How to turn on wifi on laptop. How to enable Wi-Fi on a laptop Connecting to a wireless network manually windows 8

Windows 7

Every lenovo, asus, acer, hp, samsung, toshiba, dns, dell or msi laptop has a wifi function - just to start using it you need to turn it on.

Through Wi-Fi, you can use the Internet, which has conquered our lives. He is with us at work, at school, in entertainment and in communication with friends.

The Internet has become a virtual reflection of everyday reality and an increasing number of people cannot imagine their lives without it – only you have to launch it first.

And what about when the equipment refuses to cooperate and the network is not available, or worse, you have no idea how to connect Wi-Fi on your laptop?

To help you find a solution to this problem, below you will find a guide to the simplest ways to enable wireless connection and setup.

This is a step-by-step instruction for windows 7 and 8 - now hardly anyone uses old Microsoft systems.

Check function keys or how to turn on Wi-Fi on your laptop

I am fully aware that the lack of sufficient knowledge is a serious problem, however, often the solution is simpler than you initially think.

So don't panic and read on. Every laptop purchased over the past 5 years has a set of function keys.

They are used for volume control, media pause, screen saver, touchpad lock, etc.

Among them, there are also those responsible for enabling / disabling the wifi wireless network.

By default, they are usually assigned to the F2 button - just press the Fn + F2 key combination, if they do not work in your laptop, then WLAN control can be assigned to another button.

The simplest methods are usually the most effective - but if the keyboard shortcut above doesn't work, move on to further reading.

How to enable WiFi on your Windows 7 laptop

Windows 7 has been the main operating system preinstalled on laptops by most manufacturers for the past few years - chances are it's on yours as well.

The following are the steps to help you learn how to turn on Wi-Fi on your laptop - "on the seven"

Go to control panel

Just click on it to see a list of all available wireless networks in your area. Select the network you want to connect to from the drop-down list.

How to turn on WiFi on your Windows 8 (8.1) laptop

In addition to Windows 7, the other most popular system comes preinstalled on most new laptops - Windows 8 or 8.1.

Since her interface has been substantially changed due to the "subway" steps for her, enabling WiFi on a laptop is a bit different.

Turn on network settings

Move the cursor to the lower right edge and click on the icon: "Settings". I have Windows 8 in English, so your inscriptions will be different than in the drawings - in Russian.

Go to wireless network and turn on WiFi

When you are in the computer settings, go to Wireless and change the wireless device from Off to ON.

Enabling Wi-Fi by laptop models

As mentioned above, some laptops may have "non-standard" settings.

Therefore, below I will give the most popular solutions for various models - I think this will be useful for many, especially if they do not have instructions from the manufacturer.

Please note that in addition to keyboard shortcuts, there may also be special buttons on the case.

How to enable wifi on acer

Keyboard shortcut - Fn + F5
Aspire 1000 / 1640Z / 1690 - button above the keyboard
Aspire 16xx - button above the keyboard
Aspire 2000 Series - Switch on the front of the laptop
Aspire 2012 Button - above the keyboard
Aspire 3005 - Power switch on the right side of the laptop
Aspire 3500 - on the front of the laptop
Aspire 5610 - on the front of the laptop
Aspire 5612 laptop side button
Aspire 9302 - blue button on the left side of the laptop
Aspire 94xx - button below lock key
Aspire One [Legacy] - Antenna button on the bottom right corner of the palmrest
Aspire One [New Models] - Fn + F3 Keys
Extensa Button 2000/2500 Series - button in the upper right corner of the keyboard
Ferrari 3000/3020/3400/4000 - buttons on the front of the laptop
Travelmate C series button - top left key, the screen menu will appear on the screen, select WLAN

How to enable wifi on asus

Keyboard shortcut - Fn + F2
One click: turn on bluetooth / turn on Wifi
Two taps: turn off Bluetooth / turn on WiFi
Three taps: turn on Bluetooth / turn off WiFi
Four taps: turn off Bluetooth / turn off WiFi
Older models - [antenna icon] button above the keyboard, press and hold
New models - bottom button to the left of the keyboard
Compaq Armada - enable built-in wireless
Compaq Pavilion ZX5190 - [wireless icon] switch on keyboard
Compaq Presario - button on the back
Compaq Presario CQ series - (antenna icon) above the keyboard
Compaq Presario M2000 - (antenna icon) above keyboard
6910p - HP/Compaq button on the top left side of the keyboard
HP 600 - in the lower left corner of the keyboard
HP nc4000 / 4010 - button above the keyboard
HP NC4220 - on the left side of the laptop [near the USB Port]
HP NC6000 / 6220 - above the keyboard
NX9010 - on the front side of the laptop
HP Omnibook 6200 - on the left side of the laptop

How to turn on wifi on dell

Mostly Fn + F2 or Fn + F8 or Fn + F12
600 m - Fn + F2
E6400 - right side of laptop above headphone port
Inspiron-FN+F2
Inspiron 1510/500M/600M/1150 - FN+F2
Inspiron 1505 - system tray icon right click and enable
Inspiron 1521 - right side of the laptop
Inspiron 1525 - [wireless icon] button on front of laptop
Inspiron 1720 - switch on the left side of the laptop
Inspiron 5100 - Integrated Wireless
Inspiron 6000/8600/9300 - Fn + F2
D400 / D500 / D600 / D610 / D400 / D500 / D600 / D610 / D620 / D800 - Fn + F2
Latitude D630 (D640 and newer) - toggle switch on the left side from the front
Latitude E6400 - FN+F2
X300-FN+F2
Vostro 1500 - Large buttons on the left side on the back

How to turn on wifi on lenovo

In DV series laptops - an antenna-shaped button above the keyboard
R40 - Fn + F5
Thinkpad - buttons on the left side of the laptop
T43/X32 - Fn + F5 opens OSD menu, select "Turn On"
X61 switch on the front right side of the laptop
Lenovo T-61 - switch on the front of the laptop

How to enable wifi on MSI

button next to the power button
U100 - Fn + F11

How to enable wifi on samsung

Blue button in the middle of the keyboard

How to enable wifi on toshiba

Keyboard - Fn + F5 or Fn + F8
A100-078 - switch on the right side of the housing
Equium - on the front of the case
Libretto - on the front of the case
M1 and M2 - switch on the left side of the housing
M40 and M70 - button on the front of the laptop
Portege & Qosmio - on the left side of the case
Quantium - on the left side of the laptop
R100 - switch on the right side of the case
Satego - on the right side of the laptop
Satellite - switch to the bottom left corner of the keyboard Fn + F8 shows the status
L355D-S7825 - switch below the keyboard, slightly left of center
Satellite A60-S1662 - switch on the right side next to the USB port
Satellite Pro button on the side or front
TE2000 - switch on the left side of the case
Tecra 2100 - switch on the left side of the case

What to do if the instructions above did not help

If you have done everything that is written above and nothing helps, then the problem can be only in one thing - in the absence of the correct driver.

Where to get the driver? It is best to download from the manufacturer's website, but you can do it differently, especially if you can't find it there.

The driver can be downloaded from . I will not describe how to do this once again - here is a detailed instruction.

Very, very rarely there are situations when it is impossible to turn on Wi-Fi at all.

Yes, this is a rarity, but it happens - I'm not saying that the module went out of order, it's just that the manufacturers themselves do not intentionally make mistakes.

Or, for example, you have an old laptop, you hung Windows 7 or 8 on it, and there may not be drivers for such OS on it, since the manufacturer has long forgotten about it. Let's hope that this is not your case and everything went well. Good luck.

In Windows 8 (as in previous versions of Windows), when you successfully connect to a wireless Wi-Fi network, the system automatically creates a separate connection for this connection. Wi-Fi network profile. This profile contains all the information necessary to establish a wireless connection: network name (SSID), authentication method, network password (password key) and other information. In the future, if this Wi-Fi network is in the visibility zone, this profile is used to automatically connect to it.

In Windows 7, there was a special control panel item that allowed you to manage wireless network profiles ( Manage Wireless Network): delete profiles, change their parameters or priority. In Windows 8, Microsoft for some reason decided to remove this functionality, so in Windows 8 you can manage Wi-Fi network profiles using third-party utilities (these are not our methods!), Or using the command line.

So, wireless networks in Windows 8 can be managed using the command line, the command will help us with this netsh.

How to list saved Wi-Fi profiles

The list of wireless network profiles can be displayed using the command:

netsh wlan show profiles

The command returns a list of saved profiles of wireless Wi-Fi networks. In this example, there is one Wi-Fi network profile named michael.

View saved passwords for Wi-Fi networks in Windows 8

It is no secret that the system saves the network key (password for connecting to the network) for the convenience of the user.

You can view the saved password for accessing the Wi-Fi network (WPA, WEP, etc.) directly from the command line using the netsh command, specifying the desired profile:

Netsh wlan show profiles name= michael key=clear

The password (key) of the Wi-Fi network can be seen in the Security settings ->Key Content section. In this case, the password for connecting to a Wi-Fi access point: test wifi key.

Deleting a Wi-FI connection profile in Windows 8

You can delete a saved wireless connection profile in Windows 8 with the command:

netsh wlan delete profile name=

This command will destroy all saved profiles for all WLAN interfaces.
If you need to delete a wi-fi network profile for a specific WLAN interface, use the following command:

netsh wlan delete profile name= interface=

Note. Wireless profiles in Windows 8 are stored as XML files in the directory C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Wlansvc\Profiles\Interfaces\(Interface GUID)\(Profile GUID).xml
Each Wi-Fi adapter has its own interface GUID (GUID_interface), and all saved profiles for this interface are stored in an xml file with (Profile_GUID) as the name. To delete information about a specific wireless profile, just delete the corresponding xml file.

How to connect to a wireless network in Windows 8 through the command line

You can connect to a wireless network through the command line in Windows 8 if the system already has the required profile. The following command is used to connect:

Netsh wlan connect name=

If you need to connect from the command line to the network saved in the profile (how to get a list of all profiles in the system is described above) with the name wlr313$$, run the following command:

Netsh wlan connect name="wlr313$"

It is also possible to specify a specific interface with which to establish a Wi-Fi connection. In this case, the command will look like this:

Netsh wlan connectmso-ansi-language:EN-US" lang="EN-US">13$" interface="Wireless Network Connection 2"

Disconnecting from a WiFi network

To disconnect from the wireless network, use the command:

netsh wlan disconnect

Or specify a specific interface:

Netsh wlan disconnect interface="Wireless Network Connection 2"

How to change the priority of wireless networks in Windows 8

If there are several Wi‑Fi networks in the coverage area, the priority of wireless connections is determined as follows: the last connection becomes the highest priority if the “connect automatically” item is active. If this network is unavailable, Windows 8 tries to connect to the Wi-Fi network that was prioritized last time, and if the connection is successful, the priority of this network is increased.

Note. In Windows 8, if there are several network connections by default, the system tries to connect first via Ethernet, if this is not possible, it tries to establish a Wi-Fi connection, and if both of these options are not available, Windows 8 will connect to the mobile network.

The current priority for wireless networks can be displayed using the already familiar command:

netsh wlan show profiles

The higher the profile is in the list, the higher the priority of this connection. To change the priority of one of the Wi-Fi networks, use the command:

Netsh wlan set profileorder name=”wlr313$" interface=”Wireless Network Connection 2” priority=1

This command raises the wireless network priority wlr313$$ to the maximum (1) for the Wireless Network Connection 2 interface.

And if you list all network profiles again, you will see that the priority of the wlr313$$ network has been increased (it is above all in the list).

Transfer Wi-Fi network profiles between Windows 8 computers

To transfer an existing Wi-Fi profile from one computer to another, you need to export it to an XML file and then upload it to another computer.

And again, the netsh utility comes to the rescue, allowing you to export and import wireless network settings (profiles) into an XML file:

Upload the Wi-Fi profile settings:

netsh wlan export profile name=”wlr313$” folder=c:\wifi

As a result, an xml file should appear in the c:\wifi directory, which must be copied to another computer and imported with the command:

Netsh wlan add profile filename=”c:\wifi\WiFi_profile_name.xml”

Using these commands, you can also back up all Wi-Fi profiles on your computer.

Restricting access to Wi-Fi networks

You can restrict access to Wi-Fi networks using Windows group policies. An example of the implementation of such a restriction is described in the article: and.

The Windows 8 operating system is the most recent version to date. It has the most convenient interface, and also has the best stability. Setting up wireless networks is no exception. However, due to the fact that Windows 8 is new, many users who are accustomed to previous versions of operating systems experience some difficulties. This article will show you how to connect Wi-Fi to a Windows 8 laptop.

WiFi connection on a laptop: Video

How to connect a laptop to a wireless network

First you need to turn on the WiFi adapter. In Windows 8, this is very easy to do. In the lower right corner (the so-called tray) you need to find the network icon - as in the picture.

After that, a pop-up menu will appear in which you can manage the WiFi adapter by turning it on and off. In addition, in this menu you will see a list of available connections, from which you need to select the desired network and click the "Connect" button. If a password is required, the system will prompt for it. After entering the key, click "Connect". This completes the connection.

How to enable WiFi network on a Windows 8 laptop: Video

Setting up a wireless network

It is worth noting that the connection does not always go so smoothly. How to connect to Wi-Fi on a Windows 8 laptop if, when you click on the corresponding tray icon, you get a pop-up menu in which there is no way to enable wireless communication? In such a case, follow the steps below.

Move your cursor to the top right corner. In the menu that appears, select search and run it. In the search bar, enter "Network and Sharing Center" and start the service. In the window that appears, run "Change adapter settings". Here you need to find a shortcut called "Wireless Network Connection".

If the label is gray, it means that the connection is turned off and should be turned on. To do this, right-click on the shortcut and select "Enable".

After a couple of seconds, the connection will change color, indicating that it is ready to work. Now again click on the network icon in the tray and check if the WiFi enable function has appeared.

How to Programmatically Enable WiFi in Windows 8: Video

In addition, there may be other problems. And if you still failed to connect to a WiFi network on a laptop with OS Windows 8, then do not rush to call the wizard. To get started, try the following steps in order:

Check the functionality of the access point. If the router is located in your apartment, then see if it is turned on, if there is no access to it, then check for a signal (for example, using a smartphone or tablet).
Check if the wireless adapter itself is turned on and if Airplane mode is turned off, which turns off any wireless equipment on the laptop. This mode is enabled in the same place as WiFi.
Check for updated drivers for the wireless adapter on the official website of the laptop manufacturer.

Now you know how to connect to a WiFi network from a Windows 8 laptop, as well as how to fix some possible connection problems. Now let's look at how to create a homegroup using a wireless router.

How to create a private WiFi group and connect to it

As you already know, in order to organize a home network, you need a WiFi router that will be used as an access point. It is to it that all devices within the range will be connected.

So, if you already have a router, then turn it on and wait a bit. After the device has booted up, you can connect to it. This does not require a password.

After connecting, you need to launch any browser and write in the address bar: 192.168.0.1. Depending on the router model, the address for entering the settings menu may differ - it is indicated in the instructions for the device.

How to find out the IP address of a WiFi router: Video

After entering the address, press "Enter". Next, the system will ask you to enter your username and password. Initially, this is admin, admin, respectively.

Here we are in the settings menu. Here you need to enter the "Basic settingsWirelessSecurity settings" section. Network security is configured here - a key is set, and the type of encryption is also selected. You can set the network name in the "Wireless settings" section (wireless network settings).

Setting up WiFi on a Windows 8 laptop is easy.

In the tray, on the "Network" icon, click on the left mouse button. A panel will open with a list of available WiFi networks (access points). You need to click on the network to which you want to connect:

After that, you need to click on the "Connect" button:

After that, a field will appear in which you need to enter the password for this access point:

Note. In order to see the text of the password that you wrote, you need to click the "Eye" button at the right end of the field. The password text is only displayed when the button is held down!

Enter the password, click "Next" and if the password is correct, then in half a minute or a minute the connection will be established. The network icon in the tray will change its appearance. In this case, all parameters, except for the password, for a new connection, Windows 8 will automatically install.

After connecting to the access point, Windows 8 will prompt you to assign the type of this network:

If you click the "Yes" button, you can share files and other resources on this network (for example, print over the network). If you click the "No" button, then only the Internet will be in this network.

How to change WiFi settings on Windows 8

In the tray, on the "Network" icon, you need to click on the right mouse button and then select "Network Control Center" from the menu. In the Network Control Center, you need to click on the connection name (in the illustration it is "Wireless network sQuad 7.82 3G":

A status window for this connection will open, in which you need to click the "Wireless Network Properties" button:

And after that a window will open in which you can change the settings for this connection:

How to use WiFi

Using WiFi is very easy. After you have created a connection, you can turn it on and off through the network icon in the tray.

However, you need to understand that the ability to use WiFi is highly dependent on external factors. Since the radio signal is exposed to the external environment. Various obstacles such as walls, ceilings, floors weaken both the signal of the access point and the signal of the client device. Windows shows the signal strength from the access point in "sticks". The pictures at the beginning of the article show the signal level in one or two short sticks. This is a very weak signal. With such a signal, you most likely will not be able to use the Internet.

There are programs that show the signal level in numbers - dBm, for example 60 dBm or 40 dBm. The larger this number, the weaker the signal - a good signal is less than 50 dBm. However, you need to understand that the accuracy of such numbers varies depending on the adapter and the driver of this adapter. Under the same conditions, one adapter can show, for example, 71 dBm, and the other adapter 82 dBm.

In addition to passive barriers, the quality of WiFi signal transmission can be adversely affected by sources of electromagnetic radiation. So, even if you have the best WiFi adapter installed on your laptop, this does not mean that you will always be able to use the Internet via WiFi.

In a situation with a poor signal, using an adapter with an external antenna can help. For example, the TP-Link TL-WN722N/C USB WiFi adapter is equipped with an external antenna. At the same time, it is removable and, if necessary, it can be replaced with another one with a high gain.

What gives the presence of an external antenna? Continuing the same example - under equal conditions - the same access point, the same time and place of connection, the presence of passive barriers between the access point and the client - as a result, a weak signal in both directions:

The laptop's internal "native" WiFi adapter connects to an access point, but practically does not allow you to use the Internet due to low speed and frequent interruptions.
TP-Link TL-WN722NC with its own antenna provides a stable Internet connection at a good speed.

If WiFi is not working

If there is no "Wireless Network Connection" on your computer, the reason may be as follows:

There is no WiFi adapter on your computer at all. You can find this out through the Device Manager. There should be a wireless network card in the list of devices.
Your computer has a WiFi adapter but it is disabled. For example, on many laptops there are buttons to turn off the WiFi adapter. This can be a standalone button or one of the F buttons in combination with the Fn button. If the WiFi adapter is built into the motherboard, it can be disabled in the BIOS.
There is an adapter, but the drivers for it are not installed, in this case it will be in the list of devices as an unidentified device.
There is an adapter, but it is disabled by software.

If "Wireless Network Connection" is there, it shows a list of networks, but you cannot connect to the desired network, then the reason may be that:

The signal between your adapter and access point is too weak. Long distance, thick walls, etc. Moreover, the signal level of the access point can be decent, but the signal of your adapter does not "finish off" to the access point. Because the adapter signal is generally weaker than the access point signal. Especially if the adapter is built-in, such as in a laptop.
You entered the wrong password. This is especially true for Windows XP because you can't see the password characters there.

If the connection to the access point is established, but the Internet does not work, then the reasons may be:

WiFi router (access point) is not connected to the Internet. For example, a technical failure at the provider, or a lack of funds on your account with the provider.
Technical failure of the DNS servers at the provider.

Home WiFi networks

WiFi security

Since when using WiFi, all information is transmitted by radio wave, this makes WiFi networks much more vulnerable compared to wired networks. The fact is that the radio signals sent by the access point (WiFi router) and devices that are connected to the access point are available for interception by any similar device that is within the radius of "hearing" from the access point or from the client of this access point. That is, the interception of network traffic becomes very simple, affordable and invisible. And the interception of network traffic allows you to collect the information necessary to attack a WiFi network. As there are more and more access points, WiFi increases and the number of people who want to "hack" a WiFi network increases.

The most common motivation for hacking WiFi hotspots is to connect to the Internet via WiFi for free. A fairly common picture today is that you have a WiFi router installed in your apartment and not only your devices are connected to it, but also the computer of one of your neighbors. You pay for the Internet, and your tech-savvy neighbor gets the Internet for free.

But "theft" of the Internet is not the only reason WiFi networks are "hacked". The fact is that if an attacker gains access to your access point, he can access through it all the devices that are connected to your WiFi router. And this gives him the opportunity to steal your personal data. For example, passwords for mail, Internet banking, your documents - in a word, everything that you own.

Therefore, WiFi must be used with caution. Here are a few rules to follow.

Do not connect to open public WiFi networks through a laptop on which you store valuable information. And if you need to access the Internet through open WiFi networks, then use a firewall and antivirus on your laptop. Even better if you install two operating systems on a laptop. One main, which will store all your valuable information. And the other is empty, only to access the Internet through open WiFi networks.

If you use a WiFi router at home or in the office, you need to properly configure the WiFi router:

Use the WPA2 security type.
The password for protection should be long - better if 50 - 60 characters, and should consist of an arbitrary set of characters. Password marina1234 very bad - it will be hacked in a few minutes. Password nvysue57k-sjehr)