If your computer's wireless network card driver is out of date or has become corrupted over time, you will no longer be able to connect to the internet. If the cause of the problem affecting your computer connection is the network card driver, reinstalling it will be able to get you back online in a few minutes. The first step is to download the latest version of the driver using a wired network connection, after which you will have to uninstall the current driver using the "Device Manager" system window and install the new one.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Download the New Driver
Step 1. Connect your computer directly to the network modem / router
If you are unable to access the internet using the Wi-Fi connection, you can work around the problem by connecting your computer to the router using an Ethernet cable.
Macs don't use drivers, so if you're having trouble with your Mac's network connection, please refer to this link
Step 2. Press the key combination ⊞ Win + S to open the Windows search bar
In order to determine which driver to download for your network card, you will need to determine the make and model of the device. You can find this information in the "Device Manager" system window.
Step 3. Type in your keywords
device management
within the search bar, then press the button Enter.
At this point, click on the "Device Manager" icon that appears at the top of the results list.
Step 4. Click on "Network adapters"
It is one of the categories listed in the "Device Manager" window. A list of all network cards installed in your computer will be displayed. One of these should include the word "wireless" in the name.
If none of the network cards have the word "wireless" in their name, select them one at a time with the right mouse button and choose the "Properties" option from the context menu that will appear. Your computer's wireless network card should be labeled "Wireless Network Card" under "Device Type"
Step 5. Double click on the name of the wireless network card, then go to the "Driver" tab
Step 6. Make a note of the make and model of the wireless network card
This information can be found at the top of the "Driver" tab of the "Properties" window.
Here is an example of a wireless network card name "Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6235"
Step 7. Visit the technical support section of the device manufacturer's website
This is the page where you can download the drivers for your device.
For example, if the wireless network card installed in your computer was manufactured by Intel, you will need to go to this web page www.intel.com and click on the "Support" link
Step 8. Search using the name of the network card
This is the information you recovered in the "Device Manager" window on your computer. After identifying your network card, select it to be able to access the dedicated support page.
Step 9. Download the driver version for Windows systems
You will need to click on a link called "Download", "Download", "Software" or "Driver" to be able to retrieve the correct driver for installation.
- Most hardware companies provide their device drivers in the form of EXE files for easy download and installation.
- Save the driver file where you can easily access it, for example the "Downloads" folder or your desktop.
Part 2 of 3: Uninstall the Current Driver
Step 1. Open the "Device Manager" window again (if you have closed it) and click on the "Network Adapters" category to expand it and reveal its contents
You are now ready to remove the current network card driver.
Step 2. Select the name of the wireless network card with the right mouse button, then click on the "Properties" item in the context menu that will appear
Step 3. Go to the "Driver" tab, then click the "Uninstall" button
A pop-up window will appear asking you to confirm your action.
Step 4. Click on the "OK" button to confirm your choice
The wireless network card will be removed from the "Network Adapters" section of the "Device Manager" window.
Part 3 of 3: Install the New Drivers
Step 1. Double-click the EXE file you downloaded earlier
The installation wizard of the wireless network card drivers will start.
If the file you downloaded is in ZIP format and not EXE, select it with the right mouse button and choose the "Extract All" option from the context menu that will appear. At this point select the folder in which to extract the contents of the archive and click on the "Extract" button. Now double-click on the EXE file that you find inside the folder you just extracted
Step 2. Click on the "Action" menu located at the top of the "Device Manager" window if there is no EXE file present, then select the "Scan for hardware changes" option
At this point, the entire system will be scanned for hardware devices without the appropriate drivers.
- If an available driver is found, the Windows operating system will install it automatically. To verify that the new driver has been installed, expand the "Network adapters" section of the "Device Manager" window and check if the wireless network adapter is listed.
- If no driver is found, you may be able to select the folder where the driver file is located. In this case, select the folder you extracted from the ZIP file and click the "OK" or "Install" button.
Step 3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the driver installation
The screens that appear will differ depending on the version of the operating system and the model of the network card, but in general you will have to accept the terms of the agreement provided by the manufacturer of the device before you can click on the "Install" button.
If you are prompted to restart your computer at the end of the installation, click the "OK" or "Restart" button
Step 4. Disconnect the Ethernet cable from the computer
To test the Wi-Fi connection, you must first disconnect the network cable from the computer's LAN port. This way you can be sure that you are testing using the correct network connection.
Step 5. Connect to your Wi-Fi network, then visit this website
If the network card drivers were the cause of its malfunction, at this point you should be able to access the wikiHow site without any problem using your computer's Wi-Fi connection.
- If you can't establish a connection, try restarting your computer, then open the "Device Manager" window and click the "Scan for hardware changes" icon again.
- If the problem persists, the wireless network card drivers were not the cause.
Advice
- Most internet connection problems can be resolved by restarting the network router or wireless access point. To do this, you simply need to disconnect the device from the mains, wait a few seconds and then reconnect the power cable. This procedure is called "power cycle".
- Configure Windows so that it can automatically update device drivers, including that of the Wi-Fi network card.
- Try to get as close to the network router or wireless access point as possible.
