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Youโre ready to study or work on a project, but wait โ your laptop says thereโs no Wifi available. To confirm your laptopโs problem, you try to get online with your phone, and to your surprise itโs right there, working with no trouble at all.
Now youโre wondering why your laptop cannot detect Wifi but your phone can. Well, this is an extremely common problem that can often be solved with some troubleshooting. This guide will teach you how to fix the problem and get you back to internet-ing as soon as possible.
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My laptop cannot detect Wifi but my phone can: How to fix it quickly
Before you can do anything on the internet, youโll need a stable Wifi connection. However, sometimes laptops canโt detect Wifi as well as mobile phone, so thatโs why youโre here. Weโve gathered all the most common reasons why your computer doesnโt detect Wifi, and how to fix it.
Your laptopโs Wifi is switched off
When dealing with this issue, itโs very much possible that your laptopโs Wifi is completely off. You might have turned off Wifi on the laptop and forgotten all about it or you might have been using it but are now not.
The easiest way to check for this is to simply turn the Wifi switch to see if a new network will appear and ask you to join. If the Wifi network is able to be detected through a phone, it should be able to be detected through the computer itself.
So, use the Wifi switch function to turn on your Wifi network. If you have no Wifi at all, then you can use a wireless laptop dongle to connect. This is a piece of hardware that will plug into the computer and provide a Wifi connection.
Your laptop is in Airplane Mode
We are all familiar with the Airplane Mode. Itโs the mode that turns off all radio signals and makes the user unable to access any type of mobile data. When this setting is turned on, the laptop will not be able to detect Wi-Fi networks.
Sometimes, you accidentally pressed a key that toggles on Airplane Mode or you might have forgotten to turn it off. This can be an issue if youโre expecting a very important email or youโre working on something.
To get back the internet access that you need, go to the settings on your device and turn off Airplane Mode. Once youโve done that, your device should now be able to detect Wi-Fi networks.
Forget the Wifi network
This is a solution that works for many devices when such an issue comes up. In case a device canโt detect a Wifi network, all you have to do is go to the network settings and make it forget the particular Wifi settings. This will automatically detect the network again and you will be able to connect it.
Make sure you remember the Wifi password because youโll have to log in once again. Let the device detect all the new networks and connect them to the one that previously worked.
Restart your router
Does your laptop not detect any Wifi signals? Is it not detecting any of your networks? Well, the router might be to blame. Sometimes, a minor glitch or error in the router function is enough to cause connection issues. To fix it, simply unplug your router from the power source and leave it off for a few minutes. Reboot your router and make sure everything restarts correctly. Now youโre able to detect Wifi signals again!
Old or outdated drivers
We all know how terrible it is when you update your operating system and run into driver problems. It can be absolute chaos, and it does not always have to do with the internet or Wifi connection either. If you have no Wifi on your laptop, update the drivers and see if that fixes the problem. Windows detects new Wifi devices and installs a driver for them and if youโve updated the system recently, you might have also updated these drivers. Even though this is a rare issue, itโs worth noting that itโs something to be aware of.
Issues with Antivirus software
Our computers and laptops require antivirus software to be installed in order to keep them safe. But this isnโt always the case and there might be times when antivirus software is corrupt and causes the device to no longer detect Wifi at all.
Antivirus software can suffer from errors or even have malware that can mess up your deviceโs connection. It might not be the actual software that is corrupt, but the settings instead. To fix this issue, all you have to do is uninstall and then re-install the antivirus software. You should be able to detect Wifi signals on your computer again.
Incorrect time and date
If your device is unable to connect to Wifi in any way, there might be a simple way to fix it. If you happen to have the incorrect time and date set up on your device, then that might also affect how Wifi signals are detected and accessed. So, make sure that the time is set correctly on your computer before trying to access Wifi. Also, try to use network-supported time and date to ensure that everything is working as intended. Itโs more accurate and more up-to-date.
Poor signal
Another common problem that can arise is if the Wifi system itself is faulty. When trying to connect to a Wifi network, check if your router or the device is not receiving a signal, for example when the modem is in the basement or in a cardboard.
If you live in an area that has an available signal but the computer alone doesnโt detect it, then try placing your computer somewhere with better signal strength. If it still doesnโt work, find the best position for your device and make sure the Wifi is in a full range where it can be detected easily.
Final Thoughts
For a lot of us, a laptop is the only source of connection and we canโt live without it. We need to access social media, watch our favorite shows on Netflix or read up on the news online. Itโs also important to have a working internet connection or Wifi when playing games online or downloading new programs for work. Itโs vital that we remember these solutions so that our laptops donโt ever come to a halt and make us unable to do our daily routines.
FAQs
Why is my laptop not detecting the wireless network?
There are two things you can check in order to fix the issue of your computer not recognizing your wireless network. First, make sure that you are in the range of the router. If this is not the case, then it might be because of a poor signal or no signal at all. Secondly, try forgetting the wireless network and reconnecting again. This way, your computer will detect it again from scratch and youโll be able to connect automatically.
