Wifi network not showing up on computer

by Milan Stanojevic

Milan has been enthusiastic about technology ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. He's a PC enthusiast and he... read more

Updated on March 3, 2022

• Your home network is the default network that your PC or laptop automatically connects to when on Wi-Fi.
• Many users have reported that sometimes their home network doesn't appear even though the hardware seems to work properly.
• This problem may occur for various reasons, we run you through multiple solutions that will help you fix it.
• Find how to troubleshoot your network, update Wi-Fi drivers, use dedicated software to fix this automatically, and more.

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Most of us have a wireless connection in our home, but many users reported that their home network won’t show up in the list of available networks.

This can be an inconvenient problem, and in today’s article, we’ll show you how to permanently fix this issue.

Not being able to see or access your home network can be a problem, and speaking of network issues, here are some similar problems that users reported:

• Can’t see my Wi-Fi network Windows 10 – This issue can be related to your network drivers. To fix the problem, be sure to update them to the latest version and check if that helps.
• Wi-Fi network not showing up Windows 10, on any device, on laptop – This issue can affect other devices and not just your Windows 10 laptop. If this problem appears on multiple devices, the issue is most likely caused by your router or your network configuration.
• Laptop not detecting my Wi-Fi but detecting others – This problem can occur if your Wi-Fi network isn’t enabled properly. To fix the issue, enable your network from the Settings app and check if that helps.
• SSID not showing up on available network list – There are several types of network connections, and if you’re using a 5GHz network, your devices might not be able to see it or access it. To fix the problem, adjust your Wi-Fi settings and switch to the 4GHz network.
• Home network won’t connect – Sometimes your home network might not be able to connect at all. This can be a problem, but you should be able to fix it using one of our solutions.

How can I fix a Home network that doesn’t show up?

1. Update your Wi-Fi drivers and install the Wi-Fi software
2. Use Command Prompt
3. Check if the required services are running
4. Temporarily log out of Windows
5. Make sure that your Wi-Fi network is enabled
6. Make sure that you have the latest updates installed
7. Make sure that you’re using the correct frequency
8. Check the Wi-Fi channel

1. Update your Wi-Fi drivers and install the Wi-Fi software

1. Open Device Manager by typing its name in the Search bar.
   
   
2. Open the Network Adapters list by double clicking it or by clicking the little arrow in front of it. 
   
   
3. Locate your Wi-Fi adapter and right-click on it. 
4. Select Update Driver. 
   
   
5. Select Automatically search for drivers if you want the wizard to automatically find your required drivers online.
   
   
   • If you prefer to download them yourself, make sure you get them from the official website of your device manufacturer, then proceed with the above-listed steps, but select Browse my computer for drivers for Step 5, go to the location where you downloaded your drivers and select them.
6. Proceed with the update. If your drivers are already up to date, a message prompt will let you know just that. 

Network problems can sometimes be linked to the status of your Wi-Fi drivers. When they are not up-to-date or when they’re corrupted, it’s likely that you will experience some sort of issue, like the connection not showing up.

Once the update is complete, check to see if your problem has been solved.

It is possible that you will need to download a special wireless driver for your PC, which you can accomplish by following the instructions on the official website of the PC manufacturer.

Even though it’s the appropriate thing to do, you can download the wrong one and have to look for wireless driver packages. If you are not tech-savvy, this might be tricky and time-consuming.

Some of the most common Windows errors and bugs are a result of old or incompatible drivers. The lack of an up-to-date system can lead to lag, system errors or even BSoDs.
To avoid these types of problems, you can use an automatic tool that will find, download, and install the right driver version on your Windows PC in just a couple of clicks, and we strongly recommend DriverFix. Here’s how to do it:

1. Download and install DriverFix.
2. Launch the application.
3. Wait for DriverFix to detect all your faulty drivers.
4. The software will now show you all the drivers that have issues, and you just need to select the ones you’d liked fixed.
5. Wait for DriverFix to download and install the newest drivers.
6. Restart your PC for the changes to take effect.

DriverFix

Drivers will no longer create any problems if you download and use this powerful software today.

Disclaimer: this program needs to be upgraded from the free version in order to perform some specific actions.

2. Use Command Prompt

1. Type command prompt in the Windows search window and click on Run as administrator to start Command Prompt with full administrative rights.
   
2. Now run the following commands:
   • reg delete HKCRCLSID{988248f3-a1ad-49bf-9170-676cbbc36ba3} /va /f
   • netcfg -v -u dni_dne

According to users, if your home network won’t show up at all, the problem might be related to your registry.

Several users found a solution, and in order to fix the problem, you need to remove certain entries from your registry.

After running these two commands, restart your PC to apply the changes. Once the PC restarts, check if the problem is resolved.

If you can’t run the first command, it means that this solution didn’t work for you, so move to the next solution.

3. Check if the required services are running

1. Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog.
2. Now enter services.msc and press Enter or click OK.
   
   
3. Now you need to pay close attention to the following services:
   • Windows EventLog
   • Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
   • Windows Update
4. Make sure that all of these services are properly running. If any of these services aren’t running, right-click that service and choose Start from the menu.
   
   

If your home network won’t show up, perhaps the problem is related to certain services. Your system relies heavily on services, and if required services aren’t running you might encounter various issues.

After all three services are running properly, check if the problem is still there.

4. Temporarily log out of Windows

1. Press Windows Key + L and you’ll log out of Windows.
2. Now select the Wi-Fi icon in the bottom right corner and choose your Wi-Fi network.
3. Now go back to Windows.

This is just a workaround, but it might help you if you’re having problems with the home network on Windows.

According to users, if your home network won’t show up, you can fix the problem simply by logging out of Windows and selecting your Wi-Fi network. To do that, follow the previous steps.

After doing that, you should be able to connect to your Wi-Fi network. Bear in mind that this is just a workaround, and if this solution works for you, you’ll have to repeat it every time you encounter this issue.

5. Make sure that your Wi-Fi network is enabled

1. Open the Settings app.
   • You can do that instantly by using Windows Key + I shortcut.
2. When the Settings app opens, go to the Network & Internet section.
   
   
3. In the right pane, scroll all the way down and click on Network and Sharing Center.
   
   
4. When Network and Sharing Center window opens, click the Change adapter settings.
   
   
5. Locate your Wi-Fi connection, right-click it, and choose Enable.

Some PC issues are hard to tackle, especially when it comes to corrupted repositories or missing Windows files. If you are having troubles fixing an error, your system may be partially broken.
We recommend installing Restoro, a tool that will scan your machine and identify what the fault is.
Click here to download and start repairing.

If you’re having problems with Wi-Fi, perhaps the Wi-Fi connection isn’t enabled. To fix this problem, it’s advised that you check your settings.

After doing that, the problem should be resolved, and you’ll be able to connect to the home network once again.

6. Make sure that you have the latest updates installed

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Now head over to the Update & Security section.
   
   
3. In the right pane, click the Check for updates button.
   
   

According to users, sometimes your home network won’t show up due to glitches in Windows. These glitches can cause all sorts of problems, and the best way to deal with them is to update Windows to the latest version.

To do that, be sure to connect your PC to the Internet using the Ethernet cable.

If any updates are available, they will be downloaded automatically in the background. Once the updates are installed, check if the problem is still there.

Many users reported that updating Windows to the latest version fixed the problem for them, so be sure to try that.

7. Make sure that you’re using the correct frequency

In case you don’t know, there are two wireless standards: 2.4GHz and 5GHz. The first standard is older, and it’s usually available on older devices.

If you have an old router or a Wi-Fi adapter on your PC, it’s possible that your device doesn’t support a 5GHz network.

To fix the problem, you need to configure your router to use only the 2.4GHz standard. To see how to do that properly, be sure to check your router’s instruction manual.

If your router doesn’t support the 5GHz standard, the issue is probably related to something else.

8. Check the Wi-Fi channel

According to users, sometimes the home network won’t show up due to your Wi-Fi channel. Each wireless network uses a specific channel in order to broadcast itself.

And if you’re surrounded by multiple Wi-Fi networks, perhaps you won’t be able to see your home network.

To fix this problem, users are suggesting changing your Wi-Fi channel. This is quite simple, and to do it, you need to visit your router’s configuration page and change the channel in the Wi-Fi settings.

For the best results, be sure to use a channel that’s not occupied by other Wi-Fi networks. To determine which channel is the best for you, perhaps you’ll need to use some Wi-Fi analyzer software.

Many users reported that their channel was set to Auto, and that was causing the problem, but after setting a channel to a specific value, the issue was resolved.

As you can see, Network & Internet issues may be an inconvenience, but you should be able to fix them by using one of our solutions.

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