Wi-Fi adapter troubleshooting (no Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi disabled)

 

Audience – Tier 1, Tier 2

 

Description:

            This guide explains how to troubleshoot a device without Wi-Fi.

 

Procedure:

  1. Determine if the user is in the office or remote.
  2. If in the office or can go to the office have them do so and connect their device to a dock. (Docks are hooked up to ethernet), re-enable Wi-fi, remove and reinstall the network adapter in device manager, etc. You can use the steps below:
  3. If the user cannot connect to ethernet (no port or can’t go to the office and use a dock) see if they have Mobile hotspot service with their cell phone provider, if so ask them to turn on mobile hotspot on their mobile device and connect their phone to their PC.
  4. If the end user does not have tethering/hotspot please notify the SME/T2.

 

iPhone: 

Adding iPhone to Bluetooth on PC: (Bluetooth is the only method you can use for an iPhone. (Wifi does not work which is why you are viewing this KB and tether via USB cable for iOS requires iTunes (not allowed on company pc’s)

  1. On iPhone go to settings -> Personal Hotspot
  2. Make sure “Allow others to join” is on. 
  3. On the PC go to the system tray (lower right corner of the screen)
  4. If you do not see the Bluetooth icon you will need to click the caret (^) to expand.
  5. Right-click “Join a personal area network”
  6. This box will open, click the device name and then click “next”A screenshot of a computer Description automatically generated
  7. You will be prompted on both the phone and PC for a pairing code A screenshot of a computer Description automatically generatedA screenshot of a phone Description automatically generated with medium confidence
  8. Once you do this you will be brought to this screen A screenshot of a computer Description automatically generated with medium confidence
  9. Right-click the newly added devices name, then click “Connect using” A screenshot of a computer Description automatically generated
  10. You should then see this; the PC is now connected using Bluetooth.A screen shot of a computer Description automatically generated with medium confidence

 Android:

Share a mobile connection by hotspot or tethering on Android

You can use your phone's mobile data to connect another phone, tablet, or computer to the internet. Sharing a connection this way is called tethering or using a hotspot. Some phones can share Wi-Fi connection by tethering.

Most Android phones can share mobile data by Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or USB.

Important: Some mobile carriers limit or charge extra for tethering. We recommend checking with your carrier.

Important: Some of these steps work only on Android 9 and up. Learn how to check your Android version.

Turn on your hotspot

  1. Swipe down from the top of the screen.
  2. Tap Hotspot . 
    • If you don’t find Hotspot , at the bottom left, tap Edit and drag Hotspot into your Quick Settings.

Connect another device to your phone's hotspot

  1. On the other device, open that device's list of Wi-Fi options.
  2. Pick your phone's hotspot name.
  3. Enter your phone's hotspot password.
  4. Click Connect.

If you don't want your hotspot to require a password:

  1. Swipe down from the top of the screen.
  2. Touch and hold Hotspot .
  3. Under "Security," tap None.

Tip: You can share your phone's mobile data with up to 10 other devices via a Wi-Fi hotspot.

Choose how to tether

Tether by Wi-Fi

  1. Swipe down from the top of the screen.
  2. Touch and hold Hotspot .
  3. Turn on Wi-Fi hotspot.

Tip: To find or change your hotspot name or password, tap it. You may need to first tap Set up Wi-Fi hotspot.

Tether by Bluetooth

  1. Pair your phone with the other device.
  2. Set up the other device's network connection with Bluetooth.
  3. On your phone, swipe down from the top of the screen.
  4. Touch and hold Hotspot .
  5. Turn on Bluetooth tethering.

Tether by USB cable

Important: Mac computers can't tether with Android by USB.

  1. Connect your phone to the other device with a USB cable. A notification shows at the top of the screen.
  2. On your phone, swipe down from the top of the screen.
  3. Touch and hold Hotspot .
  4. Turn on USB tethering.



 

Fix Wi-Fi connection issues in Windows

Troubleshooting network problems in Windows

If you can’t get email, browse the web, or stream music, chances are you’re not connected to your network and can’t get onto the internet. To fix the problem, here are some things you can try.

If you are using Windows 11, for Windows 10 please try the steps below.

Things to try first

Try these things first to help you fix or narrow down the connection problem.

  • Make sure Wi‑Fi is turned on. Select the "No internet connection" icon No Internet connectionon the right side of the taskbar, and make sure Wi-Fi is turned on. If it isn't, select it to turn it on. Also, make sure Airplane mode is turned off.

Network settings in Windows 10

  • Afterwards, see if a Wi-Fi network you recognize and trust appears in the list of networks. If it does, select the Wi-Fi network, and they try to connect to it. If it says Connected underneath the network name, select Disconnect, wait a moment, and then select Connect again.
  • Try connecting to a network on a different frequency band. Many consumer Wi-Fi routers broadcast at two different network frequency bands:  2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. These will appear as separate networks in the list of available Wi-Fi networks. If your list of available Wi-Fi networks includes both a 2.4 GHz network and a 5 GHz network, try connecting to the other network. To learn more about the differences between 2.4 GHz networks and 5 GHz networks, check out Wi-Fi problems and your home layout.
  • Make sure the physical Wi‑Fi switch on your laptop is turned on. (An indicator light usually shows when it's on.)
  • Run the Network troubleshooter. The Network troubleshooter can help diagnose and fix common connection problems.

To run the Network troubleshooter 

  1. Select the Start  button > Settings > Network & Internet > Status.
         Open Network & Internet Status settings
  2. Under Change your network settings, select Network troubleshooter.
  3. Follow the steps in the troubleshooter, and see if that fixes the problem.
  • Restart your modem and wireless router. This helps create a new connection to your internet service provider (ISP).


When you do this, everyone that is connected to your Wi-Fi network will be temporarily disconnected. The steps you take to restart your modem and router can vary, but here are the general steps. (Note: If you have a cable modem/Wi-Fi router combo device, you only need to follow the steps for the single device.)

    1. Unplug the power cable for the router from the power source.
    2. Unplug the power cable for the modem from the power source.  

       Some modems have a backup battery. If you unplug the modem and lights stay on, remove the battery from the modem.
    3. Wait at least 30 seconds or so.

       If you had to remove the battery from the modem, put it back in.
    4. Plug the modem back into the power source. The lights on the modem will blink. Wait for them to stop blinking.
    5. Plug your router back into the power source.

       Wait a few minutes for the modem and router to fully power on. You can usually tell when they’re ready by looking at the status lights on the two devices.
    6. On your PC, try to connect again.

Connection problems can be due to a variety of reasons—problems with the website, your device, the Wi-Fi router, modem, or your Internet Service Provider (ISP). Try the following steps to help narrow down the source of the problem.

  1. If the "Wi-Fi connected" icon  appears on the right side of the taskbar, visit a different website. If the website opens, there might be a problem with the specific website. If you can't connect to another website, go to the next step.
  2. On another laptop or phone, try to connect to the same network. If you can connect, the source of the problem is likely due to your device—go to the section Network troubleshooting on your device. If you can't connect to the network on any device, continue to the next step.
  3. Check to see if there is a problem with the connection to your Wi-Fi router.  Do this by using a ping test.
    1. In the search box on the taskbar, type command prompt. The Command Prompt button will appear. To the right of it, select Run as administrator > Yes.
    2. At the command prompt, type ipconfig, and then select Enter. Look for the name of your Wi-Fi network within the results, and then find the IP address listed next to Default gateway for that Wi-Fi network.  Write down that address if you need to. For example:  192.168.1.1
    3. At the prompt, type ping <DefaultGateway> and then select Enter.  For example, type ping 192.168.1.1 and select Enter.  The results should be something like this:
  • Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64 
  • Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64 
  • Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64 
  • Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64 
  • Ping statistics for 192.168.1.1: Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss), Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:  Minimum = 4ms, Maximum = 5ms, Average = 4ms 

If you see results like this and are getting a reply, then you have a connection to your Wi-Fi router, so there might be a problem with your modem or ISP. Contact your ISP or check online on another device (if you can) to see if there's a service outage.

If the results of the ping test indicate that you are not getting a reply from the router, try connecting your PC directly to your modem by using an Ethernet cable (if you can). If you can connect to the internet using an Ethernet cable, it confirms the connection problem is due to the Wi-Fi router. Make sure you've installed the latest firmware and see the documentation for your router.

Run network commands 

Try running these network commands to manually reset the TCP/IP stack, release and renew the IP address, and flush and reset the DNS client resolver cache:

  1. In the search box on the taskbar, type command prompt. The Command Prompt button will appear. To the right of it, select Run as administrator > Yes.
  2. At the command prompt, run the following commands in the listed order, and then check to see if that fixes your connection problem:
    • Type netsh winsock reset and selectEnter.
    • Type netsh int ip reset and select Enter.
    • Type ipconfig /release and select Enter.
    • Type ipconfig /renew and select Enter.
    • Type ipconfig /flushdns and select Enter.

Uninstall the network adapter driver and restart 

If the previous steps didn’t work, try to uninstall the network adapter driver, and then restart your computer. Windows will automatically install the latest driver. Consider this approach if your network connection stopped working properly after a recent update.

Before uninstalling, make sure you have drivers available as a backup. Visit the PC manufacturer’s website and download the latest network adapter driver from there. If your PC can't connect to the internet, you'll need to download a driver on a different PC and save it to a USB flash drive so you can install the driver on your PC. You’ll need to know the PC manufacturer and model name or number.

  1. In the search box on the taskbar, type device manager, and then select Device Manager from the list of results.
  2. Expand Network adapters, and locate the network adapter for your device.
  3. Select the network adapter, press and hold (or right-click), and then select Uninstall device > check the Attempt to remove the driver software for this device check box > Uninstall.
  4. After uninstalling the driver, select the Start button > Power  > Restart.

After your PC restarts, Windows will automatically look for and install the network adapter driver. Check to see if that fixes your connection problem. If Windows doesn't automatically install a driver, try to install the backup driver you saved before uninstalling.

Check if your network adapter is compatible with the latest Windows Update 

If you lost your network connection immediately after upgrading or updating Windows 10, it's possible that the current driver for your network adapter was designed for a previous version of Windows. To check, try temporarily uninstalling the recent Windows Update:

  1. Select the Start  button, then select Settings  > Update & Security >Windows Update  > View update history >Uninstall updates.
  2. Select the most recent update, then select Uninstall.

If uninstalling the most recent update restores your network connection, check to see if an updated driver is available:

  1. In the search box on the taskbar, type device manager, and then select Device Manager from the list of results.
  2. Expand Network adapters, and locate the network adapter for your device.
  3. Select the network adapter, select Update driver >Search automatically for updated driver software, and then follow the instructions.
  4. After installing the updated driver, select the Start button > Power  > Restart if you're asked to restart, and see if that fixes the connection issue.

If Windows can’t find a new driver for your network adapter, visit the PC manufacturer’s website and download the latest network adapter driver from there. You’ll need to know the PC manufacturer and model name or number.

Do one of the following:

  • If you couldn’t download and install a newer network adapter driver, hide the update that’s causing you to lose your network connection. To learn how to hide updates, see Hide Windows Updates or driver updates.
  • If you could successfully install updated drivers for your network adapter, then reinstall the latest updates. To do this, select the Start  button, then select Settings  > Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates.

Use network reset 

Using network reset should be the last step you try. Consider using it if the steps above don’t help to get you connected.

This can help solve connection problems you might have after upgrading from a previous version of Windows to Windows 10. It can also help to fix the problem where you can connect to the internet, but can't connect to shared network drives. Network reset removes any network adapters you have installed and the settings for them. After your PC restarts, any network adapters are reinstalled, and the settings for them are set to the defaults.

Note: To use network reset, your PC must be running Windows 10 Version 1607 or later. To see which version of Windows 10 your device is currently running, select the Start button, then select Settings > System > About.

  1. Select the Start  button, then select Settings  > Network & Internet  > Status > Network reset.
         Open Network & Internet Status settings
  2. On the Network reset screen, select Reset now > Yes to confirm.

Wait for your PC to restart, and see if that fixes the problem.

Notes: 

  • After using network reset, you might need to reinstall and set up other networking software you might be using, such as VPN client software or virtual switches from Hyper‑V (if you're using that or other network virtualization software).
  • Network reset might set each one of your known network connections to a public network profile. In a public network profile, your PC is not discoverable to other PCs and devices on the network, which can help make your PC more secure. However, if your PC is used for file or printer sharing, you’ll need to make your PC discoverable again by setting it to use a private network profile. To do this, select the Start  button, then select Settings > Network & Internet  > Wi-Fi . On the Wi-Fi screen, select Manage known networks > the network connection you want to change > Properties. Under Network profile, select Private.

Check your Wi-Fi settings 

Wi-Fi adapter manufacturers might have different advanced settings you can change based on your network environment or connection preferences.

Check the Wireless Mode setting for your network adapter and make sure it matches the capabilities of the network you’re trying to connect to. If it doesn’t match, you won’t be able to connect, and the network might not appear in the list of available networks. The Wireless Mode will often be set to Auto or something similar by default, which enables connection for every kind of network that’s supported.

To find the wireless mode setting 

  1. In Device Manager, select Network adapters, and then double-click the network adapter name.
  2. Select the Advanced tab and look for a Wireless Mode setting. Make sure it’s set to the mode your network is using.

Wi-Fi profile settings 

Windows uses the Wi-Fi profile to save the settings that are needed to connect to a Wi-Fi network. These settings include the network security type, key, network name (SSID), and so on. If you can’t connect to a Wi-Fi network that you could connect to before, it’s possible that the network settings might have changed or the profile is corrupted.

To fix this, remove (or "forget") the network connection, then reconnect to the network. When you forget a network connection, it removes the Wi-Fi network profile from your PC.

To forget a network 

  1. Select the Wi-Fi network  icon on the right side of the taskbar, then select Network & Internet settings.
  2. Select Wi-Fi , then select Manage known networks.
  3. Select the network you want to forget, then select Forget.

Afterwards, select the Wi-Fi icon on the taskbar and try to reconnect to the desired network to renew the network connection.

Check your home layout 

Your Wi-Fi network might be affected by the network's frequency band, channel congestion, and/or signal strength.  For more info, see Wi-Fi problems and your home layout.

Check for additional symptoms for the "No internet connection" icon  No Internet connection

There may be additional troubleshooting steps you can try, depending on which symptoms you're having. To view these steps, check out Wi-Fi connection icons and what they mean.

 

Escalation:

 

If an escalation is necessary, please escalate to Tier 2 as the first POC, if Tier 2 is unavailable please escalate to SME.