What should I check first if I see symptoms of not being able to see Wi-Fi?

First, proceed with the ‘Check airplane mode and Wi-Fi status’ step. First rule out that wireless is turned off or the adapter is disabled. We recommend that you avoid changing multiple settings at once and check to see if your symptoms change after each step.

How do I check for the possible cause ‘wireless adapter disabled’?

If there is no change in the first step, compare the steps in order, up to ‘Forget Wi-Fi and reconnect’. If symptoms disappear immediately after certain actions or the conditions for their occurrence change, this can be an important clue in narrowing down the cause.

Not seeing the Wi-Fi list or the Wi-Fi button itself: When do I need a professional check?

Even if you follow the above solution steps in order, if the Wi-Fi not showing symptom repeats or hardware abnormal signals such as burning smell, abnormal noise, overheating, or failure to recognize parts appear together, we recommend backing up important data and having a professional inspection.

PC FIX

Computer Troubleshooting Guide

Internet

Problem with the Wi-Fi list or the Wi-Fi button itself not being visible

When troubleshooting the problem of not seeing the Wi-Fi list or the Wi-Fi button itself, it is important to rule out causes one at a time. Based on the “No Wi-Fi” symptom, check whether the wireless adapter is disabled, driver or hardware issue, and then proceed to the next step. Check the wireless adapter status, saved profiles, router/signal quality, and driver in order.

Solving Order
We've organized the methods starting with the simplest and least expensive ones. Please check the solutions one by one, starting from the top.

Do you have these symptoms?

Wifi not visible
No Wi-Fi button
No wireless networks listed

main causes

Disable wireless adapter
Driver or hardware issue
airplane mode

How to solve

Please check them in order from the top. If the issue is resolved, you do not need to proceed to the next step.

Check airplane mode and Wi-Fi status

First rule out that wireless is turned off or the adapter is disabled.

Difficulty Easy time 2-5 minutes cost 0 won

1Make sure Airplane Mode is turned off in Quick Settings.
2Turn Wi-Fi off and then turn it back on.
3Verify that the wireless adapter appears in Device Manager.

confirmation point

After these steps, see if the “No WiFi” symptom decreases or disappears. If there is no change, also check the possibility of disabling the wireless adapter in the next step.

Forget Wi-Fi and reconnect

You can reset saved wireless profiles or password/security negotiation issues.

Difficulty Easy time 3-5 minutes cost 0 won

1Open Settings → Network & Internet → Wi-Fi → Manage known networks.
2Delete/forget the problem network.
3Select again and enter your password.

Reboot your modem and router and compare with other devices

Determine whether it is a PC problem or a router/line problem.

Difficulty Easy time 5-10 minutes cost 0 won

1Check if other devices, such as mobile phones, are connected to the same Wi-Fi.
2Turn off the modem/router for about 30 seconds and then turn it back on.
3Test your PC close to the router.

Check Wi-Fi drivers and power management

Driver instability and power saving settings can cause repeated disconnections and unresponsive adapters.

Difficulty Moderate time 15-30 minutes cost 0 won

1Check with your PC manufacturer for the latest Wi-Fi drivers.
2Check the power saving options in Device Manager → Wireless Adapter Properties.
3If the problem occurs after an update, consider rolling back the previous driver.

Use network initialization as the final step

Damaged TCP/IP, Winsock, and adapter settings can be restored to their initial state.

Difficulty Moderate time 15-30 minutes cost 0 won

1You can run ipconfig /flushdns, netsh winsock reset, etc. in the administrator terminal.
2If that doesn't work, consider resetting the network in Settings as the final step.
3Network programs such as VPNs and virtual switches may require reconfiguration after reset.

Frequently Asked Questions

We've put together a list of things we frequently check regarding this issue.

Related issues

If the symptoms do not match exactly, please check the issue below.

Internet

Wi-Fi speed is unusually slow

When troubleshooting particularly slow Wi-Fi speeds, it is important to rule out the causes one at a time. Based on the “Slow Wi-Fi” symptom, check for weak signal, interference, or 2.4GHz congestion before proceeding to the next step. Check the wireless adapter status, saved profiles, router/signal quality, and driver in order.

View solutions →

Internet

Unable to connect to specific Wi-Fi

If “Not connected to Wi-Fi” repeats, it is better to narrow the scope to saved profile errors and encryption/security mode compatibility rather than changing several settings at once. Check the wireless adapter status, saved profiles, router/signal quality, and driver in order.

View solutions →

Internet

Wi-Fi is connected, but Internet does not work

Among Internet problems, the “Wi-Fi connected but no Internet” symptom may be related to the router’s Internet line or DHCP/DNS problems. Check the wireless adapter status, saved profiles, router/signal quality, and driver in order.

View solutions →

Internet

Wi-Fi connection keeps dropping

If you are experiencing the “WiFi keeps disconnecting” symptom, possible causes include power saving settings, driver instability, etc. Check the wireless adapter status, saved profiles, router/signal quality, and driver in order.

View solutions →

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