How to Join a Wireless Network in Windows 11 Network Settings

Before You Start

A few things need to be true before a wireless network 📶 will even appear in the list:

• Your PC needs a working Wi-Fi 📶 adapter. Desktop PCs without a built-in wireless card need a USB Wi-Fi adapter or a PCIe Wi-Fi card installed.
• Airplane mode has to be off — it disables Wi-Fi 📶, Bluetooth 🔷, and mobile data all together.
• Wi-Fi 📶 itself has to be turned on (this is separate from airplane mode and can be off even when airplane mode is off).
• You need to be in range of the router or access point, and you need the network’s password (also called the security key) unless it’s an open network.

If you’re not sure which of these is the problem, the steps below will make it obvious — Windows tells you plainly when Wi-Fi 📶 is off or when airplane mode is blocking it.

Turn On Wi-Fi in 🪟 Windows 11

Do this first if you don’t see a list of networks at all, or if the network icon in your taskbar 🖥️ shows a disconnected symbol.

1. Click the network, sound, or battery icons on the right side of the taskbar to open Quick Settings. You'll see a small panel with tiles for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Airplane mode, and others.

   

2. Click the Wi-Fi tile to turn it on. The tile should highlight, and the tray icon changes to show Wi-Fi is active.
3. Check the Airplane mode tile is off. If it's highlighted, click it to turn it off — this re-enables Wi-Fi and Bluetooth hardware.

Open Device Manager (search for it from the Start menu — this needs administrator privileges), expand Network adapters, and check whether your wireless adapter is listed and enabled. A yellow warning triangle next to it usually means a driver problem.

Join a Wireless Network from Quick Settings

This is the quickest way to connect when you just need to get online.

1. Click the network icon in the taskbar to open Quick Settings. You'll see the Wi-Fi tile along with a small arrow next to it.

   

2. Click the arrow next to the Wi-Fi tile to expand the list of available networks. Windows shows every wireless network currently in range, with signal strength bars (showing how strong the connection would be) next to each one.
3. Select the network you want to join from the list. If it's a network you've connected to before, Windows may connect automatically without asking anything else.

   

4. Check the box for Connect automatically if you want Windows to join this network on its own whenever it's in range. Leave it unchecked if this is a network you only connect to occasionally, like a hotel or café.
5. Click Connect. If the network is secured, Windows now shows a password field.
6. Type the network's password into the Enter the network security key field, then click Next. Windows briefly shows "Connecting" and then switches to "Connected" once it succeeds.

If you type the password and nothing happens, or Windows returns to the password screen, check the troubleshooting section below. This almost always points to a typo or mismatched security type rather than a Windows problem.

Join a Wireless Network from the Settings App

Use this method if you want to see more detail about each network, manage saved networks, or the Quick Settings flyout isn't showing networks correctly.

1. Open Settings by pressing Windows key + I.

   

2. Click Network & internet in the left-hand menu. You'll see your current connection status at the top, along with Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and other connection types below it.

   

3. Click Wi-Fi to open the Wi-Fi settings page. Make sure the toggle at the top is switched on.

   

4. Click Show available networks (or the equivalent link near the top of the page) to expand the list of networks in range. This list matches the one in Quick Settings but gives a bit more room to read network names.
5. Select the network you want and click Connect.
6. Enter the password when prompted, then click Next. Windows connects and the network now appears with "Connected" under its name on the Wi-Fi settings page.

Connecting to a Hidden Network

If you know a network is nearby but can't find it in the list, it's probably hidden, and you'll need to add it manually:

1. Open Settings › Network & internet › Wi-Fi.

   

2. Click Manage known networks.

   

3. Click Add network near the top of the page. A form opens asking for the network name and security details.
4. Type the exact network name into the Network name field. This has to match the SSID precisely — it's case-sensitive.
5. Choose the correct Security type from the dropdown (for example WPA2-Personal or WPA3-Personal). If you're not sure which one, check the router itself or ask whoever set it up — picking the wrong type will cause the connection to fail even with the right password.
6. Enter the Security key (the password), then click Save. Windows attempts to connect immediately.

When the Network You Want Isn't in the List

A few common reasons a network doesn't show up, beyond Wi-Fi being off:

• You're out of range or the signal is too weak. Move closer to the router and reopen the network list — Windows refreshes it periodically, but you can also click away and reopen Quick Settings to force a rescan.
• It's a 5GHz network and your adapter only supports 2.4GHz. Older or cheaper Wi-Fi adapters sometimes can't see 5GHz networks at all, even standing right next to the router. Check the router for a separate 2.4GHz network name if it offers both.
• The network is hidden. Use the Add network steps above.
• Your adapter driver is outdated or broken. Open Device Manager (administrator privileges needed), right-click your wireless adapter under Network adapters, and choose Update driver.

Fixing a Password That Keeps Getting Rejected

If Windows connects briefly and then drops back to asking for the password again, or shows "Can't connect to this network," the most common causes are:

• A typo in the password. Wi-Fi passwords are case-sensitive, and you can't see what you've typed by default, so watch for phone autocorrect or autocapitalize if you're copying from saved passwords.
• A saved password that's out of date, usually because the router's Wi-Fi password was changed after your PC last connected. Forget the network (steps below) and reconnect with the current password.
• A mismatched security type when you added the network manually — double check it against the router's settings.

Choosing Public or Private for a New Network

The first time you join a new network, Windows may ask whether to make your PC discoverable on it. This sets the network as Private (your PC can be seen by other devices for things like file sharing and printers) or Public (your PC stays hidden from other devices, which is safer on networks you don't control, like coffee shop or airport Wi-Fi).

Pick Private only for networks you trust, like your home or office. Pick Public everywhere else. You can change this later for a saved network:

1. Open Settings › Network & internet › Wi-Fi.
2. Click Manage known networks, then click the network you want to adjust.
3. Toggle between Public network and Private network under the network properties.

Forgetting a Network (Undo)

If you want Windows to stop connecting automatically to a network, or you need to clear a saved password so you can re-enter the correct one, forget the network rather than trying to edit it:

1. Open Settings › Network & internet › Wi-Fi.
2. Click Manage known networks. You'll see every network Windows has ever saved on this PC, listed by name.
3. Click the network you want to remove, then click Forget. Windows deletes the saved password and connection settings for that network immediately — there's no confirmation prompt, so make sure you've picked the right one.

After forgetting a network, it drops out of the saved list but still shows up in the available networks list if it's in range — you'll just need to enter the password again next time you connect.

If This Didn't Work

If your PC still won't join any wireless network after trying the steps above, the problem is usually either the adapter driver or a Windows network stack issue rather than anything with the specific network — running the built-in network troubleshooter from Settings › System › Troubleshoot › Other troubleshooters is a reasonable next step. Once you're connected, a natural next task is setting up Night light or Storage Sense to tidy up other everyday settings, or checking your network profile if you're also sharing files and printers across the same connection.