Wi-Fi works, how to set it up. Turning on Wi-Fi on a laptop using the keyboard

In this article we will take a detailed look at the process of connecting a laptop or Windows 7 computer to the Internet via Wi-Fi. I think the article will be useful to many, since many questions always arise when connecting to Wi-Fi for the first time. As a rule, they are associated with installing the necessary drivers, enabling wireless adapter on a laptop, etc. More on this a little later.

The laptop is generally a great thing. I don’t really understand people who are buying desktop computers now. Only for serious games. Well, you must admit, it’s much more convenient with a laptop. If you want to big screen, then you can connect it to a monitor or TV. It makes no noise and you can take it with you if necessary. And also, all modern (and not so modern) laptops have a built-in Wi-Fi module. A receiver that allows you to connect your laptop to the Internet via wireless wifi networks. In the case of a desktop computer, you will need to buy .

All you need is to buy and install (if you don't already have it), it will distribute Wi-Fi to which you connect your laptop. You can connect your computer to free Wi-Fi networks in cafes, shops, etc. Or, to unsecured network your neighbor :) This is much more convenient than laying a network cable. While this is still normal for a regular desktop computer, it is no longer the same for a laptop. And it’s not convenient to move around the house with this wire all the time.

Connecting a laptop to the Internet is not difficult, provided that the Wi-Fi driver is installed. Many people have a lot of problems because of the driver. If you simply did not install the driver for your Wi-Fi receiver, or you installed Windows yourself and did not install it, then you will not be able to connect to Wi-Fi. But you may already have everything installed and configured, so let’s first look at the process of connecting to a wireless network normally. If you don't learn from you, there won't be wireless connection etc., then read the article to the end, we will look at possible problems.

Connecting the laptop to Wi-Fi

Let's first look at the connection process without any settings or checks. Why complicate everything, perhaps you already have everything set up. If everything is fine, your laptop sees the wireless network and is ready to connect, then the Internet connection icon in the notification panel will look like this:

Connection status, which looks like network level with an asterisk (like the picture above) says that the laptop sees available networks and is ready to connect to them. Click on this icon, then select the Wi-Fi network to which we need to connect and click the button Connection. In Windows 10, the process of connecting to Wi-Fi is slightly different. If it is needed, detailed instructions.

If the network is password protected, a window will appear in which you need to enter a password and confirm the connection by pressing the button Ok.

That's all, your laptop should connect to the Wi-Fi network. The connection status will be like this:

You can use the Internet.

If you see the connection status, it looks like this:

This means that most likely everything is configured on your laptop, but the laptop simply does not see the networks available for connection. Perhaps there is simply no coverage in this place. If you are connecting to your network, check that the router is turned on. If enabled, then .

This is how the connection will proceed when you have the driver installed for the Wi-Fi adapter and the adapter itself is turned on. But very often the adapter on the laptop is turned off, or no one installed the driver for it at all. In such cases, many questions arise. Now we will examine in detail both cases, due to which you may have problems connecting your laptop to a wireless network.

Enable "Wireless network connection" on the laptop

If your wireless connection is disabled, or the Wi-Fi driver is not installed, the connection status will look like this:

This means that there is no way to connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi, and there is no connection via network cable. As I wrote above, this happens due to the adapter being turned off, or due to the lack of a driver. Let's first check if you have "Wireless" disabled. network connection". This is of course unlikely, unless you turned it off yourself, but you need to check.

Click on the internet connection icon and select Network and Sharing Center.

Then select Change adapter settings.

Looking at the adapter "Wireless network connection", if it is disabled, then click on it right click mouse and select Turn on.

After this, the connection status "There are available connections" should appear. (if there is a Wi-Fi network within the radius).

We enable wireless connections using the buttons on the laptop

It seems to me that now manufacturers no longer install separate buttons for turn on Wi-Fi adapter. But, if you are having problems connecting to Wi-Fi, then please check if there is special button to disable/enable wireless connections on your laptop. I know for sure that Toshiba loved making such switches.

Nowadays, on laptops, a keyboard shortcut is used to disable/enable the wireless network. As a rule, different manufacturers, the keys are different. But usually it's Fn+F2. So on Asus laptops. You can look at yourself, there should be a network icon on the key that is pressed in conjunction with Fn. Something like this:

True, for me the combination of these buttons is responsible for turning off bluetooth. It doesn't seem to respond to Wi-Fi at all. But yours may be different. It's definitely worth checking out.

If in the adapter management window there is no “Wireless network connection” adapter at all, but there is definitely Wi-Fi on your computer/laptop, then this means that The driver for the Wi-Fi adapter is not installed.

Now we will check everything and try to solve this problem.

Checking and installing the driver for Wi-Fi

I have not yet seen a case where after Windows installations 7, the system itself installed the driver for the Wi-Fi adapter. This is much better in Windows 8. Windows 10 often installs itself necessary drivers. So, after installing Windows, in order to use Wi-Fi, you need to install a driver specifically for your laptop or adapter (very often, adapters from different manufacturers are installed in one laptop model. It is because of this that you can see several drivers for Wi-Fi on the manufacturer’s website).

We go to the device manager.

In Device Manager, open the tab Network adapters , and looking for a driver for Wi-Fi. I have it called Atheros AR9485WB-EG Wireless Network Adapter, it is installed. You should also have something like a Wireless Network Adapter.

If you don’t have a wireless connection, then most likely you won’t find an adapter either. You need to install the driver, then Wi-Fi will work. And yet, if the driver for the Wireless Network Adapter is not installed, then in the device manager there will be at least one unknown device with yellow exclamation point. It looks something like this:

This is most likely the same Wireless adapter that the laptop does not know how to work with.

Driver installation

All you need to do is download required driver and install it. It is best to download the driver from the official website of the manufacturer of your laptop/adapter, and for your laptop (or adapter) model. It’s best to find the official website of your laptop, for example Asus, through Google, then use the site search on the site, indicating the model of your laptop. Most likely your computer's page will be found, open it and look for downloads of utilities and drivers there. Find the driver for Wireless and download it for the one you need operating system.

Most likely, the driver will be in the archive. To install, run the .exe file from the archive. For example, an archive with a driver for my laptop:

After installing the driver, restart the laptop and try to connect to the wireless network, according to the instructions. I wrote in more detail about installing the driver in the article about .

If some points from the article remain unclear to you, or you were unable to connect your computer to Wi-Fi, then write about it in the comments, we will try to solve your problem.

Hello! I’ll probably start with the fact that I’ve already written a lot of articles on setting up Wi-Fi routers, and about the problems that may arise during the setup and operation of wireless access points. All articles are on this site, mainly in the “Internet” section. In this article I will provide links to the most necessary materials that may be useful to you when setting up Wi-Fi router.

What is this article about? I want to tell you general outline O self-installation and setting up a Wi-Fi router. Perhaps you want to buy a router and create a wireless network at home. Now is the time that we can’t live without it. One computer connected to the Internet via cable is a thing of the past. These are constant fights in the family for the opportunity to surf the Internet and a long line in the back :).

Moreover, now almost all devices have the ability to connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi. Phones, smartphones, tablets, laptops, netbooks, etc. And if there is no Wi-Fi at home, then you are simply limiting their capabilities.

Before I forget, I would like to separately write a few words about the harmfulness of Wi-Fi, or rather the waves that a Wi-Fi router emits. I wrote about this in a separate article. If you are interested in this question, then read the article. I will only say that there is no point in hiding from these “harmful waves”.

Start searching for networks in your home. And you will see how many routers your neighbors have already installed (provided that you do not live in a village, there most likely will not be Wi-Fi networks). Moreover, radiation from Wi-Fi is several times less than from regular mobile phone, which we also hold near our heads. So they are afraid of a Wi-Fi router, this is not entirely normal and stupid.

Another plus wireless point access (aka Wi-Fi router) the fact that you can completely get rid of wires in your home. For some reason I am sure that your computer is not installed near the front door :). This means that the network cable needs to be pulled through the entire house. And if you just did good repair? A Wi-Fi router solves all problems. You can put it or hang it near the entrance doors, and some manage to place it in the common corridor (well, when there is a corridor for two apartments).

You probably ask: “But what about an ordinary desktop computer that does not have the ability to connect via Wi-Fi and needs to connect via a network cable?” everything is very simple, there are Wi-Fi receivers for such cases. About how to connect desktop computer I wrote about Wi-Fi in the article.

Is it possible to connect and configure a Wi-Fi router yourself?

Maybe! And put aside any doubts and excuses, like I don’t know how, it’s difficult, etc. Well, for example, I set everything up myself, and I also wrote instructions for the site. If you are planning to call a specialist who will install and configure Wi-Fi, then my advice to you is to try it yourself first. It won't work out- Call the master. It will work out- Great! Will you be able to, for example, change the provider and what, call the technician again? And then you can set everything up yourself. Moreover, everything is relatively simple. You just need to want it!

Here is my detailed information to help you. Everything is there in detail and point by point, there shouldn’t be any problems. Using these instructions, you can configure other routers, because the process is practically no different. So many useful information It’s also in the comments, you can read them too.

Now I just remembered that I didn’t write about choosing Wi-Fi router, because you are probably very interested in this question. I won’t recommend anything specific. Choose a router based on the amount of money you are willing to spend on it and the advice of the store salesperson (well, if the sales consultant is smart). All routers are good in their own way and all have their drawbacks. A year ago I bought a cheap one for my home (250 UAH/1000 rubles) router TP-Link TL-WR841N, the store recommended it to me. Excellent device, for a year of work, no problems at all.

Possible problems when setting up a Wi-Fi router yourself

Judging by the comments to the articles on this site, there are problems. But this shouldn't scare you. Someone got a defective router, someone simply didn’t want to understand the nuances of the setup and immediately wrote: “Serega help, for some reason it’s not working!” :).

Setting up a router - main points:

Connect the router to the computer via a network cable
Connecting the Internet to the router
Go to the router settings
Setting up a tab WAN. Settings from the provider, if you don’t know what settings to specify, then you can safely call and ask the provider.
Setting up a wireless Wi-Fi network. Set password, encryption type, security type, etc.

These are the main points; read the article for more details on setting up. As for various kinds of problems and errors, they most often arise when specifying settings from the provider and when setting up a wireless network.

But if there is a problem, then there is a solution. I tried to collect all the main problems when setting up a router and connecting to Wi-Fi. Of course, not just problems, but their solutions.

For convenience, I'll probably make a list of links to pages where I wrote about solving certain errors:

Well, the most common problem when setting up a router is probably... Not only is this article the most popular on this site, also on this moment(04/09/2013) left to her 739 comments.
And others... :)

I tried to collect all the articles with the main errors. If you don’t find something, then use the site search, maybe I missed something. Well, or ask in the comments, we’ll try to figure it out.

If the router's power is not enough for stable network coverage Wi-Fi apartments, home or office, there is a need for additional devices. There are three ways to enhance weak signal main router: install additional antenna, repeater or another router. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages; let’s take a closer look at the third option.

How to set up a router

To configure the router, connect a computer or other device with a web browser installed to it:

You can connect your computer with a cable by connecting network card PC with free LAN port router;
You can connect to the router via a wireless Wi-Fi network using a laptop, tablet or smartphone.

By default, the wireless network is assigned a name (SSID) identical to the name of the router model, and access to the distributed Wi-Fi network is not protected by a password.

After establishing a connection with the router, open it on your computer or connected wireless device web browser and address bar enter the router's IP address. For example, for TP-LINK router the address will be as follows: http://192.168.0.1

Illustrations taken from Settings TP-LINK router TL-WR 1045, other manufacturers' control panel looks different, but general principles, abbreviations and terms will be the same.

Entering the router's IP address in the browser's address bar will open access to the control panel

The correct IP address, login and password required to log into the control panel are indicated on the plate attached to the bottom of the router.

The IP address, login and password of the control panel are indicated on the nameplate on the bottom of the router

The login and password indicated on the sign apply only to the control panel, but not to the wireless network distributed by the router. After entering your login and password, you will see main screen, which displays information about the device status and provides access to menu items for setting modes.

Do not change the factory settings of the router unless necessary. After making changes to the router settings, reboot the device.

Video: setting up a Wi-Fi router

Two ways to connect routers

Routers are connected to one local network either by cable or by wireless channel. It is recommended to use devices from the same manufacturer.

Cable connection

Cable " twisted pair» ( UTP cable) is laid between the main and additional routers. In the main router, the cable is connected to the LAN socket, and in the additional router - to the WAN socket (this socket is highlighted in color and is sometimes called Internet). With this connection additional router will be for the main thing network device, and the main one for the additional one will act as a provider, distributing the Internet and providing a dynamic IP address.

Before installing an additional router, consider how the cable will be laid and carefully measure the length of the future cable channel. When purchasing a cable, buy one meter longer than measured cable channel, and ask the seller to immediately crimp the ends of the cable into the connectors. If the cable channel runs outside the premises and is exposed to natural influences, then purchase a cable with a reinforced sheath.

Advantages of the method:

reliability and stability of the cable connection;
easy setup of both routers;
The installation location of the additional router is not limited to the wireless coverage area of the main router.

Disadvantages of the method:

the need to purchase and lay cables;
When moving the router, the cable will have to be moved to a new location.

Configuring routers when connected by cable

If the main router is already configured to work with the provider and there are no complaints about the work, then there is no need to change anything in the settings.

Make sure that the DHCP function in the main router is enabled for automatic distribution IP addresses in local network. The start and end IP addresses do not need to be changed.

Setting up an additional router

It is recommended to immediately reset any changes made to the router settings to those preset by the manufacturer. To do this, turn on the router, find on the back panel Reset button, press and hold for 5–7 seconds. To protect against accidental reset of settings, the button is hidden inside the case and can be pressed through the hole using a needle or an unbent paper clip.

An example of the location of the reset button on the back panel of the router: the button is hidden inside, only the hole for pressing is visible

In the additional router, two settings are checked and set:

Making changes to the additional router’s own IP address allows you to avoid conflicts of identical addresses on the same network

After changing the router's IP address, to re-access the control panel, enter the new address in the browser's address bar.

There is a cable connection option in which the cable is connected to LAN port additional router. This option requires complex setup and does not provide any advantages over a WAN port connection.

Wi-Fi connection

Advantages of the method:

does not require physical connection of routers with a cable;
allows you to easily move an additional router if necessary.

Disadvantages of the method:

relative complexity of setup;
slowdown in wireless network speed.

The main router receives Internet from the provider and distributes it via the wireless network LAN1; the additional router receives the Internet wirelessly from the main router and distributes it via the LAN2 wireless network

Configuring routers when connecting via Wi-Fi

When two routers are connected on a local network via a wireless channel, a “bridge” connection is used, in English Wireless Distribution System (WDS), designed specifically to expand Wi-Fi coverage area.

Understanding Bridged Connectivity (WDS)

When installing this type of connection, the main router operates in standard mode, and the additional one performs the function Wi-Fi booster, receiving and distributing the signal further.

To connect routers in bridge mode, you need to establish a permanent (fixed) communication channel between them and specify the physical addresses of the connected devices in the settings. To set up a “bridge”, both routers are turned on, the main router is configured in advance for the provider, receives and distributes the Internet, and the settings of the additional router are pre-set to factory settings by pressing the Reset button.

Configuring the main router for WDS mode

We change the automatic broadcast channel selection mode to a fixed channel mode (for example, to the 11th channel).

Setting a fixed channel number prevents the router from automatically scanning the airwaves and selecting the least loaded channel. Therefore, if other wireless networks are operating nearby, you may have to manually experimentally select the least loaded channel or use special program For search free channel. The channel number must be changed simultaneously on both routers - the main and additional ones.

Setting up an additional router for WDS mode

On home page In the router control panel, the “WDS Status” line should display “working.” This means that the additional router has connected to the main router and is distributing the Internet.

Video: how to make a Wi-Fi network between routers (WDS)

Creation complex network requires knowledge and experience. If you are confident in your abilities, use our instructions. If you doubt your abilities, it is better to ask for help.

"Settings WiFi router? Nothing could be simpler, Watson!
Being even a very far person from the depths of knowledge of all the secrets computer world, most likely you have heard of such a thing as Wi-Fi! Let's immediately decide what this word means. WiFi is a technology wireless transmission information via radio signal. Now it has become widespread, so in order to keep up with the homosapiens of the 21st century, I strongly recommend getting involved in the topic and actively mastering and using it. Customization Advantage wifi at home before cable connection so huge that there is no point in even explaining it - the Internet and data exchange without wires! No sockets, cords or other millennia-old nonsense - I took out a laptop or smartphone (or whatever else is weighing on your pocket?) - turned it on and away I go...

If you are reading this article, then the question of setting up a WiFi router has arisen for you. Well, let's figure out how to set up WiFi on a laptop and computer with Windows 7 or XP.

I’ll immediately make a reservation that the menu sections in the router admin panel that I will talk about can different models have different names and are located in different parts of the menu - the main thing is to understand the essence in which section what needs to be written.

So, first of all, you need to purchase a router with wifi support. To set up a router to distribute a high-speed signal, it is advisable to purchase equipment with maximum throughput(now there are already up to 450 MB/s), which is called reserve. All the features of the choice are described in detail in this blog.
Turn on the WiFi router and connect two cables to it - one, Internet from the provider, to the connector called “WAN”, the other, free on both sides, which came with the kit, to the “LAN” connector.
Connect the free end of the cable to the computer or laptop from which we will configure the equipment.
Go to the browser address http://192.168.1.1 or another address indicated on the bottom of the device. Depending on the manufacturer and model, the address may look like 192.168.10.1, 192.168.0.1 or 10.10.0.1 - from those that I personally came across.
Enter your login and password - usually admin/admin, but may differ. They are indicated there, on back side router, next to the address for logging into the admin panel.
In the router settings, in the WAN or Internet section, select the type of connection that is either specified in the provider’s contract or found out by calling technical support, and enter all the access data depending on this type. Again, they are all indicated in the contract or accompanying explanatory materials and instructions from the provider.
In the “Wireless Network” or “WiFi” section, set the name of our Wi-Fi (SSID)
In the security section, set the encryption type to WPA2/PSK and set a password for connecting to WiFi.
Activate the mode virtual server— DCHP, which allows you to dynamically distribute IP addresses from a given range.
Save all changes

Setting up a WiFi router - connecting a laptop

Let's move on to WiFi setup on a laptop. Let's look at Windows 7 as an example, although on XP everything will be the same - the only difference is in the names of the menu items in the system itself. But first of all, keep in mind that the laptop must have WiFi module- either built-in, which you will be notified by a sticker on the case informing you of its presence, or some kind of button to activate it.

If it is not there, then you need to purchase and install it. WiFi adapter— details about choosing this device.

Possible errors when setting up a router

When you independently configure the router for distribution wifi signal beginners often admit enough simple mistakes. I will now give the solution to the most common ones.

If all the router settings have been made correctly, then the Internet should start working wirelessly. Follow the blog updates to learn how to increase Wi-Fi range and many other useful things.

IMPORTANT! Before setting up your phone, first check whether you are within range of a particular wireless Wi-Fi connection. You can use your home Wi-Fi, or you can connect your iPhone to free networks, for example, in cafes or shopping centers.

So let's begin:

Let's go to home screen and go to the “Settings” menu.
Then a search for available Wi-Fi will automatically start.
Choose a name and connect.

This method is suitable for connecting to unprotected routers, for example, in public places.

If you are connecting to a secure Wi-Fi, the sequence will be slightly different:

Open the “Settings” menu.
We look for the line “Wi-Fi” and enable the option.
After automatic search We select Wi-Fi desired point access.
Enter the password and click “Connect”.

If you cannot connect your phone to Wi-Fi this way, it means you are entering the wrong password. To find out the correct one, contact your Wi-Fi administrator.

DO NOT FORGET! To connect your phone to secure Wi-Fi, you need to know the password; a “lock” icon is displayed next to such connections.

There are also situations when you need to connect your phone to a hidden access point that is not displayed in the general list. To connect your smartphone, you need to know the exact name of Wi-Fi:

Open the “Settings” menu.
We look for the line “Wi-Fi” and enable the option.
Click “Other” and enter the exact name.
Click "Security".
After this, you need to select the type of protection, as shown in the illustration below.

We return to the “Other network” item and enter the password.
Click “Connect”.

The most common problems when trying to connect an iOS phone to Wi-Fi

It often happens that you seem to have done the right thing and followed the instructions, but nevertheless you cannot connect the phone with the operating system iOS system to Wi-Fi. Don’t despair and think that the saying “Technology in the hands of a monkey is a piece of iron” is about you. Most likely, this is not due to some technical glitch.

If you cannot connect your phone to Wi-Fi, do the following:

Check your router connection. Also make sure you are in range.
Check that the Wi-Fi option is turned on on your smartphone. Go to “Settings”, then to “Wi-Fi”. If there is a blue check mark next to the desired name, this means that the connection on the phone is successful and problems are observed in the router.
If you want to connect your phone to Wi-Fi at home, then check whether the cables are connected correctly and whether the router is configured correctly.
Reboot your IOS phone and set it up again.
Reboot your router and also configure it again.

If all else fails, try the following:

If you are trying to connect a smartphone in a public place, contact an employee of the establishment and ask him to set up Wi-Fi.
Check the connection on other devices, such as a laptop, or ask others if the Internet works for them. If there is also no connection on other devices, then there is a problem with the Internet provider. Contact your Internet provider.
Try connecting in a different location or to a different Wi-Fi. If attempts are unsuccessful, contact service center to check your iPhone.
Update the router firmware version and check that your smartphone is in the list of supported devices.

How to connect Android to Wi-Fi

Many people think that setting up an iPhone is really not an easy task. Few people will argue with this statement. But when it comes to Android, many people think that these are easy-to-use smartphones that even a child can figure out. However, in fact, when trying to set up Wi-Fi, some difficulties may arise here.

In general, the popularity of Android is growing every day. Probably, there is no longer a person who does not have a smartphone or tablet with the Android operating system in his arsenal of home equipment. Even the smallest children today actively use these gadgets instead of the usual toys, dolls, cars, etc. But few people know how to properly configure Wi-Fi.

You just need to connect your smartphone once and in the future the smartphone will independently connect to Wi-Fi. But it’s not uncommon to see situations where you need to configure Android manually.

For a visual illustration, we will use the LG G4 smartphone with the operating version Android systems 5.1. However, the model does not matter, Android smartphones are almost the same.

Before you start setting up Android, you need to install Wi-Fi by turning on the adapter. The adapter can be turned on in two ways:

Via the toolbar.
Through device settings.

The first method is very convenient: we slide our finger across the screen (from top to bottom) and see the toolbar, as in the figure:

Are looking for Wi-Fi button with the corresponding icon. Click on it and thus activate the Wi-Fi model.

After this, the system starts searching for available wireless networks and the following list appears on the screen:

Select the one you need and connect. If it is password protected, enter the combination of characters and click “Connect”. The whole process is automated and will not take much time.

Another question is if the connection is hidden in the router settings or the DHCP function is disabled. Then you need to configure Android manually.

How to set up Wi-Fi on Android manually if the connection to the router is hidden

Just like the first method, we first need to enable the adapter. But the methods listed above are not suitable for us. We change the strategy: first go to “Settings”. But then we act depending on the version of the phone. Find the “Wi-Fi” item and open its menu. Turn on the adapter. If you have more early model, then find the item “ Wireless network" and select "Wi-Fi Settings". Move the adapter to the on position.

Next we move on to manual search available connections: You will be offered a list of access points that were found automatically. If you are connecting to hidden network, click "Add Wi-Fi":

Enter the exact name hidden point access (SSID) and move on to security, as in the illustration below.