the case of the most popular devices, such as laptops with Windows, smartphones running Android and iPhone, there are some universal recommendations that with almost one hundred percent probability will help to detect the software cause of the lack of signal.

If your gadget is running a less popular OS, for example, Symbian, Windows Mobile, or even some kind of “home-written Chinese OS”, it is impractical to carry out software diagnostics, since the built-in mechanisms for this in such OSs, as a rule, are absent, and flashing the firmware will take much less time than poking around in the software core.

What to do if wifi disappears on a Windows laptop

The reasons for the loss of wifi signal on a laptop can be divided into three categories:

If, when you press the corresponding key on the laptop, the wifi module operation indicator (the light next to which wifi is written or the corresponding icon is drawn) does not light up, then the problem is in the device itself. Check if the corresponding option is enabled in the BIOS. To do this, restart the laptop and press the corresponding key in the first 3-5 seconds of booting. As a rule, this is F2, F8 or F12. However, the BIOS boot initiation key may be different - carefully read the notification that appears when you turn it on (usually the required button is written at the bottom right). It is worth noting that your BIOS version may not have the option to enable the wifi module, so it is first recommended to read the user documentation or enter the combination of ““name of your laptop” wifi bios” into a search engine.

Wi-Fi disappeared in windows

If the wifi module and router operation indicators are lit but there is no signal, you should check whether wifi is enabled in Windows itself. Right-click the corresponding taskbar icon (the bar at the bottom or top of the screen), then click: “Network and Sharing Center” => “Change adapter settings” => Find the monitor icon with the wifi signal strength scale => “Enable”.
Also, instead of right-clicking on the icon on the taskbar, you can click “start” => “control panel”.

Often the reason why wifi on a laptop disappears is faulty drivers. Right-click the “computer” shortcut, select “properties” => “device manager” and look for “network adapters”. Make sure the adapter is turned on. If there is a yellow triangle next to it, select “update drivers”.

The reason for unstable wifi operation may be high load on the router. Check and disable the most active users!

If the laptop sees other networks, but cannot connect to the one you are interested in, the problem is in the router settings. To diagnose it, you need to connect to the router using a cable or other device and type the debugging address in the browser address bar: “192.168.0.0”. In the window that appears, enter: “admin/admin”. Next, you should check whether signal transmission via wifi is turned on, and whether your device is on the “black list” of the MAC filter. You should also make sure that the router allows the simultaneous connection of multiple devices.

If you cannot connect to the router even through a cable, you should press the “reset” button on the router and wait 10-15 seconds.

If none of the above helps, try calling your ISP and asking if they are receiving feedback from your router (when it is up and running). If not, then most likely your router’s hardware has failed.

Wi-Fi on my laptop turns off constantly or periodically, what should I do?

If the signal on the laptop appears and disappears, no matter what access point you are connected to, most likely the problem is in the system power plan settings. To fix this problem, select the "maximum performance" mode, but note that this will affect battery life. In addition, disable automatic hibernation - very often, after waking up from sleep mode, the wifi adapter de facto remains turned off until the next reboot.

My iPhone loses wifi, what should I do?

First, make sure that the problem is in the iPhone, and not in the router - often, users mistakenly believe that wifi is not working on the iPhone, although the reason is the access point. If your gadget sees other networks, the iPhone is working. Secondly, make sure you have the latest version of iOS.
If the iOS update did not help, click: “Settings” => “General” => “Reset” => “Reset network settings”.
If this doesn’t help, the iPhone is faulty.

If the gadget does not connect to any network at all, either reflashing it or going to a technician will help. If it connects to some networks but not to others, you should enable the bgn broadcast mode on the desired access point and try to set a static signal broadcast channel instead of the Auto mode. This can be done through the router settings menu (the address described above is 192.168.0.0). It is also worth noting that not all Android devices support pairing with wifi, relayed through a laptop in forwarding mode (when the laptop acts as a router).

The Internet via wifi has disappeared, but there is a wifi network

If the device is connected to an access point, but there is no Internet, check the cord going to the router and contact your provider. If the problem is only on a specific device, try clearing the cache or using a different browser. You should also make sure that the device (not the memory card!) has at least 10% memory.

What to do if the wifi icon disappears

If the icon itself disappears, you should make sure that wifi mode is turned on. If the option to turn on wifi is missing, or the icon does not appear, you will have to reflash your smartphone or update your laptop drivers.

So, the article discussed all the most common problems with wi-fi Internet access, and also suggested ways to solve them. If you have read this article, conscientiously followed all the recommendations given, but your wi-fi still does not work, feel free to take your device to a service center, since you (most likely) will not be able to fix the problem at home.

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