How to turn on the Wi-Fi icon on a laptop. How to enable Wi-Fi on an Acer laptop? Hot keys for turning on Wi-Fi. Procedure for turning on Wi-Fi

Without a working WiFi adapter, the laptop will not be able to connect to the wireless network. If you find that the Wi-Fi module is disabled, you can easily enable it yourself in hardware and software.

What is a WiFi adapter

A Wi-Fi adapter is a module in a laptop that is capable of recognizing signals from routers, establishing a wireless connection to the Internet. A WiFi adapter is available on any modern laptop as a built-in board.

If you want to connect to wireless networks from your computer, you can purchase an external WiFi adapter that connects to the system unit via a USB interface. In any case, the software configuration of the equipment will be the same, only the methods of hardware activation of the device will differ.

Hardware enable

To turn on the Wi-Fi adapter on a laptop, find the corresponding hardware button on the case or use a hotkey combination. You can usually find out the current state of the module (on or off) using the indicator. If it is not lit, then you need to turn on WiFi on the laptop.

Most often, the combination of the Fn button with one of the keys in the F1-F12 row is responsible for turning it on. On ASUS laptops, for example, the Fn+F2 combination is used. When these two keys are pressed simultaneously, all wireless modules of the laptop are activated, including Wi-Fi.

Combinations for enabling Wi-Fi on laptops from various manufacturers:

Acer – Fn+F3.
ASUS – Fn+F2.
Dell – Fn+F2.
Gigabyte – Fn+F2.
Fujitsu – Fn+F5.
HP – Fn+F12.

The pictograms will help you determine the appropriate key. Usually, an antenna is drawn on the desired button that distributes a signal.

On some laptop models, you can turn on the WiFi adapter using a separate button on the case. It can be located directly below the display. On older models there is a two-position switch, which is located on the side of the laptop.

Software enablement

If, after turning on the WiFi adapter in hardware, the wireless connection icon with a list of available connection points does not appear in the tray, you will also have to activate the module programmatically. You can enable Wi-Fi in the system settings.

On Windows 8 and Windows 10, WiFi is disabled/enabled with a special switch, which is located above the list of available points or in the system parameters.

An icon should appear in the notification area; when you click on it, a list of wireless networks available for connection will open. If the list indicates that there are no available connections, make sure that Wi-Fi is configured on the router. If the wireless connection icon does not appear in the tray, make sure that the WiFi adapter is working without errors.

Possible problems when turning on

There are several reasons why the Wi-Fi model cannot be turned on:

The Fn button does not work, therefore the key combination does not work.
The adapter drivers are not installed, the system does not detect the device.
The WiFi module has failed and requires replacement.

Using a keyboard shortcut is usually not the only way to enable the wireless module, but if you are trying to get the adapter to work using a button combination and nothing is working, then you should check the software status.

On some laptops, for the Fn button to work correctly, a special utility must be installed in the system. For ASUS laptops this is ATK Hotkey Utility. You can find suitable software on the manufacturer's website. The Fn button may not work for other reasons, but this is a topic for a separate large article.

The most common reason why a Wi-Fi adapter fails to turn on is missing hardware drivers.

Drivers can be installed automatically or manually. It is recommended to use manual installation by first downloading the software from the manufacturer’s website. If you manually install a driver of the appropriate version and bit depth, the problem with turning on the adapter should disappear.

If no manipulations help turn on the adapter, then there is a possibility that it is damaged. You can replace the module at a service center; an alternative option is to purchase an external adapter and connect it via a USB port. But these actions are justified only if you are sure that the built-in WiFi adapter has failed.

Connecting to a wireless network is the most convenient way to access the Internet at good speed without unnecessary wires. However, to enjoy all the benefits of a wireless connection, you must first understand how to set up Wi-Fi on a laptop.

Enabling the adapter

Before you start creating a new connection, you need to check if the Wi-FI adapter is turned on.

Each laptop model has its own function key for turning the adapter on/off. For example, ASUS laptops use the combination Fn+F2, and Acer laptops use Fn+F3. On some Lenovo models, adapter status is controlled using a hardware switch located on the front panel.

To determine which key you have installed, look at the F1-F12 row. One of the buttons should have an icon - an antenna that distributes a signal. Press this button in combination with the Fn key and check that the Wi-Fi adapter indicator light changes from red to blue or green.

What to do if the Wi-Fi adapter does not turn on?

There are situations when, after pressing a function key, the adapter does not turn on. Typically this problem occurs due to one of the following reasons:

Incorrectly installed drivers.
Incorrect operation of the system.
Virus infection of laptop.

Until you eliminate the cause, the question of how to set up Wi-Fi in a laptop will not receive a positive resolution. Most often, the problem lies in incorrectly installed drivers, but it would also be a good idea to check the system for viruses. If no malicious applications are found, reinstall the Wi-Fi module drivers and try turning it on again.

How to set up Wi-Fi on a laptop

Setting up on Windows XP

To configure, you just need to correctly specify some parameters of the wireless connection:

If you have set a password for your wireless connection, you will be required to provide a security key, after which the connection will be established.

Setting up on Windows 7

We've sorted out XP, now let's see how to set up a wireless network on a laptop with Windows 7 installed. There are practically no fundamental differences:

This completes the wifi setup on a Windows 7 laptop. When connected, you enter the security key and gain access to the Internet.

For Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 there are no differences in settings from the seventh version. The list of networks available for connection can be called up directly from the notification panel - there is a special Wi-Fi icon in the tray.

Video of Wi-Fi settings on a laptop

Due to the lack of a unified standard for how to enable WiFi on laptops, even in the line of models from the same manufacturer, users often have problems with how to enable WiFi on a laptop, for example, from the popular HP brand. Below is a detailed guide describing how to activate the WiFi adapter on HP laptops.

Preparatory actions

Before you turn on WiFi on your laptop, you need to make sure that the software is correctly installed for the normal functioning of the WiFi adapter built into the device. You can check the installation of hardware drivers using the Network and Sharing Center or through Device Manager.

You only need to perform a few sequential steps:

To solve the problem through Device Manager, you should take the following steps (using Windows 10 as an example):

As in the instructions above, you will also need to visit the official resource of the equipment manufacturer on the Internet, download the appropriate drivers for the adapter from there and then install them in the laptop.

Procedure for turning on Wi-Fi

Enabling can be done using several methods.

Method 1: Using HP Connection Manager

The algorithm of actions consists of the following steps:

Method 2: Using buttons on an HP laptop

Most often, HP laptop models use a combination of buttons on the keyboard. For example, you need to hold down “Fn” and click on “F12”. Sometimes, instead of “F12”, another button is provided, but this key always has a picture with a WiFi symbol.

There are HP laptops equipped with special buttons that perform the function of activating the WiFi adapter. For example, in earlier models such a key was located above the keyboard, and in some subsequent models the manufacturer began to place it below the keyboard.

There are often modern models that implement a method of activating WiFi using a touch button, which is indicated by a characteristic Wi-Fi wireless network icon. Sometimes there will be an "X" next to the symbol representing a wireless network. If this symbol is active, then Wi-Fi is turned off.

Wi-Fi technology is very widely used in the life of a modern person, as it allows you to easily and quickly solve the problem of connecting to the Internet without using conventional wires. This is especially true when using laptops, which can be used to access the Internet in any convenient place thanks to the presence of a built-in Wi-Fi adapter.

That is why the situation when Wi-Fi does not work on a laptop leads to significant inconvenience and even some problems. There are many reasons why Wi-Fi may not work on a laptop computer. It is simply unrealistic to solve the most serious of them on your own without the help of specialists, but there are quite a lot of them that can be eliminated on your own. Let's look at them.

Is the problem with your laptop or router?

A fairly common problem that a laptop has stopped connecting to the WiFi network is not a problem with the laptop itself, but with the settings of the router that distributes the network. Thus, the laptop can be configured correctly, but Wi-Fi still does not turn on precisely because it has nothing to connect to.

To rule out the possibility that the problem is related to this, you should try to connect to the network from any other device that is equipped with a Wi-Fi adapter - from another laptop, smartphone, tablet, etc.

If Wi-Fi does not work from another gadget, then the problem lies in the Wi-Fi router distributing the Internet. If the connection is successful, the problem is in the laptop and before solving it, you first need to determine why Wi-Fi stopped working.

Hardware enable adapter

Based on such diagnostics, you can accurately determine that this problem arose precisely because of the laptop. When Wi-Fi does not work on it, you can try using several methods.

The first one is to check if the wireless adapter on your laptop is enabled. Almost all modern models have light indicators for the operation of the WiFi module and there are special key combinations to enable it in hardware.

Typically, a lit indicator indicates that the module is turned on. If the indicator does not light up at all or lights up in red, then Wi-Fi is not working precisely because of the wireless network adapter. It must be turned on.

Most often, such indicators are located directly on the keyboard, side or front panel of the device case. Sometimes they are located on the monitor body or near the touchpad.

To enable the module of such a network, press the key combination Fn and one of the system keys F1-F12. The specific combination depends on the laptop manufacturer. Usually, the corresponding antenna icon is located on the desired key. If it is not there, then to turn on Wi-Fi you should try pressing the standard combination for a particular model:
Fn+F3 for Acer;
Fn+F2 for Asus, Dell or Gigabyte;
Fn+F5 on Fujitsu devices;
Fn+F12 on HP laptops.

After pressing the appropriate keys, we check whether the wireless connection module operation indicator lights up or whether it stops glowing red. After this, you should try to connect to the network again. If this does not help, move on to the next step.

Software enablement

When Wi-Fi stops working and turning it on in hardware does not give positive results, you also need to turn it on in software, which is done directly from the operating system the laptop is running.

To programmatically enable WiFi that has stopped working on Windows 7, 8 or 10, you need to perform the following sequence of actions:

1. On the notification panel, which is located near the clock, select the network connection status icon;

2. From the list that opens, select “Network and Sharing Center” or “Network Settings” depending on the version of the operating system;

3. The next step is “Changing adapter parameters.”

Among the list of all existing connections, you need to pay attention to the color of the “Wireless Network Connection” icon. If your WiFi does not work and the wireless adapter is disabled, the connection icon will not be highlighted. In this case, right-click on its icon and select “Enable” from the context menu that opens. The color of the connection icon should change.

In this case, the wireless network adapter turns on, all you have to do is find the one you need in the list of available wireless networks and connect to it.

If, after such actions, Wi-Fi, which has stopped working, continues to be inactive, you need to move on to the next method of solving the problem.

Driver installation and update

Quite often, the wireless Wi-Fi connection does not turn on due to the lack of a driver or when it is very outdated. To determine whether the driver is installed, you need to select “Properties” from the context menu of the “My Computer” icon, which is located on the desktop or in the “Start” menu. Next, in the window that opens, select the “Device Manager” command from the menu on the left.

In the new window that opens with a list of connected devices, you need to find the name of the laptop’s wireless network adapter. Usually its name is “Wireless Network Adapter” or “Wireless Network Adapter”, along with which the device manufacturer should be indicated: Realtek, Atheros, Qualcomm or something else.

Having found the desired item and right-clicking on it, select “Properties” from the context menu. In the window that opens, there should be an item “Device is working normally.” But even if there is a mark indicating the normal operation of the device, this is far from a guarantee that the correct driver version is installed and Wi-Fi is turned on correctly. To check it, in the window with the properties of the wireless device, go to the “Driver” tab and pay attention to the “Development date” and “Vendor” items.

If the supplier is Microsoft or the program development date is several years behind the current one, go to the official website of the laptop manufacturer and download the latest official version of the driver.

The same should be done if there is no wireless adapter among the list of installed devices.

If the wireless communication module is present in the list of devices, but is marked with a yellow exclamation mark, this means that the device is disabled, as a result of which the network has stopped working. In this case, opening the device properties window, you need to click the “Engage” button.

Another reason why Wi-Fi stopped working on a laptop may be that the energy-saving mode is enabled, which prevents the wireless connection from working. To disable it, you need to do the following:
1. Open Control Panel;
2. Select the “Power Options” icon;

3. In the window that opens, select the “High Performance” or “Balanced” mode.

External obstacles to the signal

It's also worth noting that a broken wireless network can also be the result of more than just laptop problems. The wireless signal is affected by some external factors that may weaken it. Ceilings, walls, floors and similar obstacles significantly degrade the signal quality of the access point and laptop.

As you know, the signal quality on a personal computer is displayed in the form of several marks - the more of them, the higher the quality of the signal. If the wireless connection level is displayed as 1 or 2 marks, then you don’t have to try to use WiFi - in this case it will not work properly.

In this case, you need to move the router closer to your workplace, move the workplace closer to the Wi-Fi router, or buy a new, more powerful router.

If all else fails

If none of the tips above helped, you can use a simple, but often effective solution: restart both your computer and your wireless router. Please note that after a reboot, the router turns on for up to 5-10 minutes before it starts distributing the network. Be patient. Also, despite the opinion of many skeptics, sometimes the problem diagnostic function found in the Windows operating system helps solve problems with a wireless network.

Thus, most of the existing solutions to problems related to the fact that Wi-Fi has stopped working on a laptop have been listed above. Almost all such methods and recommendations can be used by anyone who is faced with a similar problem, since this does not require any special skills.
If nothing helps, and the wireless network does not start working, there is only one option left - go for help to a quality service center, where they can solve any problems with the laptop.

If the article did not help solve your problem and Wi-Fi still does not work, write in the comments, I will try to help.

People all over the world purchase new models of computers or laptops every day for their personal use. But not all professional users know how to set up its operation, install various programs, and connect their device to the World Wide Web.

In this article we will try to look at step-by-step instructions on how to enable Wi-Fi on a laptop and computer. The principle is the same for all laptops; we will look at how to enable Wi-Fi on several of the most common laptop models, as well as separately on Windows. So. Everything is in order.

How to enable Wi-Fi on HP laptops

At the initial stage, you need to look at the current state of the connection to the wireless network on the laptop. To do this, look at the icons; they may differ on some HP laptop models. The icon can be at the top of the panel (F12 key with an image of an antenna) or on the taskbar in the lower right corner. If you have an antenna icon and it lights up, then Wi-Fi is connected, if it doesn’t light up, it’s turned off. On some models there may be an “X” next to the “mast” icon. In this case, the connection is disabled.

Having decided on the Wi-Fi connection, if it works, then you can safely access the Internet, if not, then proceed to further actions.

How to enable Wi-Fi on Asus laptops

Specific control of the Wi-Fi module is a distinctive feature of this model. Basically, connection and disconnection occurs using a special mechanical switch. The switch is in active mode - Internet access is active, and if in inactive mode, it is turned off.

How to turn on Wi-Fi on Windows

Now let's look at how to access the Internet in Windows. There are several flavors of Windows. You may have Windows 7 or 8, Windows XP or Vista installed on your laptop. We will focus on two: Windows 7 and Windows 8, since they are the most popular at the moment.

How to enable Wi-Fi on Windows 7

And so what you need to do to enable Wi-Fi on Windows 7:

The very first thing we need to do is go to the “Start” menu and select “Control Panel” there. Select the “Network and Internet” subsection in it. There are also several subsections here, but we need the “Network and Sharing Center”. We find it and go in.
A separate window will open, where we find the “Change adapter settings” tab and click on it.
Another window opens. Find the “Wireless Network Connection” shortcut. Right-click on this shortcut and in the “connect/disconnect” command that appears.
A list of networks will open, where we select the one we need and click connect.

As a rule, the network is protected with a key, so another window will open where you will need to enter a password in a certain field.

If you did everything correctly, an icon will appear in the lower right corner of the desktop indicating that Internet access is active.

How to enable Wi-Fi on Windows 8

Turn on Wi-Fi on Windows 8:

As when connecting a network to Windows 7, initially we perform the same steps: “Start” -> “Control Panel”.
After we get to the above tab, select “switch to classic view” and find “Network Connection Control Center”. You will see a list of programs where we find “Wireless network connection”.
Next, using the right mouse button, click on the above program and select the “Property” command. In this folder there should be "Obtain an IP address automatically". If the mark is checked, then click the “OK” button.
Then we need to go back to the Network Connection Management folder. Here again we find “Wireless network connection” and again, using the right mouse button, select the command “Connect - Disconnect”.
After this, an additional window “Connect to a network” will open in front of you, where we select the network we need and click the “Connect” button.

If you did everything correctly, the corresponding icon will appear in the taskbar.

How to enable Wi-Fi on a desktop computer (PC)

And finally, let’s look at how you can connect Wi-Fi on a personal computer. There are no problems with laptops, they use a wireless connection, but with PCs it’s a little more difficult. Not everyone wants to run wires from their computer across the entire house or apartment. There is also a way out of this situation. You need to purchase and install a Wi-Fi adapter on your PC.

The computer uses the following types of adapters:

External. Such adapters are connected to a computer using a USB port.
Internal. This view is a little more complicated. They are connected to the motherboard via PCI-E 1X or PCI connectors.

Most people prefer an external adapter. These are mainly people who rarely use the local network. For them, the main thing is to have access to the Internet. There is nothing complicated about connecting it. We just need to plug it into a USB port and install the drivers. Each adapter comes with a driver disc. After installing the drivers, we search for a wireless network and connect to it.