Connection enabled?

Look in the BIOS, press F2 at the Dell Screen, and see if it's enabled there.

 

Look in the Device Manager and see if it's enabled.

 

Try F2 or Fn and F2 or some have a switch on the side to turn on/off the wireless adapter.

Some newer models...

F3 or Fn and F3

Fn and PrtScr

 

Airplane Mode - Turn On or Off in Windows 8

Try reading Dell WWAN Wireless not detected

 

Look in the Windows Mobility Center and make sure wireless is enabled.

 

Start, Control Panel, Windows Mobility Center. Click on the little square in Radio Control Options. Make sure the boxes are checked

Also try reading...

Intel® WiFi Products — Power Save Polling (PSP) causes connection issues with some access points

Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Power Options\Create a Power Plan

Select High performance.

Start, control panel, device manager. Click on Network and then right click on your wireless adapter, left click properties, power management. Uncheck the box, allow computer to turn off this device to save power.

 

Start, all programs, accessories, right click on command prompt, left click run as administrator. Type

netsh winsock reset catalog

This will reset the winsock catalog

 

 

 

If looking for Bluetooth icon is the system tray...

 

Start, in Search, type

 

bttray

 

Click on it. This will put the Bluetooth icon in the system tray, near the clock. Bluetooth can be enabled/disabled there.

 

If you are using Windows 8/8.1 you will need to turn the wifi/Bluetooth on by the following steps instead of using FN+F2.

How to turn on or turn off WiFi/Bluetooth?

1. Launch Settings Charm and select Change PC settings.
2. Select Wireless from the left pane.
3. Under the Wireless devices option, move the WiFi/Bluetooth slider to turn it off. Move the slider again to turn it on.

 

 

If you're having networking issues, please make a new thread in the Dell Networking, Internet, Wireless Forum

 

 

If you find this Wiki helpful, please vote above. Thanks.