Why Does My Laptop Not Show 5G WiFi? | Fast Fixes

Laptop Not Showing 5G WiFi: Quick Checks

If a 5 GHz network doesn’t appear while nearby networks do, start with the fastest checks. Confirm the router is broadcasting a 5 GHz SSID, your adapter supports 5 GHz radios, and the channel sits in a range your device can use. Also rule out a name clash: a single SSID for both bands can mask the 5 GHz option on some clients.

What “5G” Means Here

Many people mix up 5 G mobile with 5 GHz Wi-Fi. Phones talk to cell towers over 5 G; laptops connect to routers over Wi-Fi at home. A laptop that supports 802.11ac or 802.11ax should see 5 GHz when the router offers it.

Table: Fast Clues, Where To Look, Fix In Brief

Check Hardware And Standards Support

Your laptop must support a 5 GHz radio. On Windows, open Command Prompt and run netsh wlan show drivers. Look at “Radio types supported.” Entries such as 802.11a, 802.11ac, 802.11ax, or 802.11be indicate 5 GHz capability. If you only see 802.11b/g/n, the adapter is 2.4 GHz-only. On a Mac, Option-click the Wi-Fi icon to view the current channel and PHY mode; “ac,” “ax,” or “a” show 5 GHz support.

If the adapter is limited to 2.4 GHz, a small USB Wi-Fi 6 or 6E dongle is the simplest upgrade. Pick a model that supports WPA3 and driver updates for your OS.

Windows Steps That Surface A Missing 5 GHz Network

1. Update the wireless driver. In Device Manager, right-click your adapter, choose Update driver, or install a fresh package from the laptop maker or the chipset vendor.
2. Set Preferred Band. Device Manager → your adapter → Properties → options tab. If “Preferred Band” exists, pick 5 GHz.
3. Disable 160 MHz and try 80/40 MHz. Some clients fail to scan wide 160 MHz channels.
4. Forget the 2.4 GHz SSID. Settings → Network & Internet → Wi-Fi → Manage known networks → Forget. Then connect cleanly to the 5 GHz SSID.
5. Run a wireless report. Open Command Prompt as admin and run netsh wlan show wlanreport, then open the HTML report for channel and failure clues.
6. Reset the network stack if the list stays empty. Settings → Network & Internet → Network reset, then reboot and test.

macOS Steps That Surface A Missing 5 GHz Network

1. Hold Option and click the Wi-Fi icon. Note the router channel and PHY mode.
2. Open Wireless Diagnostics from that menu. Use the Scan window to see visible 2.4/5 GHz networks and their channels.
3. If your router uses a DFS channel, change it to 36–48 or 149–161 and rescan.
4. Create separate SSIDs for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, then join the 5 GHz name.
5. If the Mac sees other 5 GHz networks but not yours, suspect the router channel or width and adjust both.

Why Does My Laptop Not Show 5 GHz Wi-Fi On Windows?

Many misses come from channel choice, band steering, or a driver that skips parts of the band. Fixes that work in real-world setups:

Pick Non-DFS Channels First

Set the router to channels 36, 40, 44, or 48, or to 149, 153, 157, or 161 with 40/80 MHz width. Some clients skip DFS channels 52–144 during scans, or they wait longer before showing them. Sticking to the lower or upper non-DFS sets keeps discovery simple and stable.

Split The SSIDs

If your router offers one Wi-Fi name for both bands, create two names like “Home-24” and “Home-5G.” Then remove the 2.4 GHz profile on your laptop and connect to the 5 GHz name. This stops the client from latching onto a stronger 2.4 GHz signal during startup.

Tune Security And Compatibility

Use WPA2-Personal or WPA3-Personal and AES. Drop WEP and TKIP. Set the network mode to “ax/ac mixed” or “ac/n mixed” instead of pure legacy “n.”

Check The Country Setting

A mismatch between the router’s region and the laptop’s regulatory domain can hide U-NII bands or DFS channels. Make sure the router country matches your location, then retest on non-DFS channels.

Trim Power Saving And Roaming Aggressiveness

In adapter properties, set power saving to Maximum Performance and set roaming aggressiveness to a middle value. This helps a laptop stay on the 5 GHz BSSID instead of bouncing to 2.4 GHz.

Reduce Channel Width When Needed

If the router uses 160 MHz on a busy block, switch to 80 MHz or 40 MHz. Many adapters see the SSID only after the width matches their scan plan. Throughput will still be strong at 80 MHz in most homes.

Signal, Placement, And Range Limits

5 GHz brings speed but covers less distance than 2.4 GHz. Behind two walls, the 5 GHz SSID can fade from the scan list while 2.4 GHz still appears. Move closer, raise the router off the floor, and avoid placing it inside cabinets. If your laptop sees 5 GHz only near the router, add a mesh node or relocate the access point to a central room.

Router Setup That Often Hides 5 GHz

Routers ship with features that can mask a band on picky clients. If 5 GHz still won’t show, try these router-side changes:

1. Turn off “Smart Connect” or any band-steering toggle, then split the SSIDs.
2. Ensure the 5 GHz radio is enabled and broadcasting the SSID.
3. Pick one of the eight non-DFS channels and lock the width to 80 MHz.
4. Set authentication to WPA2/WPA3 with AES only.
5. Update the router firmware, then reboot.

Table: Router And Adapter Settings That Help Discovery

When The Network Uses DFS Or A Crowded Neighbor List

DFS channels share space with radar. Many routers must pause on those channels when radar is detected. Clients can also delay their scans for DFS, so the SSID appears late or not at all. In apartment blocks, a dense set of neighbor SSIDs can slow scanning. A clean non-DFS channel with 80 MHz width usually restores visibility.

Driver And Firmware Hygiene

Wi-Fi stacks improve with driver updates. Get drivers from your laptop maker first, then from the Wi-Fi vendor if needed. Install router firmware updates as well. After updates, power-cycle the router and the laptop to clear stale scans and caches.

Deeper Windows Checks

• Open Power Options and set the Wireless Adapter Power Saving Mode to Maximum Performance on battery and plugged in.
• In adapter properties, set HT Mode to VHT or HE if present, and disable any green-mode that limits the radio.
• Run the Windows troubleshooter and the wireless report to spot repeated driver resets or association failures.
• If the stack looks messy, perform a full network reset and retest.

Deeper macOS Checks

• Use Wireless Diagnostics → Scan to view which channels nearby routers use. Avoid DFS and crowded picks.
• Delete the preferred network list, then add a fresh profile for the 5 GHz SSID.
• Create a new network location in System Settings → Network, then reconnect.
• Test with a mobile hotspot set to channel 36; if the Mac sees that SSID, the home router channel is the blocker.

What To Do When The Hardware Truly Lacks 5 GHz

Some older laptops shipped with 2.4 GHz-only cards. If your “Radio types supported” list lacks 802.11a/ac/ax, add a USB Wi-Fi 6 adapter or replace the internal card if your model allows it. Check for antenna leads and a spare M.2 slot, and confirm BIOS whitelists on older business laptops. A USB adapter avoids those hurdles and works in minutes.

Network Design Tips That Keep 5 GHz Visible

• Give 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz different names to avoid sticky band steering.
• Plan for two or three access points in large homes rather than one router in a corner.
• Use Ethernet backhaul for mesh where possible.
• Place access points high and clear of metal and mirrors.
• Keep microwave ovens and baby monitors on the far side of walls from access points.

When Work Or School Devices Won’t Show A Band

Managed devices can hide SSIDs via policy. VPN, security suites, or supplicant profiles may block open networks or non-approved encryption. If your personal laptop sees 5 GHz but your work machine doesn’t, compare profiles or test on a guest SSID that uses standard WPA2-Personal.

Quick Checklist Before You Swap Hardware

• Does the router broadcast a separate 5 GHz SSID on channel 36, 40, 44, 48, 149, 153, 157, or 161?
• Does the adapter list 802.11a/ac/ax in “Radio types supported”?
• Have you updated the Wi-Fi driver and router firmware?
• Is the channel width set to 80 MHz?
• Is band steering off during testing?
• Do security settings use WPA2/WPA3 with AES only?

Bumps You Can Ignore

Myth #1: “You must use 160 MHz for speed.” Real-world clients often scan 80/40 MHz first. Start there.
Myth #2: “Hiding the SSID boosts safety.” Hidden networks still beacon and often break roaming.
Myth #3: “Only Wi-Fi 6E fixes this.” A clean 5 GHz plan with sane channels solves most cases.

Where Trusted Guides Can Help

Windows users can check adapter support with the netsh command and the “Radio types supported” readout in a Microsoft guide. Apple documents Wireless Diagnostics and the Option-click Wi-Fi menu for network details. Intel documents adapter settings that affect channel width, band preference, and compatibility. Those three resources line up with the steps in this guide and give you menu names that match the screens you’ll see.

Step-By-Step Fix Order

1. Stand near the router and rescan again.
2. Broadcast a separate 5 GHz SSID and confirm 802.11a/ac/ax support.
3. Set channel 36, 40, 44, or 48 at 80 MHz with WPA2 or WPA3 (AES).
4. Forget the 2.4 GHz profile, then join the 5 GHz name.
5. Update the Wi-Fi driver from the laptop maker, then reboot both.
6. If still missing, try channels 149–161 at 80 MHz.
7. Turn off band steering or “Smart Connect,” then test.
8. On Windows, run the wireless report for association or driver resets.
9. On a Mac, use Wireless Diagnostics → Scan to confirm channel.
10. If none helps, test a phone hotspot on channel 36; if that shows, reconfigure or replace the home router.

One last pass: verify the router name is short, avoid emojis, keep only letters, numbers, and dashes. Reboot the modem and router together, then wait two minutes before you scan again right now. Try a different power outlet for the router, and move it away from TVs, mirrors, nearby devices, and thick doors. Test one more laptop or phone on the same 5 GHz band. If that device sees the SSID while yours does not, the fix lives on your laptop. If neither sees it, recheck the router channel plan.