Why Can’t I See WiFi On My Laptop? | Fix It Fast

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When Wi-Fi networks don’t appear on your laptop, the cause is usually a disabled radio, bad drivers, or router settings—use these steps to bring them back.

You open your laptop, click the Wi-Fi icon, and the list is empty. No networks. No home router. Nothing. The good news: this problem follows a short set of patterns. Radios get switched off, drivers go stale, services stop, or the router broadcasts on bands or channels your laptop can’t read. Walk through the checks below in order. You’ll go from quick flips to deeper fixes, and you’ll know where the fault lives—laptop or router—by the end.

Quick Checks That Solve The Majority

  • Toggle Wi-Fi off, then on. Use the taskbar menu on Windows or the menu bar on macOS. Wait 10–15 seconds between toggles.
  • Check the airplane switch. Some laptops have a keyboard key or side slider that kills radios. Turn it off.
  • Move closer to the router. If you’re on the edge of range, the scan might return nothing.
  • Reboot both ends. Restart the laptop. Power-cycle the router for 30 seconds.
  • Try another device. If phones and tablets also see nothing, the router isn’t broadcasting.

Why I Can’t See WiFi On My Laptop: Causes And Fixes

Not seeing networks comes down to a handful of root causes. Here’s how to rule them in or out with clear steps for Windows and macOS. Keep the router admin page handy; a few items need changes there.

Windows: Networks Missing From The List

Turn On The Adapter And Required Services

  1. Enable the adapter. Right-click Start → Device Manager → Network adapters. If your Wi-Fi device shows a down arrow, right-click → Enable device.
  2. Restart the WLAN service. Press Win+R → type services.msc → Enter. Find WLAN AutoConfig. Right-click → Restart. Startup type should be Automatic.
  3. Turn Wi-Fi back on in Settings. Settings → Network & Internet → Wi-Fi → switch On.

Reset The Network Stack (Safe, Reversible)

Open Windows Terminal or Command Prompt as Administrator. Run the block below. It resets sockets and TCP/IP, then refreshes IP/DNS. Reboot afterward.

netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /flushdns

Update Or Reinstall The Wi-Fi Driver

  1. In Device Manager, right-click your Wi-Fi adapter → Update driver → Search automatically.
  2. If Windows finds nothing, grab the driver from your laptop maker or adapter vendor and install manually.
  3. If the issue began after a driver update, use Driver → Roll Back.

Check Power And Radio Settings

  • Power Management. In the adapter’s Properties → Power Management, clear Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.
  • Band capability. In Properties → Advanced, look for items like Preferred Band, 802.11 Mode, or VHT/HE Mode. Pick mixed modes (b/g/n/ac/ax) so scans hit both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.

Confirm Band Support (2.4 GHz vs 5 GHz vs 6 GHz)

Some older adapters scan only 2.4 GHz. Many scan 2.4/5 GHz. Newer 6E gear adds 6 GHz. If your router runs 5 GHz only and your adapter is 2.4-only, you won’t see it. Check support with:

netsh wlan show drivers

Look for “Radio types supported” and “Supported bands.” If 5 GHz isn’t listed, enable a 2.4 GHz SSID on the router. If the router uses Wi-Fi 6E (6 GHz only), enable a 5 GHz or 2.4 GHz SSID for legacy devices.

Watch For DFS Channels On 5 GHz

Routers can auto-pick 5 GHz channels that share spectrum with radar. Those are DFS channels. Many client devices skip them during scans or drop them under radar hits. Set the router’s 5 GHz channel to a non-DFS value like 36–48 or 149–165, then scan again. If your list fills up, channel choice was the blocker.

Try The Built-In Troubleshooter

Windows includes a network troubleshooter that can re-enable radios, reset profiles, and restart services. Settings → Network & Internet → Advanced network settings → Network troubleshooter. Follow the prompts to the end.

macOS: Networks Missing From The Menu

Run Wireless Diagnostics

  1. Hold Option and click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar.
  2. Pick Open Wireless Diagnostics… and follow the steps. Save the summary. It flags radio off states, bad security settings, and router issues.

Basic Resets That Bring Back Scans

  • Toggle Wi-Fi. Off for 10–15 seconds, then On.
  • Restart the Mac. Simple, but it clears stuck network agents.
  • Turn off VPN/security tools temporarily and re-scan. Some filter adapters block scans.
  • Remove and re-add the network. System Settings → Wi-Fi → Known Networks. Forget the SSID, then join again.
  • Update macOS. New point releases often ship Wi-Fi fixes.

Check Band And Channel Choices

As with Windows, Macs can miss DFS channels and will never see a 6 GHz-only SSID unless the Mac has a 6E-capable card. In your router, switch 5 GHz to a non-DFS channel and enable a 2.4 GHz SSID for broad compatibility. Scan again.

Router Settings That Hide Your SSID

If other devices can’t see your SSID either, head to the router console. Router choices can make a network vanish from scans on some laptops.

SSID Broadcast Disabled

Hidden SSIDs don’t show up in any list. You can still connect by adding the network by name on your laptop, but that invites mistyped names and weaker roaming. Re-enable SSID broadcast unless you have a clear reason to keep it off.

Band Steering And One Name For All Bands

Many routers merge 2.4 and 5 GHz under one name. That’s fine when steering works. If your laptop keeps missing the network, split the bands and name them clearly, like Home-2G and Home-5G. Join the one your adapter supports. Keep passwords the same for convenience.

DFS, Channel Width, And Country Code

  • DFS channels. Pick channels 36–48 or 149–165 for 5 GHz to avoid DFS skips during scans.
  • Channel width. Bonded 80/160 MHz can cause client quirks. Try 40 MHz on 5 GHz and 20 MHz on 2.4 GHz for stability.
  • Country/region. The router’s region must match where you live. A mismatch can force odd channels that clients ignore.

Security Mode Mismatch

Use WPA2-Personal or WPA3-Personal. Old WEP and WPA can block newer clients. Mixed WPA2/WPA3 keeps broad support without locking out older gear.

MAC Filtering

If MAC filtering is on, your laptop won’t appear to “see” the SSID if the router rejects probes from that address. Either turn filtering off or add your laptop’s Wi-Fi MAC to the allow list.

Prove Whether The Laptop Or Router Is At Fault

  1. Scan a neighbor’s network. If you see those but not yours, fix the router.
  2. Create a phone hotspot. If the laptop sees and joins that, the laptop scans fine.
  3. Borrow a USB Wi-Fi adapter. If it sees networks while the built-in card sees none, the internal adapter or its driver needs work.

Fast Tests For 2.4 GHz-Only Laptops

If your laptop is older, it may lack 5 GHz. Give your router a dedicated 2.4 GHz SSID. Keep the name simple (letters, numbers). Use WPA2 or WPA2/WPA3 mixed. Place the router in the open; 2.4 GHz travels farther but gets crowded near microwaves and old cordless phones.

Use These Windows Commands When Scans Fail

These quick checks answer two big questions: What bands are supported? and Is the adapter actually running?

:: Show radio/feature support
netsh wlan show drivers

:: List saved Wi-Fi profiles
netsh wlan show profiles

:: Remove a corrupt profile and rejoin
netsh wlan delete profile name="YourSSID"

Where External Docs Fit In

When you want a vendor reference, two official playbooks are handy mid-troubleshoot: Microsoft’s page on Windows Wi-Fi fixes and Apple’s Wireless Diagnostics guide. Link them in your notes so you can jump straight to the right panel or tool when needed.

See: Windows Wi-Fi troubleshooting steps and Wireless Diagnostics on Mac.

Quick Fix Matrix

The table below packs the most common blockers into a checklist you can scan in under a minute.

Symptom Fix Where
No Wi-Fi toggle in Settings Enable adapter; restart WLAN AutoConfig Windows → Device Manager; services.msc
Only other homes show up Router not broadcasting; reboot or enable SSID Router console
Phone sees network, laptop doesn’t Change 5 GHz to non-DFS channel (36–48 or 149–165) Router → Wireless → Channel
Old laptop sees nothing Enable a 2.4 GHz SSID; set security to WPA2 Router console
Joined once, gone now Delete saved profile and rejoin Windows Terminal; macOS Known Networks
Mac list empty Run Wireless Diagnostics; restart; update macOS Menu bar Wi-Fi icon → Diagnostics
Wi-Fi off after sleep Disable adapter power saving; update driver Windows → Device Manager → Power
Guest SSID shows, main doesn’t Turn off MAC filtering or add laptop MAC Router → Security

When It’s A Hardware Fault

If the adapter has vanished from Device Manager (Windows) or System Information (macOS), the card may have failed or the antenna lead is loose. USB Wi-Fi is a cheap test. If a USB dongle sees all networks right away, the built-in card needs service. If both see nothing on your router but see a phone hotspot, fix the router.

Keep Your Network List Healthy

  • Update drivers and firmware. Set a quarterly reminder to refresh your Wi-Fi driver and router firmware.
  • Pick stable channels. Lock 5 GHz to a non-DFS channel; keep 2.4 GHz on 1, 6, or 11.
  • Split SSIDs when needed. Give 2.4 and 5 GHz clear names so you can pick the right one per device.
  • Avoid fringe placement. Center the router in the home and off the floor.
  • Keep a spare adapter. A tiny USB Wi-Fi stick can save a trip while you sort out a failed card.

Still Blank? Run This Short Flow

  1. Scan a phone hotspot. If the laptop sees it, router settings are to blame.
  2. Change the router’s 5 GHz channel to 36, 40, 44, or 48. Re-scan.
  3. Enable a 2.4 GHz SSID. Re-scan.
  4. Reset the Windows network stack or run Wireless Diagnostics on Mac.
  5. Reinstall the driver or test with a USB adapter.

What You Learned

When a laptop can’t see Wi-Fi, start with radio toggles and services, then check bands and channels on the router. Non-DFS 5 GHz channels bring many networks back into view. A short driver refresh or a clean profile often fixes the rest. Keep the links to Windows Wi-Fi fixes and Mac Wireless Diagnostics handy, and you’ll have a reliable scan list every time you sit down to work.