My computer does not have a wireless connection option

Question

I have a desktop computer built my PC years ago. When I first got it I installed Windows 10 on it manually. I realized a long time ago that I could not connect to WiFi but ignored it since I was wired.

Now I have to use a wireless connection on my computer and I still to this day do not have the option to connect to WiFi. I also do not have the option to go into WiFi settings in the settings menu... I only have Ethernet connection and adapter for Ethernet. My device manager has around 10 network adapters but none of them are 802.11's I tried downloading a basic Intel wireless driver but it still hasn't showed up on my computer.

I am not really sure what to do at this point does anyone have any suggestions?

Solution 1

You can only connect to a Wireless network if you have a Wireless network card installed.

USB dongle

One option is to buy a USB Wi-Fi dongle. They are the preferred solution if you do not have a free PCI(-e) slot available. Example

PCIe expansion card

The second solution is to buy a PCIe Wi-Fi expansion card. They are most of the time the more robust and faster option. They do require a bit of hardware knowledge to install them.

Before purchasing one, please check if your motherboard has the required PCIe slots available. Example

Ethernet to Wi-Fi adapter

I have never used them so can not tell you if they are better than USB dongles or not.

Ethernet to Wi-Fi adapters are connected to the Ethernet port on your mainboard via Ethernet cable eg. CAT6. The adapter itself connects to the Wi-Fi network and bridges this connection to its Ethernet port. Example

Solution 2

If you have not yet done so, enter your BIOS/UEFI page to ensure that any onboard wireless device has not been disabled. If it has, enable it.

From your description, one can expect that your computer does not contain the hardware necessary to engage a wireless network. Your computer requires a wireless network interface device. There are a number of options to enable the desired wireless connection, all of which require the purchase of a relatively inexpensive wireless network adapter.

The better method involves purchasing a PCI wireless card. Check the mainboard of your computer to see that you have an open slot aligned with a slot card on the back of the computer. You can check the legend printed on the mainboard to determine which type of PCI card you require, or check the manual for the mainboard. A quick search using The Google shows me prices in the US$20-30 range.

Another option is to purchase a USB wireless adapter. Obviously, this connects into (and ties up from other use) one of your USB ports. These devices usually have less range than the above option and can be blocked by the computer case in extreme situations.

Once you have the hardware, your computer will either recognize and load the drivers, or you'll find instructions how to download them from the 'net. Consider also to confirm before purchasing that the device you've selected will work with Windows 10.

Comments

[Christopher Hostage]

What model network adapter is it, and have you confirmed that it's plugged into the PC properly? Adapters that I've seen : PCI, USB, m2 (unusual outside laptops), or Ethernet.

[jww]

It sounds like you have to put a wireless networking card in the machine. The two choices for you are likely PCI and USB. You may need to put the drivers on a USB stick and sneaker-net them to your old PC. Once the drivers are installed the unknown devices in Hardware Manager will probably go away.