If your Microsoft Windows PC has a wireless network adapter, but it is unable to detect your router's WiFi network or does not connect reliably, you might have an older wireless network adapter, or its drivers might be out of date.
If you have a NETGEAR wireless network adapter, see How do I set up my NETGEAR WiFi USB adapter?
Downloading and installing the latest drivers for your wireless network adapter from the manufacturer's website might fix your WiFi connection issues. You can use the Windows Device Manager to find out who manufactures your wireless network adapter.
To find the manufacturer of your Microsoft Windows PC’s wireless network adapter so you can download the latest drivers:
- Click the Windows icon in the taskbar or press the Windows key on your keyboard.
The Start menu displays. - Type device manager.
- Click Device Manager or press the Enter key.
The Device Manager window displays. - Click the arrow to the left of the Network adapters icon.
A list of your network adapters displays. - Look for a network adapter that has “WiFi” or “wireless” in the name to identify your wireless network adapter.
- Right click your wireless network adapter and select Properties.
Your wireless network adapter’s manufacturer and model display.
After you find out who manufactures your wireless network adapter, you might want to connect your computer directly to your router with an Ethernet cable to access the Internet and download drivers. You can also download the drivers on another computer and put them on a USB flash drive to install them.
Depending on the manufacturer of your computer and your wireless network adapter, you might find the drivers you need on a different website. For example, if you have a laptop PC made by a vendor like Dell or Lenovo, you might find the drivers you need on the vendor’s website instead of on the network adapter manufacturer’s website.
For more information on WiFi connection troubleshooting, see the following articles:
- How do I troubleshoot my wireless network?
- What should I do if I experience wireless connectivity issues while connecting devices to my WiFi 6 NETGEAR router or Orbi mesh system?