Windows 11 Wireless Networking Usage and Troubleshooting Guide for the Home

1. Your Broadband Internet Service Provider (ISP) will either come to your residence or business and set up the Broadband Modem or send you a do-it yourself kit.

   NOTE: When using the do-it yourself kit, follow the instructions that are provided for setting up the Broadband Modem or contact your ISP. Most likely you must contact your ISP anyway to set up a username and password (when using DSL), or register your Broadband Modem (when using cable).

2. Once the Broadband Modem is set up and working, remove the network or USB cable that is connecting the computer to the Modem.

3. Turn off the Broadband Modem for at least three or more minutes (this is necessary to make the Broadband Modem find the wireless router later).

4. After the three or more minutes are up, attach the wireless router with the supplied network cable and turn the Broadband Modem back on.

5. See the documentation that comes with your wireless router for installation instructions.

   NOTE: For more information about setting up your wireless router, see the manufacture's website (Table 1).

   Manufacture Website Link
   Linksys	D-Link	Netgear	2Wire	Belkin	Apple	SMC	TRENDnet	TP-Link	Cisco	Ubiquiti

   Table 1: Common Wireless Router Websites

6. During the initial setup of the wireless router the network name (SSID) and Wi-Fi Security (network) key should be changed for security reasons, for additional information see the Securing Your Wireless Network section.

1. Run the Network Troubleshooter:

   1. Press and hold the Windows () key, and then press the q key.

   2. In the search box type, Internet connections.

   3. Touch or click Find and fix network problems (Control panel).

   4. Touch or click Next and follow the prompts.

2. Turn off and then turn on all the devices on the network to reboot and synchronize them, for more information see the Turn Off and Then Turn on All the Devices on the Network tab.

3. Run the Dell SupportAssist Optimize Network application:

   1. Press and hold the Windows () key, and then press the q key.

   2. In the search box type, SupportAssist.

   3. Touch or click SupportAssist (Desktop app).

      NOTE: When SupportAssist does not appear in the list of applications, you must download it, either on the computer that has the issue (if possible) or to a USB memory key on another device that can reach the Internet. For more information about how to obtain and install SupportAssist, browse to the SupportAssist for PCs and tablets page. You may need to provide the Service Tag or Express Service Code of your Dell computer or select your computer model from a list.

   4. Touch or click the down arrow.

   5. Touch or click Run under Optimize Network.

   6. After the Optimize Network is finished (the status indicator reads 100%) touch or click the History tab.

   7. Touch or click the latest listing of Optimize Network (Manual) to review the results.

4. Ensure that the most current wireless drivers, computer BIOS, and router firmware are installed:

   NOTE: When the affected device has no Wireless connectivity to download a driver or BIOS, you must do one of the following to get the driver on the affected device:

   • Connect the affected device to your router using a network cable (when that is an option).
   • Use another device that does have Internet connectivity to download the driver and use a USB Flash drive to transfer the driver to the affected device.
   • For tablets, use the USB cable that came with the tablet to transfer the driver to the tablet, which was downloaded to another device that does have Internet connectivity.

   • For more information about downloading and installing the most current BIOS version, see the Dell Knowledge Base article What is BIOS and How to Download and Install the latest BIOS?

     NOTES:

     • When you have upgraded from Windows 7 or 8(8.1) to Windows 11. It is recommended that you update to the most current BIOS available for your computer before installing any Wireless device drivers.
     • The most current BIOS is located in the BIOS subsection.

   • For more information about downloading and installing the most current wireless drivers, see How to Download and Install the Latest Dell Wireless Network Adapter Driver section.

     NOTE: The network adapter drivers are located in the Network subsection.

   • Update the wireless router's firmware to the latest available, see the wireless router documentation or contact the wireless router manufacturer, links are provided in Table 1.

     NOTE: To update the router firmware, you must have a computer that is connected to your wireless router (this may be with a network cable or another computer that is connected wirelessly).

     Manufacture	User Name	Password
     Linksys	Leave blank	Admin
     D-Link	Admin	Leave blank
     Netgear	Admin	Password
     2Wire	None unless one was set up.	None unless one was set up.
     Belkin	None	Leave blank
     Apple	Use the AirPort utility.
     SMC	Admin	Smcadmin

     Table 1: Wireless Manufacture Links, Router Default User Names, and Passwords

5. Ensure that the wireless adapter is transmitting at its highest level. For more information, see the Configure the Wireless Adapter Settings for Optimal Performance tab.

6. Run the Dell SupportAssist Troubleshooting application:

   1. Press and hold the Windows () key, and then press the q key.

   2. In the search box type, SupportAssist.

   3. Touch or click SupportAssist (Desktop app).

      NOTE: When SupportAssist does not appear in the list of application, you must download it, either on the computer that has the issue (if possible) or to a USB memory key on another device that can reach the Internet. For more information about how to obtain and install SupportAssist, browse to the SupportAssist for PCs and tablets page. You may need to provide the Service Tag or Express Service Code of your Dell computer or select your computer model from a list.

   4. Touch or click the Troubleshooting tab.

   5. Touch or click I'm having Internet issues.

   6. Touch or click the wanted option.

   7. Touch or click Run Now and follow the instructions.

7. Run the Network Adapter Diagnostics available on the Dell Support site.

   NOTE:

   • When the affected device has no Wireless connectivity, for this process to work, a network cable has to be connected between one of the LAN ports on the back of the wireless router and the LAN port on the computer. See the Dell Knowledge Base article Manuals and Documentation for your Dell Product, for information about how to get the manual for your computer, which will provide you the location of the RJ45 or USB-C port on your computer.
   • A small program may need to be downloaded and installed, follow the prompts.

8. See the following articles corresponding to the browser installed on your computer:

   • For Microsoft Edge: Microsoft Edges help.
   • For Firefox: Fix slowness, crashing, error messages and other problems.
   • For Chrome: Fix connection errors.

9. For more information about resolving issues getting to the Internet, see the following resources:

   • Microsoft Knowledge Base article Fix Network Connection Issues in Windows 11 for advanced troubleshooting steps such as the resetting the TCP/IP stack.
   • YouTube video WiFi Not Connecting (Official Dell Tech Support). (English only)
   • Other YouTube videos Internet problems (Official Dell Tech Support). (English only)

1. Disconnect the power from the broadband modem and leave the broadband modem disconnected for at least 3 minutes.

   NOTE: Some Internet Service Providers (ISPs) provide a modem and router combination device.

2. Shut down all the computers that are connected to the network.

3. Disconnect the power from the wireless router.

4. Verify that a network cable is connected from the Broadband Modem into the Internet or WAN port on the wireless router.

5. Verify that no USB cables or serial cables are connected to the Broadband Modem.

6. Connect the power to the broadband modem. Wait for at least 2 minutes for the Broadband Modem to initialize.

   (If the Modem does not establish an Internet connection successfully, unplug the Modem. Wait for at least 5 minutes, then plug in the Modem.)

7. Connect the power to the wireless router. Wait for at least 2 minutes for the wireless router to initialize.

8. Turn on the computer and try connecting to the Internet.

   NOTE: When you still cannot connect to the Internet, check to see if other computers can get on the Internet, or connect this computer with a network cable directly to your router (when these are options). When no other computers or this computer that is connected directly to your router cannot get to the Internet, you must contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) or the manufacture of your router.

9. When your computer still cannot connect to the Internet, see the Resolving Not Able to Get to the Internet tab, and proceed with Step 3.

To determine which wireless adapter is installed in your computer, perform the following steps.

1. In the Search box, type change wi-fi settings.

2. Touch or click Change Wi-Fi settings (System settings).

3. Touch or click Hardware properties.

4. Look at the Manufacture: Listing to see the brand of the wireless adapter installed in your computer, and then see the section below that matches your wireless adapter.

   NOTE: Make note of the Manufacture and Description. The description is how the wireless adapter is listed in Device Manager.

Manufacture is listed as Intel:

1. In the Search box, type device manager.

2. Touch or click Device Manager (Control Panel).

3. In the Device Manager window, touch or click the arrow sign next to Network Adapters.

4. Double-tap or double-click the wireless adapter with the same Description as noted on the Change Wi-Fi Settings page.

5. Click the Advanced tab.

   NOTE: Depending on the Wireless Adapter installed, not all these options may be available.

6. In the Property: Box, touch, or click 802.11n Channel Width for 2.4 GHz and select Auto from the drop-down menu under Value:

7. In the Property: Box, touch, or click 802.11n Channel Width for 5.2 GHz and select Auto from the drop-down menu under Value:

8. In the Property: Box, touch, or click 802.11n Mode and select Enabled from the drop-down menu under Value:

9. In the Property: Box, touch, or click Fat Channel Intolerant and select Disabled from the drop-down menu under Value:

10. In the Property: Box, touch, or click Roaming Aggressiveness and select 1. Lowest from the drop-down menu under Value:

    NOTE: This setting is suggested for home wireless networks. When you are on a business network and move from place to place, the setting should be set to 3. Medium.

11. In the Property: Box, touch, or click Intel® Throughput Enhancement or Throughput Booster and select Disabled from the drop-down menu under Value:

    NOTE: When you only have one device on the wireless network or are streaming video that you may want to turn this feature on, but the adapter with this feature that is turned on does not allow other computers on your network to have equal access to the wireless network.

12. In the Property: Box, touch, or click Transmit Power and select 5. Highest from the drop-down menu under Value:

13. In the Property: Box, touch, or click Wireless Mode, select the wireless networking standard that best matches your router.

    NOTE: When you are not sure of what wireless networking standard your router supports, select the option with the most listings, typically at the bottom on the list.

14. In the Property: Box, touch, or click Wireless Mode and select the highest number available from the drop-down menu under Value:

15. Touch or click the Power Management tab.

16. Ensure the check box to the left of Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power, is cleared.

17. Click OK.

18. Bookmark this article as a restart of the affected computer is needed now, and additional troubleshooting may be needed.

19. Save any data, close any open programs and, restart the computer.

20. When your computer still cannot connect to the Internet, see the Resolving Not Able to Get to the Internet tab, and proceed with Step 5.

Manufacture is listed as Broadcom or Dell:

1. In the Search box, type Device Manager.

2. Touch or click Device Manager (Control Panel).

3. In the Device Manager window, click the arrow sign next to Network Adapters.

4. Double-tap or double-click the wireless adapter with the same Description as noted on the Change Wi-Fi Settings page.

5. Click the Advanced tab.

   NOTE: Depending on the Wireless Adapter installed, not all these options may be available.

6. In the Property: Box, click to select AP Compatibility Mode, select Broader Compatibility under Value: From the drop-down menu.

7. In the Property: Box, click to select Minimum Power Consumption, select Disabled under Value: From the drop-down menu.

8. Touch or click the Power Management tab.

9. Ensure the check box to the left of Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power, is cleared.

10. Click OK.

11. Bookmark this article as a restart of the affected computer is needed now, and additional troubleshooting may be needed.

12. Save any data, close any open programs and, restart the computer.

13. When your computer still cannot connect to the Internet, see the Resolving Not Able to Get to the Internet tab, and proceed with Step 5.

Manufacture is listed as Qualcomm (Atheros):

Description is listed as Qualcomm or Dell:

1. In the Search box, type Device Manager.

2. Touch or click Device Manager (Control Panel).

3. In the Device Manager window, touch or click the arrow sign next to Network Adapters.

4. Double-tap or double-click the wireless adapter with the same Description as noted on the Change Wi-Fi Settings page.

5. Touch or click the Advanced tab.

   NOTE: Depending on the Wireless Adapter installed, not all these options may be available.

6. In the Property: Box, touch, or click to select Roaming Policy, select Very Low under Value: From the drop-down menu.

7. Touch or click the Power Management tab.

8. Ensure the check box to the left of Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power, is cleared.

9. Click OK.

10. Bookmark this article as a restart of the affected computer is needed now, and additional troubleshooting may be needed.

11. Save any data, close any open programs and, restart the computer.

12. When your computer still cannot connect to the Internet, see the Resolving Not Able to Get to the Internet tab, and proceed with Step 5.

Description is listed as Killer Wireless:

1. In the Search box, type Device Manager.

2. Touch or click Device Manager (Control Panel).

3. In the Device Manager window, touch or click the arrow sign next to Network Adapters.

4. Double-tap or double-click the wireless adapter with the same Description as noted on the Change Wi-Fi Settings page.

5. Touch or click the Advanced tab.

   NOTE: Depending on the Wireless Adapter installed, not all these options may be available.

6. In the Property: Box, touch, or click to select Preferred Band:

   Select either:

   • No Preference when you do not know what frequency (band) your router supports, under Value: From the drop-down menu.
   • Prefer 2.4 GHz Band when your router only supports the 2.4Ghz frequency, under Value: From the drop-down menu.
   • Prefer 5 GHz Band when your router does support the 5Ghz frequency, under Value: From the drop-down menu.

7. In the Property: Box, touch, or click Roaming Aggressiveness and select 1. Lowest from the drop-down menu under Value:

   NOTE: This setting is suggested for home wireless networks. When you are on a business network and move from place to place, the setting should be set to 3. Medium.

8. In the Property: Box, touch, or click to Wireless Mode, select the wireless networking standard that best matches your router.

   NOTE: When you are not sure of what wireless networking standard your router supports, select the option with the most listings, typically at the bottom on the list.

9. Touch or click the Power Management tab.

10. Ensure the check box to the left of Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power, is cleared.

11. Click OK.

12. Bookmark this article as a restart of the affected computer is needed now, and additional troubleshooting may be needed.

13. Save any data, close any open programs and, restart the computer.

14. When your computer still cannot connect to the Internet, see the Resolving Not Able to Get to the Internet tab, and proceed with Step 5.

Manufacture is listed as Realtek:

1. In the Search box, type Device Manager.

2. Touch or click Device Manager (Control Panel).

3. In the Device Manager window, click the arrow sign next to Network Adapters.

4. Double-tap or double-click the wireless adapter with the same Description as noted on the Change Wi-Fi Settings page.

5. Click the Advanced tab.

   NOTE: Depending on the Wireless Adapter installed, not all these options may be available.

6. In the Property: Box, click to select AP Compatibility Mode, select Broader Compatibility under Value: From the drop-down menu.

7. In the Property: Box, click to select Minimum Power Consumption, select Disabled under Value: From the drop-down menu.

8. Touch or click the Power Management tab.

9. Ensure the check box to the left of Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power, is cleared.

10. Click OK.

11. Bookmark this article as a restart of the affected computer is needed now, and additional troubleshooting may be needed.

12. Save any data, close any open programs and, restart the computer.

13. When your computer still cannot connect to the Internet, see the Resolving Not Able to Get to the Internet tab, and proceed with Step 5.

A Wi-Fi security (network) key is similar to a door key, it protects yourself from unknown people getting on your wireless network.

Below is a list of the three types of wireless security that is offered for home and small business users and their strength in relation to the others.

It is recommended that the wireless network be configured with the highest level of security that the wireless devices have in common.

• Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)

  Low protection

  WEP is one of the original security types. Every home wireless router supports WEP even the latest models to make it compatible with every wireless network adapter. While WEP is better than no security the network key used to encrypt the wireless data can be broken in as little as a few minutes.

• Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)

  Medium protection

  WPA was developed to close the security holes that WEP has. It uses several mechanisms to prevent the network key from being broken but still uses the same encryption method as WEP.

• Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2)

  Highest protection

  WPA2 has been implemented has the highest form of security for home and small businesses. It takes the mechanisms that are used by WPA and uses a more secure encryption method.

WPA and WPA2

WPA and WPA2 use letters (a-z, A-Z, 0-9) that are between 8 and 63 characters long. The key can be made up from any upper and lower case letters, numbers, and the special characters (~!@#$%^&*()_+:;'"<>).

It is recommended that all three types of characters be used in the key and that they are used in a random order. This makes it difficult for someone to guess the key.

WEP

WEP comes in two lengths 64 and 128 bit and in two forms ASCII and Hexadecimal. The key that you create will include an additional 24-bit header so the key you create is only 40 or 104 bits long. That is why a 64bit WEP key is also referred to as 40bit. ASCII is the numbers and letters we use every day, a - z, A - Z and the numbers 0 - 9. Hexadecimal is also known as machine code, when a computer is running a program that it is being told what to do by Hexadecimal numbers. Hexadecimal uses the numbers 0 - 9 and the letters a - f.

See (Table 1) for the number and type of characters that you must use create a WEP key.

Table 1: WEP Key Creation

(There are free WEP and WPA key generators available on the Internet.)

The easiest way to find your wireless network name (SSID) is to put the computer and the wireless router 1-3 meters (3-9 ft) away from each other.

Do one of the following tasks:

• For a laptop:

  1. Move the computer to within 1-3 meters (3-9 ft) of the wireless router.

     NOTE: Ensure that the wireless antenna is on, For more information see Dell Knowledge Base article How to Turn the Wireless on a Dell Notebook On and Off (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Mobile Broadband).

  2. Touch or click the network icon ( or ), either in the taskbar or in the hidden icons area (Figure 1).

     NOTE: Both are located in the lower right corner of the screen.

     

     Figure 1: Hidden Icon Location

  3. Look for a listing that has the most white bars next to it (it may be necessary to scroll up or down to find it) and write it down exactly as you see it.

     NOTE: When there is more than one listing with the same number of white bars or the listing reads as "Hidden network or Other Network," see the Getting the Wireless Network Name Directly from the Wireless Router tab, for instructions to get the wireless network name from the wireless router directly.

• For a desktop computer:

  1. It may be necessary to move the wireless router within 1-3 meters (3-9 ft) of the desktop (you do not need to move or turn off the broadband modem because Internet access is not needed now, but any other computers that are connected to the wireless router cannot access the Internet during this process). Ensure that the wireless router is turned on after moving it.

     NOTE: Ensure that the wireless antenna is on, For more information see Dell Knowledge Base article How to Turn the Wireless on a Dell Notebook On and Off (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Mobile Broadband).

  2. Touch or click the network icon ( or ), either in the taskbar or in the hidden icons area (Figure 1).

     NOTE: Both are located in the lower right corner of the screen.

     

     Figure 1: Hidden Icon Location

  3. Look for a listing that has the most white bars next to it (it may be necessary to scroll up or down to find it) and write it down exactly as you see it.

     NOTE: When there is more than one listing with the same number of white bars or the listing reads as "Hidden network or Other Network," see the Getting the Wireless Network Name Directly from the Wireless Router tab, for instructions to get the wireless network name from the wireless router directly.

  4. After finding your wireless network name, you must move the wireless router back to its original location and reconnect it to the Broadband Modem.

For this process to work a network cable has to be connected between one of the LAN ports on the back of the wireless router and the LAN port on the computer.

1. Touch and hold or right-click the network icon ( or ), either in the taskbar or in the hidden icons area (Figure 1).

   NOTE: Both are located in the lower right corner of the screen.

   

   Figure 1: Hidden Icon Location

2. Touch or click Open Network and Sharing Center.

3. Touch or click Ethernet.

4. Click Details.

5. Locate and write down the IP address to the right of IPv4 Default Gateway.

6. Open an Internet browser.

7. In the address bar, type https://[Default_Gateway_ip_address], where [Default_Gateway_ip_address] is the IPv4 Default Gateway IP address (do not include the brackets).

8. Log in to the router. For some of the most common router username and passwords, see Table 3.

Wireless router manufacturers typically keep the wireless Network Name or SSID under a page listed as Wireless, the method for getting to that page varies (see the wireless router documentation or contact the wireless router manufacturer, links are provided in Table 3).

Be sure to write the wireless network name down, exactly as you see it.

When the common defaults do not work, it means that either someone has changed the default or your model of wireless router has a unique username or password. Ask whoever may have set up the wireless router what is the username and password, see the wireless router documentation or contact the wireless router manufacturer (links are provided in Table 3).

Manufacture	User Name	Password
Linksys	leave blank	admin
D-Link	admin	leave blank
Netgear	admin	password
2Wire	None unless one was set up.	None unless one was set up.
Belkin	None	leave blank
Apple	Use the AirPort utility.
SMC	Admin	smcadmin

Table 3: Common Wireless Router User Name and Passwords

For this process to work a network cable has to be connected between one of the LAN ports on the back of the wireless router and the LAN port on the computer.

1. Touch and hold or right-click the network icon ( or ), either in the taskbar or in the hidden icons area (Figure 1).

   NOTE: Both are located in the lower right corner of the screen.

   

   Figure 1: Hidden Icon Location

2. Touch or click Open Network and Sharing Center.

3. Touch or click Ethernet.

4. Click Details.

5. Locate and write down the IP address to the right of IPv4 Default Gateway.

6. Open an Internet browser.

7. In the address bar, type https://[Default_Gateway_ip_address], where [Default_Gateway_ip_address] is the IPv4 Default Gateway IP address (do not include the brackets).

8. Log in to the router. For some of the most common router username and passwords, see Table 4.

Wireless router manufacturers typically keep the wireless Network Name or SSID under a page listed as Wireless, the method for getting to that page varies (please see the wireless router documentation or contact the wireless router manufacturer, links are provided in Table 4).

Be sure to write the wireless network name down, exactly as you see it.

When the common defaults do not work, it means that either someone has changed the default or your model of wireless router has a unique username or password. Ask whoever may have set up the wireless router what is the username and password, see the wireless router documentation or contact the wireless router manufacturer (links are provided in Table 4).

Manufacture	User Name	Password
Linksys	leave blank	admin
D-Link	admin	leave blank
Netgear	admin	password
2Wire	None unless one was set up.	None unless one was set up.
Belkin	None	leave blank
Apple	Use the AirPort utility.
SMC	Admin	smcadmin

Table 4: Common Wireless Router User Name and Passwords

1. In the Search box, type troubleshoot.

2. Touch or click Troubleshoot (System settings).

3. Scroll down the page until you see Share Folders under Find and fix other problems.

4. Touch or click Share Folders.

5. Touch or click Run the troubleshooter and follow the prompts.

OneDrive is free online storage that comes with your Microsoft account. Save your files there and you can get to them from any personal computer, tablet, or phone.

For more information, see Microsoft Knowledge Base article OneDrive on your personal computer.

When at a public location (coffee shop, library, airport, hotel so forth) you should set your network location to Public, this helps protect you from intruders. On the other hand in order to be able to browse other computers or printers on your local network, the network location has to be set to Private. Perform the following steps to change the network location.

1. Ensure you are connected wirelessly before performing the steps.

2. Touch or click the network icon , either in the taskbar or in the hidden icons area (Figure 1).

   NOTE: Both are located in the lower right corner of the screen.

   

   Figure 1: Hidden Icon Location

3. Find the wireless network listing that reads as connected.

4. Touch or click Properties.

5. Touch or click Public, or Private as wanted.

6. Close the window.