Setting up a wireless network

A wireless network at home lets you get online from more places in your house. This article describes the basic steps for setting up a wireless network and starting to use it.

Get the right equipment

Before you can set up your wireless network, here’s what you’ll need:

Broadband Internet connection and modem. A broadband Internet connection is a high-speed Internet connection. Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) and cable are two of the most common broadband connections. You can get a broadband connection by contacting an Internet service provider (ISP). Typically, ISPs that provide DSL are telephone companies and ISPs that provide cable are cable TV companies. ISPs frequently offer broadband modems. Some ISPs also offer combination modem/wireless routers. You can also find these at computer or electronics stores, and online.

Wireless router. A router sends info between your network and the Internet. With a wireless router, you can connect PCs to your network using radio signals instead of wires. There are several different kinds of wireless network technologies, which include 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, and 802.11ac.

Wireless network adapter. A wireless network adapter is a device that connects your PC to a wireless network. To connect your portable or desktop PC to your wireless network, the PC must have a wireless network adapter. Most laptops and tablets—and some desktop PCs—come with a wireless network adapter already installed.

To check whether your PC has a wireless network adapter:

Select the Start button, type device manager in the search box, and then select Device Manager.

Expand Network adapters.

Look for a network adapter that might have wireless in the name.

Setting up the modem and Internet connection

After you have all the equipment, you’ll need to set up your modem and Internet connection. If your modem wasn’t set up for you by your Internet service provider (ISP), follow the instructions that came with your modem to connect it to your PC and the Internet. If you’re using Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), connect your modem to a phone jack. If you’re using cable, connect your modem to a cable jack.

Positioning the wireless router

Put your wireless router somewhere where it will receive the strongest signal with the least amount of interference. For better results, follow these tips:

Place your wireless router in a central location. Place the router as close to the center of your home as possible to increase the strength of the wireless signal throughout your home.

Position the wireless router off the floor and away from walls and metal objects, such as metal file cabinets. The fewer physical obstructions between your PC and the router’s signal, the more likely that you’ll be using the router’s full signal strength.

Reduce interference. Some networking equipment uses a 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) radio frequency. This is the same frequency as most microwaves and many cordless phones. If you turn on the microwave or get a call on a cordless phone, your wireless signal might be temporarily interrupted. You can avoid most of these issues by using a cordless phone with a higher frequency, such as 5.8 GHz.

Securing your wireless network

Security is always important; with a wireless network, it’s even more important because your network’s signal could be broadcast outside your home. If you don’t help secure your network, people with PCs nearby could access info stored on your network PCs and use your Internet connection.

To help make your network more secure:

Change the default user name and password. This helps protect your router. Most router manufacturers have a default user name and password on the router and a default network name (also known as the SSID). Someone could use this info to access your router without you knowing it. To help avoid that, change the default user name and password for your router. See the documentation for your device for instructions.

Set up a security key (password) for your network. Wireless networks have a network security key to help protect them from unauthorized access. We recommend using Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) security if your router supports it. See the documentation for your router for more detailed info, including what type of security is supported and how to set it up.

Some routers support Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS). If your router supports WPS and it’s connected to the network, follow these steps to set up a network security key:

Do one of the following, depending on which version of Windows is running on your PC:

In Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, select Start, start typing Network and Sharing Center, and then choose it in the list.

In Windows 10, select Start , then select Settings > Network & Internet > Status > Network and Sharing Center.

Select Set up a new connection or network.

Select Set up a new network, then choose Next.

The wizard will walk you through creating a network name and a security key. If your router supports it, the wizard will default to Wi‑Fi Protected Access (WPA or WPA2) security. We recommend that you use WPA2, because it offers better security than WPA or Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) security. With WPA2 or WPA you can also use a passphrase, so you don’t have to remember a cryptic sequence of letters and numbers.

Write down your security key and keep it in a safe place. You can also save your security key on a USB flash drive by following the instructions in the wizard. (Saving your security key to a USB flash drive is available in Windows 8 and Windows 7, but not in Windows 10.)

Use a firewall. A firewall is hardware or software that can help protect your PC from unauthorized users or malicious software (malware). Running a firewall on each PC on your network can help control the spread of malicious software on your network, and help protect your PCs when you’re accessing the Internet. Windows Firewall is included with this version of Windows.

Connect a PC to your wireless network

Select the Network or icon in the notification area.

In the list of networks, choose the network that you want to connect to, and then select Connect.

Type the security key (often called the password).

Follow additional instructions if there are any.

If you have problems with your Wi-Fi network when using Windows 10, see Fix Wi-Fi problems in Windows 10 for advanced troubleshooting info.

How to connect to a Wi-Fi network on Windows 10

Source: Windows Central

If you use a laptop, tablet, or even a desktop computer, it likely has a Wi-Fi connection, as it’s the most convenient medium to access a network and the internet without messing around with cables.

However, it’s only convenient as long as you know the steps to connect. If you’re using Windows 10, there are multiple ways quickly connect to the internet using a Wi-Fi connection, whether you’re setting up a device for the first time, connecting in a new place, or if you’re simply looking for an efficient way to connect multiple devices to the same network.

In this Windows 10 guide, we walk you through the steps to connect to a Wi-Fi network using the network flyout in Taskbar, Settings, Control Panel, and using command lines with Command Prompt.

How to connect to Wi-Fi network using Taskbar

To connect to a Wi-Fi network using the network flyout in taskbar, use these steps:

Click on the Network icon in the bottom-right corner of the taskbar. (If you don’t see the button, click the up arrow button on the left.)

Note: Alternatively, you can open Action Center (Windows key + A), and then click the Network button in the Quick actions section to access the network flyout.

Click the Connect button.

Source: Windows Central

Quick tip: If you don’t see any network listed, click the Wi-Fi button to turn on the adapter from the flyout.

Confirm the network security key (password).

Source: Windows Central

Click the Next button.

Once you complete the steps, the device will connect to the network using the wireless connection.

Reconnect automatically

Windows 10 also offers an option to re-enable and reconnect the device automatically after disconnecting the adapter manually.

To schedule automatic reconnect to Wi-Fi networks, use these steps:

Click on the network icon in the bottom-right corner of the taskbar.

Click the Wi-Fi button to turn off wireless connectivity.

Source: Windows Central

Use the drop-down menu and select when to re-enable and re-connect:

• Manually.
• In one hour.
• In four hours.
• In one day.

Source: Windows Central

After you complete the steps, Windows 10 won’t try to re-establish a wireless connection until the schedule you specified.

When you use this feature, the computer will only auto-connect to those networks that you’ve previously configured to connect automatically.

How to connect to Wi-Fi network using Settings

On Windows 10, you can also use the «Network & Security» settings page to pre-configure Wi-Fi connections manually, and then when the network is in range, it’ll connect automatically.

To set up a Wi-Fi connection with the Settings app, use these steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Network & Security.
3. Click on Wi-Fi.

Click the Manage known networks option.

Source: Windows Central

Click the Add a new network button.

Source: Windows Central

Click the Save button.

Source: Windows Central

After you complete the steps, the computer will connect automatically to the Wi-Fi network you specified when it’s range.

How to connect to Wi-Fi network using Control Panel

To connect to a wireless network with Control Panel, use these steps:

1. Open Control Panel.
2. Click on Network and Internet.
3. Click on Network and Sharing Center.

Under the «Set up a new connection or network» section, click the Set up a new connection or network option.

Source: Windows Central

Select the Manually connect to a wireless network option.

Source: Windows Central

(Optional) Check the Connect even if the network is not broadcasting option.

Source: Windows Central

Click the Next button.

Click the Close button.

Once you complete the steps, the device will automatically connect to the Wi-Fi network.

How to connect to Wi-Fi network using Command Prompt

Alternatively, you can connect to a Wi-Fi network using the netsh command-line tool using Command Prompt.

To connect to a wireless access point with command lines, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

Type the following command to view the available network profiles and press Enter:

netsh wlan show profile

Type the following command to connect to the Wi-Fi network and press Enter:

netsh wlan connect ssid=YOUR_WIFI_SSID name=PROFILE_NAME

In the command, remember to specify the SSID of the network and profile name with the network settings you’re trying to connect.

For example, this command connects to the tsunami network using the tsunami profile:

netsh wlan connect ssid=tsunami name=tsunami

Source: Windows Central

Quick Tip: If you have more than one wireless adapter, you must also specify in the command which adapter you want to use. Here’s an example of the command: netsh wlan connect ssid=YOUR_WIFI_SSID name=PROFILE_NAME interface=Wi-Fi .

After you complete the steps, the device will connect to the wireless network.

New network connection

On Windows 10, you can use the netsh command tool to manage wireless adapters and networks. However, it only allows connections to previously known networks, because you must specify a network profile, which you can’t create with the tool.

If you must use Command Prompt to connect one or multiple devices to the same Wi-Fi network, there’s a workaround you can use. You can export the network profile that was created automatically during the first connection, and then import it using netsh to connect to the wireless network.

Export Wi-Fi profile

To export a Wi-Fi profile on Windows 10, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

Type the following command to view the available network profiles and press Enter:

netsh wlan show profile

Type the following command to export a profile and press Enter:

netsh wlan export profile PROFILE-NAME key=clear folder=PATH\TO\EXPORT\FOLDER

For example, this command exports the tsunami profile to the Documents folder.

netsh wlan export profile tsunami key=clear folder=C:\Users\m\Documents

Source: Windows Central

Once you complete the steps, you can import the same XML file to connect other computers to the same network or reconnect your device if the profile is no longer available.

Import Wi-Fi profile

To import a Wi-Fi profile on Windows 10, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.

Type the following command to determine the name of the network adapter and press Enter:

netsh wlan show interfaces

Type the following command to import the network profile and press Enter:

netsh wlan add profile filename=»PATH\TO\PROFILE.XML» Interface=»YOUR_WIFI_ADAPTER_NAME» user=current

In the command, make sure to specify the path to the XML file and interface name.

For example, this command imports the xml profile located in the Documents folder to the Wi-Fi adapter:

netsh wlan add profile filename=»C:\Users\m\Documents\wi-fi-tsunami.xml» Interface=»WI-FI» user=current

Source: Windows Central

Type the following command to connect to the wireless network and press Enter:

netsh wlan connect ssid=YOUR_WIFI_SSID name=PROFILE_NAME

In the command, make sure to specify the SSID and profile name.

For example, this command connects to an access point using the tsunami SSID and tsunami profile name:

netsh wlan connect ssid=tsunami name=tsunami

Quick Tip: If you have more than one wireless adapter, you must also specify in the command which adapter you want to use. For example, netsh wlan connect ssid=YOUR_WIFI_SSID name=PROFILE_NAME interface=Wi-Fi

After you complete the steps, the device should connect to the network automatically.

More Windows 10 resources

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10, visit the following resources:

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