How to Turn On Wi-Fi on a Dell Laptop

Open the Action Center from the system tray to choose a Wi-Fi network

By Robert Earl Wells III
Updated on October 27, 2023
Reviewed by
Ryan Perian
Ryan Perian headshot
Reviewed by Ryan Perian
  • Western Governors University
Ryan Perian is a certified IT specialist who holds numerous IT certifications and has 12+ years' experience working in the IT industry support and management positions.
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What to Know

  • On some Dell systems, you can toggle Wi-Fi on and off using the Fn+F2 shortcut.
  • Or, press Win+A. Select the arrow next to the Wi-Fi symbol (W11), or press Network (W10), to pick a Wi-Fi network.
  • Some Dell PCs have a Wi-Fi switch that you must turn to the On position.

This article explains how to turn on Wi-Fi on Dell laptops running Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7.

How to Connect a Dell Laptop to Wi-Fi

On some laptops, you can toggle Wi-Fi on and off with the keyboard shortcut Fn+F2. You'll see the wireless icon on the F2 key if this is an option on your PC.

Otherwise, the steps to connect a laptop to Wi-Fi differ between operating systems. Learn which Windows version you're running if you're not sure, and then use the relevant directions below to get onto the wireless network.

Windows 11 Directions

Use the Windows 11 Action Center to quickly connect to any available Wi-Fi network.

  1. Select the network and audio icon group from the right corner of the taskbar. Or, press Win+A to open Action Center.

  2. Select the arrow next to the Wi-Fi button.

    The network and audio system tray group highlighted, and the right arrow next to the Wi-Fi button highlighted, in the Windows 11 Action Center.

  3. Choose the Wi-Fi network you want to connect to.

  4. Press Connect, then enter the Wi-Fi password if asked.

    'HTC' network and 'Connect' button highlighted in Windows 11.

Windows 10 Directions

Here's how to connect to Wi-Fi on a Windows 10 Dell computer:

  1. Select the Action Center icon in the lower-right corner of the system tray.

  2. In the Windows Action Center, select Network. Select Expand if you don't see it.

    Network highlighted in Windows 10 Action Center.

  3. Select Wi-Fi. The icon will be highlighted when enabled.

    Wi-Fi highlighted in the Windows 10 Wi-Fi menu.

    Alternatively, you can choose to have Wi-Fi turn on automatically after a few hours or a day.

  4. Select the Wi-Fi network you want to join and enter the password. Once you see Connected under the network name, you can start using the internet.

    Connected highlighted in Windows 10 Wi-Fi menu indicating a Wi-Fi has been established.

How to Enable Wi-Fi on Windows 8 & Windows 7

On the Windows 8 Start Screen, search for Turn wireless devices on or off, turn on Wi-Fi and turn off Airplane mode.

On Windows 7, open the Control Panel and go to Network and Internet > Networking and Sharing Center > Change adapter settings. Right-click Wireless Network Connection and select Enable.

How to Disable Wi-Fi on a Dell

To turn off Wi-Fi, open the list of networks as described above, and then, depending on your version of Windows, select the toggle or Wi-Fi tile to disable it. The icon will be grayed out when disabled.

Wi-Fi toggle highlighted in Windows 11 Action Center.

Where Is the Wireless Icon?

Your Dell laptop has a physical wireless icon light near the battery indicator light. It turns on when Wi-Fi is enabled and turns off when it's disabled.

Different Wi-Fi icons

The Network icon appears in the Windows system tray. When Wi-Fi is disabled, you'll see an X or a Ø symbol. When your device is in Airplane Mode, it looks like an airplane.

Some Dell laptops have a physical Wi-Fi switch on the side that you need to turn to the On position to use Wi-Fi.

Why Can't My Dell Connect to Wi-Fi?

If you recently updated to Windows 11 or Windows 10, you may need to update the drivers for your wireless adapter. The easiest way to do that is with a free driver updater tool, but you can also update drivers in Device Manager.

If Wi-Fi is enabled, and the drivers are updated, but you still can't connect your Wi-Fi network, there are many things you can try to troubleshoot your wireless connection.

FAQ

  • How can I tell how strong my Wi-Fi connection is on a Dell laptop?

    To measure your Wi-Fi signal strength, go into Windows' Network & Sharing Center and select the Wi-Fi network you're using. Under Signal Quality, you'll see a number of bars. The more bars you have, the better your connection.

  • How do you take a screenshot on a Dell laptop?

    If you're using Windows 8, 8.1, 10, or 11, you can take a screenshot by pressing Win+PrtSc.

  • How do you factory reset a Dell laptop?

    On Windows 10, go to Settings > Update & Security > Recovery > Get started > follow the on-screen instructions. Make sure you back up any important information on your hard drive before performing a full factory reset.

  • What model is my Dell laptop?

    To find your Dell laptop model number, go to the Windows search bar and enter System > open the System Information app. Then, look for Model or System Model in the list of specs.

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