Modern communication technology without the use of wires has significantly expanded the capabilities of networks and connected computer and mobile devices. However, even in a wireless network connection, problems can often occur. The most common problems will now be discussed, and at the same time the simplest methods for eliminating errors and malfunctions will be considered.
Wireless network connection: no connection. Possible reasons
Connections of this type are established in several ways. But since we are talking specifically about networks based on Wi-Fi connections, Bluetooth communications will not be considered.
So, conditionally problems can be divided into two large categories. The first includes failures when there is no wireless connection as such in the settings and network connections. The second - there are discovered networks, but it is impossible to connect to them.
If we divide these categories into smaller subclasses, among the most common phenomena, the following can be distinguished:
- disabled Wi-Fi module;
- Incorrect wireless settings in the system
- incorrectly set router parameters;
- Missing, outdated, or incorrectly installed network adapter drivers
- equipment breakdown.
We are not talking about viruses that can block wireless network connections, since each user must take care of the security of his own system. But just in case, checking will not hurt.
Check Wi-Fi module
So, for starters, look at a wireless network connection. There is no connection, but the icon in the system tray is present, and there is a cross on it. What does it mean? Only that either the settings are incorrect or the wireless module itself is disabled. But for what reasons is it not possible to establish a connection (for example, the network is not detected)?
Let's start with the second case. Many users simply forget to enable the built-in or external Wi-Fi module. Most often, owners of laptops are prone to this, because in most of them the inclusion of the module is done through a combination of two keys - Fn plus something else. And quite by accident (say, when typing) the module could be deactivated.
Available Network Discovery
If the module is in an active state and there is no cross on it, perhaps the system simply cannot find an available network. In this case, simply click on the tray icon and update the list of available networks.
After that, it remains only to select the desired network and enter the access password if it has not been previously saved in the system.
Reset or reinstall router settings
Another look at wireless network connectivity. No connection? Perhaps the problem is associated with short-term malfunctions in the router (router). This, unfortunately, is observed quite often, especially when using inexpensive models of TP-Link series routers.
In this case, rebooting the router may be a partial solution to the problem. The router must be disconnected from the mains for about 10 seconds, and then turned on again. After a full download, a connection may appear. In some situations, it helps to use the reset button, which is located on the back of the device (long press and hold for 30 seconds).
Check your wireless network and adapter settings
However, most often the problem is the incorrectly set network connection parameters of the system and the router.
First you need to check if the wireless network is installed on the computer or laptop in general. You can find out in the network connections section of the Control Panel. If it is not, then the network needs to be created and connected. The wireless network connection will then become active.
Sometimes you should pay attention to the TCP / IP protocol settings. Today, most providers provide access with automatic determination of parameters, that is, nothing needs to be entered in the fields of the IP address, gateway, subnet mask, and DNS servers. The only thing you need to pay attention to is the use of proxy servers. Their use for local addresses needs to be deactivated. If the provider provides its own settings, they should simply be entered correctly.
In routers, after entering the settings through a web browser (addresses 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.0.1.1), you should check the Wi-Fi status (in the Wireless section, next to the Enabled activation line, a check must be checked or the active mode is set). In some cases, if there is no automatic configuration of the communication channel, it can be changed to 6 or 1, as well as check the security settings (WPA2-PSK security standard, AES encryption).
Wireless network connection: no connection (Windows 7). Driver issues
But this is not the only problem. Sometimes the reason for the lack of connection, even if correctly configured, may be the network adapter of the wireless connection. The main cause of the problems is the driver. To check their status, you must enter the "Device Manager" from the "Control Panel" or through the "Run" console using the devmgmt.msc command in it. If the device does not work or does not work correctly, it will be marked with a yellow icon.
In this situation, you can simply reinstall the driver using the context menu to access the function (there you can choose to reinstall immediately or enter the properties and perform a similar procedure in a new window). It is advisable not to install the driver offered by Windows, but to install it from the original disk or download it from the Internet from the adapter manufacturer’s website. You can remove the driver first, and install only after that.
The best option is the use of automated programs that allow you to search for and install drivers without user intervention (for example, Driver Booster). With this installation method, the user, as they say, kills two birds with one stone, because the latest drivers will be installed for all devices in the system.
Sometimes, however, as a reason for the inoperability of the device, the system may issue a message stating that it is disabled. Here you will have to check its activity in the properties section (there is a power button there), or maybe even in the configuration of the primary input / output system (BIOS).
Windows Connection Diagnostics
Windows 7 or any other system modification can check for a wireless network connection (no connection) on its own, although there is little hope of fixing the problem. Nevertheless, if you click on the connection icon in the tray, you can see a link to diagnose problems there.
Who knows, maybe this will help someone, but in most cases you shouldn’t really count on it.
Special tools for troubleshooting
Finally, we take a final look at the wireless network connection. No connection after trying to fix the problem with all the above methods? Alternatively, you can use special programs.
For example, one of the most popular utilities is still the small Microsoft Fix It program. The application, as already understood, is precisely designed to eliminate errors in Windows-systems, including to eliminate problems with network connections. In principle, on the Internet you can still find a fairly large number of similar third-party programs, so you can eliminate errors and connection failures with their help.
If all else fails ...
It remains to add that if none of the above methods work, perhaps the problem lies precisely in the hardware. Here you have to find out the cause yourself or in a service center. Maybe the router is faulty, maybe something is wrong with the Wi-Fi module. In this case, there is simply no other solution than replacing these components.
If failures are observed in the software part, it is worth paying attention to the presence of optimizer programs installed in the system. Sometimes they spontaneously try to "improve" the Internet connection, turn on Turbo mode , etc. Despite everything, this only gives the opposite effect. What to do in this case? For starters, you can try to simply turn off their background optimization, or better, completely remove it and then check the connectivity.