How To Turn On Wi Fi On A Laptop "Acer": Detailed Instructions

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-19 10:46

How to activate Wi-Fi on different Acer laptops

After buying a laptop, the user immediately rushes home to try it out: connect to his home wireless network and start surfing the Internet. Nevertheless, it may seem to some users that it is not so easy to connect to Wi-Fi: there is no network icon next to the time and volume, or the networks themselves on the network panel. The same problem can appear right while working on a PC for many reasons, or immediately after reinstalling Windows or turning on a new laptop. What should be done in such cases to enable Wi-Fi?

Content

• 1 Prerequisites before activating Wi-Fi on your Acer laptop

  • 1.1 We check the relevance of the drivers through the "Device Manager"
  • 1.2 Download drivers for Acer from the official website
  • 1.3 Quick connection

• 2 How to enable Wi-Fi on Acer laptop

  • 2.1 Button on the device body

  • 2.2 Using hotkeys on an Acer laptop

    2.2.1 Video: what keys are used to turn on Wi-Fi on a laptop

  • 2.3 Using Windows 7 and 8 software

    • 2.3.1 Activating the wireless adapter
    • 2.3.2 Enabling Auto WLAN Service
    • 2.3.3 Creating and configuring a new connection with a hidden network
• 3 Video: what to do if Wi-Fi is turned off on a PC

Prerequisites before activating Wi-Fi on an Acer laptop

If you have just reinstalled your operating system or purchased a new laptop and it turns out that Wi-Fi does not work on it, first of all check how things are with the wireless network adapter drivers: are they installed at all, received an update or not. It is also possible that the corresponding equipment was simply turned off.

It should be noted right away that the Aspire 3610 does not have a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth module at all, so you cannot enable a wireless network on it. You will have to use a wired Internet (Ethernet cable) or USB-modem, or purchase a newer "laptop".

We check the relevance of the drivers through the "Device Manager"

The system window "Device Manager" will help determine the state of the drivers:

1. The fastest way to launch the dispatcher is through the already familiar "Run" menu. We call it by simultaneously pressing the "Windows" and R buttons, and insert devmgmt.msc into an empty line - press "Enter" or OK.

   

   Paste and run the devmgmt.msc command to start the dispatcher

2. By tradition, we will present an alternative way: right-click on the classic "My Computer" icon on the table and click on the "Properties" line at the end of the list.

   

   Select the "Properties" line from the menu

3. We go to the dispatcher through the link located on the left side of the screen.

   

   In the window with information on the system, follow the link "Device Manager"

4. We open the list with network adapters and look for a line with the following words: Wi-Fi, Wireless. This will be the adapter responsible for the wireless Internet.

   

   Open the Network Adapters menu

5. We look closely at its state: if there is a gray down arrow next to the icon, it means that the device is simply deactivated at the moment.

   

   If the arrow is pointing down, the adapter is disconnected

6. Right-click on the item and in the additional menu click on the option to turn on the device.

   

   Turn on the adapter in the menu

7. If next to the icon there is an exclamation mark inside a yellow triangle, it means that something is really wrong with the device or its drivers - in this case, go to the update. First, you can use the dispatcher itself for this purpose. Please note that in this situation you will need an alternative way to connect to the network: USB modem, Ethernet cable (you can use the cable that is connected to your router).

   

   A triangle with an exclamation mark indicates that you need to reinstall the drivers for this adapter

8. Right click again and select the update option. Choosing between automatic and manual methods of installing the update. In the latter case, you will be presented with the driver options that are already present on your PC. You will also be able to install the drivers from the disk (in this case, you no longer need an Internet connection), if you have one (it may have come with your laptop). For example, we will choose an automatic installation.

   

   Select manual or automatic search for an update

9. We are waiting for the search to end.

   

   Wait for the update search to complete

10. If there is an upgrade available, everything will automatically download and install. If the system finds the update, a notification about the relevance of the "firewood" will appear. However, this message does not always mean that the latest versions of network drivers are installed on the PC. In any case (there is an exclamation mark next to the icon or not, updates have been downloaded through the manager or not), it is still recommended to visit the official Acer resource and download the installers of the network "firewood" from there. You can find detailed instructions in the next section of the article. It may also turn out that the item with Wireless will be completely absent - then you need to go exactly to the instructions below.

    

    Even if it turns out that the drivers are up-to-date, reinstall them through the official Acer resource

11. You can also try removing and reinstalling the adapter configuration. To do this, in the context menu, click on delete. Let the system know that we really want to get rid of the device for a while. Just do not remove the drivers that are already present on the PC.

    

    Confirm you want to remove the device

12. When the line disappears from the list, click on the "Action" section and click on the first option to update - the wireless adapter will reappear in the list.

    

    Update the configuration via the Action menu

13. It will be useful to check the following parameter: right-click to call the context menu of the same adapter and select the item with properties, go to the Power Management tab. If there is a checkmark to the left of the parameter about the permission to deactivate the device to save energy, remove it. Click on OK to save.

    

    Uncheck the first item on energy saving

14. After the update and all other actions, restart the PC. Perhaps after that, on the "Taskbar" you will immediately see that the device has detected some kind of wireless access points. If this did not happen, we proceed to manual installation of "firewood" from the official site.

Downloading drivers for Acer from the official website

Manual installation of "firewood" from the official website of the manufacturer of the "laptop" will not harm the system, so to be sure that the necessary drivers are on the device, we visit the resource and look for software there:

1. We open the official page to search for "firewood" for a specific device model - just click on this link. On the page, you can immediately dial the model number or SNID. If you do not know how to find this information, use the tips located under the link "Where is the serial number on the device". You can also download a utility that will automatically determine the number and model.

   

   Enter model number or SNID if you have this information

2. We will use the second choice - click on the first drop-down menu "Category" and click on your device type. We have this "laptop".

   

   Click on the desired category in the first list

3. In the next menu, click on the desired series.

   

   Select the series of your "laptop" from the second list

4. The last step is to determine the model number. As soon as you click on the required item in the menu, the page with your laptop model will load.

   

   Click on your model in the list

5. We look at the image of the device and make sure that this is it. If necessary, go to the "Product Details" tab and check the information.

   

   Make sure this is your model

6. We select our "operating system" from the list.

   

   Select your OS from the list of available for this laptop model

7. We open the block with drivers and find the item Wireless LAN Driver there. We click on the green "Download" link.

   

   Click on "Download"

8. Open the downloaded and scanned archive through the browser panel with downloads.

   

   Open the archive with the driver installer

9. Run the Setup file on the display.

   

   Open the executable called Setup

10. Click on "Next" in the installation wizard.

    

    Run driver installation

11. We are waiting for the completion of the "firewood" installation procedure for the wireless adapter.

    

    Wait for the installation to complete

12. We click on "Finish" in the window after the operation is completed and restart the computer immediately so that all changes can take effect.

    

    Click on "Finish" and restart your PC

If you are unable to connect to another network, download the installer from the site through another device, and then transfer it to your "laptop" using a USB flash drive or other media.

Fast connection

If after restarting you saw not a red cross, but an orange circle on the network icon, then the adapter is working and has already found the Wi-Fi points located nearby. To immediately connect to your network, do the following:

1. Click on the network icon to open a panel with a list of available networks.

2. Select your point among the presented ones - click on it with the left mouse button and click on the button to connect.

   

   Connect to your network shown in the list

3. If necessary, enter the password (if any). You can also connect without a password if, for example, you have forgotten it. To do this, click on the button on the router itself when the field for entering the key appears.

   

   Enter security key (password)

If your network does not have a password (this is evidenced by a yellow shield with an exclamation mark inside, located next to the signal level), it turns out to be unprotected, that is, everyone can easily connect to your point and use your Internet. In this case, data is also transmitted in clear text. In this regard, it is recommended to put a password on the network.

How to turn on Wi-Fi on an Acer laptop

If after all the manipulations described above, "Wi-Fi" is not activated, you need to help him do it.

Button on the device body

On many models of "laptops" from Acer (especially on already outdated devices) there are physical keys that activate and deactivate, if necessary, the "Wi-Fi" function on the device. They can look different: round buttons, rectangular keys, switches and so on (there may be an icon in the form of an antenna transmitting a signal nearby).

The glowing indicator indicates that "Wi-Fi" is turned on on the PC

Often there are indicators next to them - usually they are green. They can, however, be located elsewhere - for example, on the bottom of the front panel on the right or left.

Carefully inspect your laptop for the presence of a key: front and side panels. Here are some examples of location for some models:

1. For models of the Aspire series (from 1000 to 1690 or 2012 Button), 16xx and Ferrari (3000, 3020, 3400, 4000), the desired key is located above the keyboard itself.

   

   On the laptop of the Ferrari series, you will find a button for turning on Wi-Fi on the left above the keyboard

2. For devices with model numbers 2000 Series, 3500 or 5610, the button is located on the front of the laptop.
3. The Aspire 3005 and 5612 have a key hidden on the right side panel.
4. The Aspire 9302 has a button on the left side panel. It will be blue.

5. On the Travelmate C series, this is the top button above the keyboard on the right or left side. After clicking on it, a menu will appear on the display in which you need to select WLAN.

   

   On the Travelmate, the button is located above the keyboard

6. On the Aspire 94xx, the key is located under the lock button.
7. The Aspire One (outdated models only) has a button with an antenna image in the bottom right corner (where the hands rest).
8. In the 2500 series, the key is also located in the right corner, but already at the top.
9. For Extensa 2000/2500 Series, the button is located in the upper right corner of the keyboard.

Your "laptop" may not have this button at all to activate the "Wi-Fi". In this case, most likely, your model has a certain keyboard shortcut key to enable wireless transmission.

Using hotkeys on an Acer laptop

Typically, for Acer laptops, the following hot combinations work:

• Fn + F5;
• Fn + F3 (for example, for new variants of models from the Aspire One series);
• Fn + F12.

If none of these keys work for you, try experimenting with pressing Fn and any other function key (whose name starts with F). Usually on such buttons there is a "Wi-Fi" icon or an antenna image.

Antenna icon is located on the F3 key

Video: what keys are used to turn on Wi-Fi on a laptop

Using Windows 7 and 8 software

Activation can also be carried out using the built-in system programs "Windows": "Network Control Center", "Services" and "Command Line".

Activating the wireless adapter

If you reinstalled the "firewood" for the adapter and still cannot understand why you cannot connect to Wi-Fay, check if the wireless adapter is activated at all in the window with network connections. Perhaps it was turned off for some reason:

1. An immediate launch of the "Network Connections" panel is possible through the "Run" window: immediately click on R and Windows (to the left of the alt=" Windows logo) and type the formula ncpa.cpl. We execute it immediately by clicking on OK or "Enter".

   

   Run the ncpa.cpl command to launch the desired window

2. If this method does not help you, we go the longer way. Launch the "Control Panel" (via "Start", the corresponding shortcut on the "Desktop" or the same "Run" menu - the control panel command).

   

   Enter and run the control panel command

3. We are looking for a clickable line corresponding to the Network and Sharing Center. You can open the same section through the additional menu of the network icon on the "Taskbar" in "Windows" 7 - right-click on it and click on the center.

   

   Open "Network and Sharing Center"

4. Now go to the page for changing the settings of the adapters available on the PC.

   

   Follow the link "Change adapter settings"

5. We are looking for a tile corresponding to the wireless network. If it is a pale gray, then the adapter has indeed been deactivated. To turn it on, right-click - click on the first item to turn on the network with a yellow-blue shield on the left.

   

   Turn on the wireless network via the menu

6. We are waiting for the activation process to complete.

   

   Wait for the connection

7. If the tile becomes bright and the option to disable instead of activating it appears in the context menu, then the adapter is enabled. We go to the network panel, look for our access point and connect to it.

   

   The connection context menu should contain the line "Disconnect"

Enabling Auto WLAN Service

If you have activated the adapter successfully, but there are no access points on the network panel, it is possible that the service for WLAN auto-configuration is disabled in your system. To make it work, follow these steps:

1. Open the "Services" system menu through the "Run" window (call it through R and "Windows") and the services.msc formula.

   

   Run the command services.msc

2. Look in the large list of services for the line for WLAN auto-configuration. If the link "Start" is on the left in the menu, it means that the service is currently deactivated. Double click on the line.

   

   Find a service for WLAN autoconfiguration

3. In the additional window, select automatic launch along with loading the "operating system". Click also on the first button "Run".

   

   In the "General" tab, set automatic launch

4. When the two links "Stop" and "Restart" appear on the left, this will mean that the service is already active. Click on the "Apply" button.

   

   Click on "Run"

Activation can be done through another system window - the "Command Line" tool:

1. Hold down again "Windows" and R - type a short formula cmd and execute it through a combination of three keys: Ctrl + Shift + Enter. This will open a tool where you can execute various commands with advanced rights - as an administrator.

   

   Execute cmd command with Ctrl + Shift + Enter

2. You can call the black editor in the "seven" through the "Start" menu. Open it and enable the "All Programs" mode.

   

   Expand the list with all programs

3. Start the directory with standard utilities.

   

   Open the standard utilities

4. Find "Command Line" in the list.

   

   Find "Command Line" in the list

5. Right-click on it and in the gray menu, click on launching the console with administrator rights.

   

   Open the console as administrator

6. First, execute the formula sc config Wlansvc start = auto in the console - press Enter after entering.

   

   Run the command sc config Wlansvc start = auto

7. The second command to execute is net start Wlansvc. Also click on "Enter" and check if the access points appear on the panel.

   

   Execute the second net start Wlansvc formula

Creating and configuring a new connection with a hidden network

If your network is completely hidden from other users nearby, you can connect to the point as follows:

1. Open the "Network and Sharing Center" screen using the guide detailed in the "Activating your wireless adapter" section. Click on the link to create and then configure the connection.

   

   Run the wizard to create a connection

2. In the new wizard window, select the third item regarding manual connection to the point. Click on "Next".

   

   Choose to manually connect to a wireless network

3. Type in the exact name of your network, determine the security and data encryption mode (the same as the point). In the last field, type your network password. Check the box next to the automatic connection to the point after starting the operating system and with the parameter about disabled broadcasting (when the point does not appear in the list on the network panel). Click on "Next".

   

   Enter the required data and click on "Next"

4. If necessary, click on the "Change connection parameters" link.

   

   If desired, reopen the window to change the parameters

5. In the tabs, you can change the previously discussed parameters, but keep in mind that they must correspond to the values that are set for the point itself. Click on OK - it should connect to your wireless network.

   

   Set up the connection and click on OK

Video: what to do if Wi-Fi is turned off on a PC

After reinstalling the "operating system" or after buying a new "laptop" from Acer, usually the user has to enable and configure the "Wi-Fi". First of all, you need to make sure that the "firewood" is up to date and operational for wireless equipment - the Wireless network adapter. If necessary, or as a preventive measure, it is worth installing drivers, the installer of which must be downloaded only from the official resource of the manufacturer. If after installation the problems with turning on remain, you need to activate the adapter in "Network Connections" or using special keyboard shortcuts. It is also recommended to make sure that the WLAN autoconfiguration service is active - to do this, go to the "Services" system window.