14 Methods: Dell Laptop won’t Connect to Wifi

There have been few instances reported by the users that their Dell laptop won’t connect to wifi. Are you facing the same issue? Is your Dell laptop saying “Windows 10 can’t connect to this network?“ If your answer is a yes, then we are going to show you how to connect Dell laptop to wifi in guaranteed ways.

Read the complete post to resolve the wifi issues and connect it to your Dell laptop quickly. 

Why is My Dell Laptop not Connecting to Wifi?

For the users of this brand who are thinking “Why my Dell laptop won’t connect to wifi”, we have provided a list of reasons in this part of the blog. 

1. Sometimes, the wifi service may be turned off on your Dell laptop. Therefore, it might not work. So, you should always ensure that this service has been turned on.

2. Any error with the wireless network adapter can also cause interference with the internet connection on your machine.

3. In certain cases, Dell users have reported that their laptops had issues with the channel width. Therefore, their Dell laptops would not connect to wifi.

4. The possibility is highly likely that your wifi connection may not be up and running. 

5. Another usual source of problems connecting to wifi on Dell laptop is the WLAN service. When this service has been disabled, your device will not be able to connect to wifi. Likewise, when the WLAN AutoConfig service has been turned off, you will not be in a position to use wifi on your machine. 

6. In some cases, when the wireless network adapter driver was out of date, the Dell laptop won’t connect to wifi. You should check if that is the case with your Dell laptop as well.

7. Surprisingly, installing incompatible applications on your laptop may hamper the wifi connection. Removing such apps can work as a great fix. 

How to Connect Dell Laptop to Wifi?

Having identified the causes of wifi connection problems on your Dell laptop, it will be easier to resolve them. Here, we have provided you with 7 methods to connect wifi to your Dell laptop without any issues involved. We will share with you the methods for adding the network manually, enabling WLAN AutoConfig service, updating the wireless network adapter, etc., to connect your Dell laptop to wifi. 

Method 1: Add Network Manually to Connect Wifi on Dell Laptop

When your Dell laptop won’t connect to wifi, you can try adding the connection manually. In this section, we have provided the simplest procedure for how to connect Dell laptop to wifi network manually. You can perform it in 7 simple steps. 

1. First, go to the “Control panel” and open the “Network and sharing center”.

2. Click on the “Set up a new connection or network” tab to get started.

3. Then click on the “Manually connect to a wireless network” tab and press “Next”.

4. Now, fill up the information that is required like security type, security key, and network name.

5. Click on the “Next” button to continue.

6. A set of instructions will be provided on your screen. Follow these to finish the procedure. 

7. Restart your Dell laptop afterwards and connect it to wifi.  

Method 2: Test Your Wifi on Another Device

It is possible that the fault might be in the internet connection and not necessarily in your Dell laptop. For this reason, we will advise you to first check whether or not your wifi is working. In case its internet services are not up, then you will have to connect with your internet service provider. 

In addition to that, we will also suggest you connect your wifi to any other device. If your wifi is not getting connected to any other device too, then you can be sure that some error has occurred with your wifi. And if the other device is able to connect with your wifi, then a bug in your Dell laptop needs to be resolved. In that situation, you can check out our next fix for how to connect Dell laptop to wifi.

Method 3: Connect Wifi Dell Laptop by Enabling WLAN AutoConfig Service

If you are thinking “Can Dell laptop connect to wifi with the WLAN AutoConfig service disabled”, then let us tell you that without turning on this service, you will not be able to use the internet on your device. Enabling this service will allow the WLAN adapters to work properly on your Dell laptop. See the 5 steps for trying this method. 

1. Tap the “Windows” and “R” keys together on your keyboard.

2. In “Run”, enter “services.msc” and press “Ok”.

3. Scroll down, then find and click on “Wlan AutoConfig”.

4. The “Startup type” should be set to “Automatic”. Also, ensure that the “Service status” says “Running”. Save these changes by pressing “Apply” and tapping “Ok”.

5. Finally, try connecting your Dell laptop to your wifi.  

Method 4: Update Wireless Network Adapter Driver to Connect Wifi on Dell Laptop

It will be essential for you to know that your Dell laptop cannot connect to wifi in case its network adapter driver is out of date or missing. Installing the latest version of the wireless network adapter driver will clear the trouble. Let’s find out how to update it manually in 4 steps. 

1. First, visit the official website of the network adapter.

2. Look for the latest version of the network adapter driver.

3. Download its latest version on your device and then install it.

4. Once the wireless network adapter driver has been updated, try connecting your Dell laptop to the wifi. It should connect now. 

Method 5: Connecting a Dell Laptop to Wifi by Removing Incompatible Apps

Is your Dell laptop unable to connect to wifi after installing new applications? Surprising as it may sound, certain applications installed on your Dell laptop may be incompatible. Such applications will interfere when your device is trying to establish a connection with the wifi. Uninstalling these incompatible apps from your device can rule out the source of worry. 

1. The first step is to open the “Run dialog box” on your laptop.

2. Enter “appwiz.cpl” in Run and press “Ok”.

3. Now, go to the list of “Programs and features”. Choose the apps you would like to uninstall. Then press “Uninstall”.

4. For verifying UAC, you will have to click on “Yes”.

5. Now, perform the further steps as per the onscreen instructions. 

6. When the incompatible apps have been uninstalled, connect your Dell laptop to wifi. 

Please Note: It has been reported that “SmartByte” is one such incompatible application that causes connection problems with the wifi. If you have this application on your Dell laptop, then try removing it as a fix.

Method 6: Connect to Wifi on Dell Laptop via External Adapter

Are you thinking “How do you connect to wifi on a Dell laptop via an external adapter?” We know just the right way to connect it. In this section, we will share with you the procedure to use an external adapter for connecting wifi to your Dell laptop with the help of an external backup. Walk through this procedure in 11 steps. 

1. First, get a USB Dell wireless adapter.

2. Plug in the end of the USB Dell wireless adapter to your laptop.

3. You will be asked to install the drivers necessary for using the adapter. 

4. After the necessary drivers have been installed, go to the section of “Accessing wifi”.

Please Note: In case the “Accessing wifi” section is not available, use the driver software installation disk provided with the wireless adapter and then install the required drivers. 

5. When you see the “Install wizard”, press “Next”.

6. On the “User agreement page”, tap “Accept”. 

7. Do as per the instructions on your screen and then press “Install”. 

8. Now, the required drivers will be installed on your Dell laptop. Wait for the installation to complete.

9. Next, restart your laptop. 

10. Press the “Wifi” icon in the taskbar.

11. The new wireless adapter will work as another backup network. It will be listed as “Wifi 2”. The earlier one will be listed as “Wifi”. You have to choose “Wifi 2” and then reconnect to it. 

Method 7: Wifi Connection for Dell Laptop via ControlPoint Connection Manager Software

In this section, we will learn how to connect Dell laptop with wifi by using the ControlPoint Connection Manager Software. Dell ControlPoint Connection Manager Software has worked excellently in resolving the wifi connection problems on a number of laptops. Let us read the steps to use it and fix the problem quickly.

1. Turn on your Dell laptop.

2. Go to “Start” and click on “All programs”.

3. Then tap “Dell Control Point”.

4. The next step is to go to “Connection manager”.

5. Now, click on “Dell ControlPoint Connection Manager”.

6. Next, go to “Profiles”.

7. Tap “Add”.

8. Tick “To create a Location Based Profile, enter the profile name”. Then fill in the “Location name”.

9. Also, tick “Choose the type of network connections you want to configure”.

10. The box on the left of “Wifi radio” should be checked. Then press “Next”.

11. Fill in the “Connection name”.

12. When you see “View” on the right of “Network name”, click on it.

13. Now, you will be required to highlight your wireless network. Then press “Ok”.

Please Note: In case you cannot see your wireless network, then enter the wifi network settings as well as the security settings manually. 

14. Wait for an orange circle (containing an exclamation point) to flash. Then provide the security key for your wireless network and tap “Finish”.

15. Now, press “Done”.

16. Go to the “Connection status”. Click on the drop-down menu beside “Connection” and choose “Wifi”. 

17. Under “Wifi”, click on the drop-down menu. Ensure that the recently made profile has been selected.

18. Lastly, press “Connect”. Now, the problem of Dell laptop wifi not connecting will have been troubleshot.

How to Connect Wifi on a Dell Laptop Windows 7?

The users of Dell laptop Windows 7 will be happy to find out our 3 successful solutions to resolve the wifi problems. In the following sections, you will learn to change the adapter settings, use the device manager, and perform network reset to connect your Dell laptop Windows 7 to wifi.

Method 8: Change Adapter Settings to Connect Wifi on Dell Laptop Windows 7

When you can’t connect to wifi Dell laptop Windows 7, this method will come in handy. In this method, we will be making some changes to the adapter settings. Now, let us read the 11 steps of this method. 

1. When your Dell laptop is on, go to “Control panel”.

2. Click on “Network and Internet”.

3. Click on “Network and sharing center”.

4. The next step is to open the “Change adapter settings”.

5. In the adapter settings, right-click on your “Network adapter” to open the “Properties”.

6. In the properties, you have to choose “Internet protocol 4 (TCP/IPV4).

7. Then press the “Properties” button.

8. Next, choose the option “Use the following DNS server address”.

9. Write “1.1.1.1” in “Preferred DNS”.

10. Write “1.0.0.1” in “Alternate DNS type” and press “Ok”.

11. Then exit this window. Your Dell laptop Windows 7 will be connected to the wifi now. 

Method 9: Use Device Manager to Connect Wifi on Dell Laptop Windows 7

If you are experiencing trouble connecting your Windows 7 Dell laptop to wifi, then this procedure can work wonders. Now, let us move to the steps for how to connect wifi in Windows 7 Dell laptop with the help of the device manager.

1. Click on “Start” on your Dell laptop Windows 7.

2. Type in “Device manager’ and open it from the results shown.

3. Click to expand the “Network adapters”.

4. Right-click on the “Network adapter”.

5. Then click on “Uninstall device” and press the “Uninstall button”.

6. The last step is to restart your Dell laptop Windows 7.

Method 10: Network Reset to Connect Wifi on Dell Laptop Windows 7

Performing a network reset is one of the best ways to fix the issue of Windows 7 Dell laptop connected to wifi but no internet. Do you know how to perform a network reset? If not, take a look at the 7 steps mentioned here. 

1. Go to the “Start menu” on your Dell laptop.

2. Click on “Settings”.

3. Click on “Network and internet”.

4. Next, tap “Network reset”.

5. Press the “Reset now” button.

6. Click on “Yes” to confirm.

7. Lastly, restart your Windows 7 Dell laptop. Your problem will be fixed. 

How to Connect Wifi on a Dell Laptop Windows 10?

Now, let us learn how to connect to the wifi on a Dell laptop Windows 10. We have 4 superb methods to help you out with this. In these methods, you will explore the steps for uninstalling the network adapter, enabling WLAN, and using command prompt to resolve wifi connection issues on your Dell laptop Windows 10. 

Method 11: Uninstall Network Adapter from Dell Laptop Windows 10

If your Dell laptop won’t connect to wifi Windows 10, then there could be some problem with the adapter drivers of the device. Uninstalling the adapter drivers has worked for a big number of Dell users in correcting this error. You can try it too. Learn here the steps to uninstall the network adapter.

1. Press the “Windows” key and “X” key together. When the “Scroll-down list” opens, click on the “Device manager”.

2. After clicking on the “Device manager”, locate the “Network adapters”.

3. Once you enter the “Network adapters menu”, search for the “Wireless network adapter.” Then right-click on it and choose “Uninstall”.

4. After uninstalling this driver, restart your Dell laptop. Now, your laptop will automatically download the driver. Then you will be able to connect your Dell laptop to the wifi.

Method 12: Connect to Wifi Dell Laptop Windows 10 by Setting Channel Width

Does your Dell laptop show the message “Windows 10 can’t connect to this network”? If yes, then there might be some issues with the channel width. In this case, you will have to reset your width in order to connect Dell laptop to wifi. The steps for doing so have been mentioned below.

1. Press the “Windows key together with the “S” key and open the “Search menu”. Type in “Control panel” in the search box.

2. Once you enter the “Control panel”, try to locate the “Network and internet” option. Click on this option.

3. After entering the “Network and internet” option, open the “Network and sharing center.”

4. Once the “Network and sharing center” opens, click on the “Change adapter settings.”

5. In the “Change adapter Settings”, locate your wireless network adapter. Right-click on it to access the “Properties” section.

6. After the “Properties” section opens, click on the “Advanced” tab.

7. Change the width to “802.11”. If that does not solve the issue, try changing the width to “20 MHz”. This should fix the problem.

8. To save the changes, click on “Ok”.

Method 13: Turn on WLAN to Connect Wifi on Dell Laptop Windows 10

Dell laptop not connecting to wifi is a usual problem that can occur when the WLAN feature has not been turned on your machine. Enabling this feature will resolve the problem in the blink of an eye. We have shown 2 options for enabling this feature. Select the option that is suitable for your Dell device.  

Option 1: Turn on WLAN on Your Dell Laptop via Wifi Button

Certain models of Dell laptops have a switch or wifi button. This switch or wifi button is located on the edge of the device. Sometimes, when you switch it off accidentally, the wifi service on your Dell laptop gets disabled. To enable the wifi service once again, locate this switch on your device and slide it on. 

As an alternative, you can also use the keyboard shortcut to access this feature. For this, press the “Fn” key and the “F5” key together. And the wifi service will be enabled.

Option 2: Turn on WLAN on Your Dell Laptop by Configuring Network Settings

When your Dell laptop won’t connect to wifi Windows 10, you can configure the network settings and enable the WLAN feature. You can enable this feature in just 8 steps.

1. Start your Dell laptop and open the “Search box”.

2. Type in “Control panel” and then click on its option from the result.

3. Select “View by small icons”/“View by large icons”.

4. Next, tap “Network and sharing center”.

5. On the left, tap “Change adapter settings”.

6. Right-click on the wifi connection and choose “Enable”.

7. Then restart your device.

8. Now, reconnect it to your wifi. The problem will have been resolved. 

Please Note: When you right-click on your wifi connection, you may see “Disable” written instead of “Enable”. You will be required to click on “Disable” and then enable it again.

Method 14: Connect Wifi Dell Laptop Windows 10 via Command Prompt

In this method, we will discuss with you how to turn on wifi connection on Dell laptop Windows 10 using command prompt. The easy-to-follow steps for this method have been given below. 

1. On your Dell laptop Windows 10, open “Start”.

2. Type in “cmd”.

3. From the results, right-click on “Command prompt”. Choose the option “Run as administrator”.

4. When a prompt appears, click on “Yes”.

5. In the command prompt, type in “netsh int ip reset c:\resetlog.txt” and hit “Enter”.

6. Then type in “netsh winsock reset” and hit “Enter”.

7. Next, type in “ipconfig/flushdns” and hit “Enter”.

8. Now, type in “Exit” and hit “Enter”.

9. Restart your Dell laptop Windows 10. The wifi will start working on it now.

Summing up the Blog

This is the best blog that gives you tons of ways for clearing the troubles with your wifi connection on Dell laptop. We are sure, these methods will connect wifi on your Dell Laptop Windows 10 and Windows 7. 

It was wonderful to discuss with you the various methods of connecting your Dell laptop to wifi. Since you have been such good readers, we have another interesting post for you! Read now the solutions for Dell laptop black screen that really work.

View Comments

  • Thank you for the help. My son dell laptop not connecting to the home wifi so i manually added the network and now its good

  • I have an old dell laptop and since the laptop in-build wifi antenna in not working, i use a usb wifi receiver. The problem that i have is this wifi device does not always connect to wifi. While it connects to my home wifi, it does not connect to other wifi in the area. I have to repeatedly remove the device from the dell laptop and try to reconnect it again. Manually adding the wifi helps but is there any other way i can check that so that i do not have to disconnect the usb wifi each time?

  • I have tried the steps but the dell laptop won't connect to wifi. After i enter the password, it shows that it is connecting but comes with a message “Windows was unable to connect to grimreaper”

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