WiFi Network Not Showing Up on Computer

I got back home tonight and opened my PC, then tried to connect to my WiFi network as usual, but found my WiFi network not showing up in the WiFi network list. And you have the same problem, too? No worries! 

Generally speaking, this problem occurs due to several common reasons. However, the good news is you can easily locate your problem and solve it. This guideline introduces 5 methods for you to troubleshoot. You may not need to try them all; just start at the top of the list and work your way down.

Method 1: Restart your modem and wireless router
Method 2: Check the wireless interference
Method 3: Enable SSID broadcast
Method 4: Turn on WLAN service
Method 5: Update WiFi network driver

Note: First of all, please make sure you are within the WiFi network range while you are following the steps below.

Method 1: Restart your modem and wireless router

This problem can be probably caused by the Internet Service Provider (ISP) issue. Restarting your modem and wireless router can help you reconnect to your ISP. Note: anyone who is connecting to the network will be disconnected temporarily while you are doing this.

1) Unplug your wireless router and modem from power source (remove the battery if your modem has a battery backup).

2) Wait for at least 30 seconds.

3) Plug your wireless router and modem back into power source again (put the battery back to the modem).

4) On your PC, reconnect to your WiFi network, then see if it shows up.

Method 2: Check the wireless interference

Generally speaking, without signals, you can’t see the WiFi network in the list. The WiFi signals can be interfered by many household devices, such as your cordless phone, microwave oven, Bluetooth speaker, etc. Therefore, you can check those devices to see if it’s where the problem lies in.

1) Turn off those devices, and unplug the power source.

2) On your PC, try to connect your WiFi again, and see if it shows up.

3) If the problem solves, it seems to result from the devices interference. Then move the modem and wireless router to another place, so they are not in the same light with the household devices.

Otherwise, it’s not a problem of device interference. In that way you may try the following methods.

Method 3: Enable SSID broadcast

Service Set Identifier (SSID) broadcast is what makes your WiFi network visible to your network adapter. Once you disable SSID broadcast, your WiFi network will not show up in the list. You can try the instructions below to enable your SSID broadcast.

1) Go and see the IP address, username and password on your wireless router.

2) Open your browser on PC or mobile phone (connect to the Internet via Ethernet cable on your PC or use mobile phone that has internet connection).

3) Type the IP address in your browser, and press Enter.

4) Type your User name and Password, then click Login.

5) Go to Wireless > Wireless Settings. Check the box next to Enable SSID broadcast, and click Save.

7) Restart your PC and reconnect to your WiFi network.

If the problem still persists, maybe it’s not a problem of your WiFi network. Then it seems like a problem inside your computer. You can try the following methods to troubleshoot in your PC.

Note: The following screen shots are shown on Windows 10, but the fixes apply to Windows 7 and Windows 8 as well.

Method 4: Turn on WLAN service

This problem happens most likely because your Windows disables the WLAN service. So you can try these steps to enable WLAN service.

1) Right click Internet icon, and click Open Network and Sharing Center.

2) Click Change adapter settings.

3) Right click WiFi, and click Enable. Note: if it has enabled, you will see Disable when right click on WiFi.

4) On your keyboard, press Windows logo key + R at the same time to invoke the Run box, and type services.msc, then press Enter.

5) Right click Wlan AutoConfig, and click Properties.

6) Select Automatic in Startup type, then click Apply, and click OK.

7) Restart your PC and reconnect to your WiFi network to see the problem solves.

Method 5: Update WiFi network driver

The outdated or mismatched WiFi network drivers can also cause the problem. You can try to update the driver to the latest version:

1) On your keyboard, press Windows logo key + R at the same time to invoke the Run box.

2) Type devmgmt.msc, and press Enter. 

3) Right click your WiFi network adapter in Network adapters section, and click Uninstall device.

4) Check the box next to Delete the driver software for this device, and click Uninstall.

5) Restart your PC. After restarting, connect your computer to the Internet via Ethernet cable. Then the Windows should automatically reinstall the driver. Assuming it installs the latest correct driver, this may resolve the problem