Windows 10: Connect to wifi network

I recently was able to get a decent high-speed internet connection. Everything has connected perfectly and seamlessly except my Dell Latitude laptop. When I search for available networks I see "HIDDEN NETWORK" and as I try to connect with the SSID and PW for my Nighthawk router i get a message- cannot connect to network. I am on Windows 10.

As I click on the Network settings in the lower right hand corner of the screen, the "Hidden Network" becomes the SSID for the network so I know the laptop can see the network but it won't connect.

I have tired turning off all firewalls and anti-virus software but no success.


Ideas?

:)

 

How to connect to an existing wifi network?

As you suggested, I tried disabling the ethernet adapter and that caused wi-fi to connect, so the desktop wifi does work. Also, I accessed the router and changed the wireless network name (to wfCHS). Thanks!

However many problems are still unresolved:

My laptop behaves just as I want it to. Assuming the router has wifi turned on and the laptop has an ethernet connection, connection to the internet is by ethernet (no private network name), and the wi-fi connection is to my private network "wfCHS", but with no connection to the internet. (If I disconnect the ethernet cable, then wfCHS becomes connected to the internet and stays that way even if I reconnect the cable.) A directory listing shows both laptop and desktop under "Network". Great!

Things are rather different with the desktop. With Ethernet disabled, the desktop shows a wi-fi connection to the internet. Under Settings > Status it's called "wfCHS" but under Network Connections it's called wfCHS2. If I then re-enable the ethernet connection, the wifi connection stays enabled for a minute or two, then disconnects. Further, the ethernet connection is given the name wfCHS2 under both Status and Network Connections.

Why does the desktop give an (unwanted) name to the ethernet connection while the laptop doesn't?

Why does the desktop disconnect its wi-fi connection a minute or so after the ethernet connection is enabled, while the laptop doesn't?

Why does the desktop give two different names to the wifi connection, depending on whether it's viewed under Status or Network Connections, while the laptop doesn't?

Why does the laptop show the desktop under Network, while the desktop shows only itself?

Things are so convoluted that I'd be happy to start over. I've had the desktop "forget" the wi-fi connection as you suggested, then re-established it, but this hasn't helped. Can the ethernet connection also be "forgotten"?

Really appreciate the help you've given so far!

 

"Can't connect to this network."


I just bought a wifi card for my windows 10 desktop (a tp-link archer t8e) and cannot connect to my network.

I have the wifi icon on the tray, I can get a list of available networks but after entering the wpa key for my network it just shows the message "Can't connect to this network."

Network diagnosis just suggested connecting to a wifi network (why didn't I think of that...), does anyone here have any clue as to what the problem could be?

UPDATE: Just noticed that the wifi adapter is being disabled briefly just after I enter the network password, no idea what's going on.

 

How to connect to an existing wifi network?

'Not connected' doesn't necessarily mean the WiFi adapter isn't working, just that you have not yet connected to an available network. If it is working then a list of available WiFi names should appear when you click on the WiFi icon on the taskbar which looks like this

when not connected.


If the list is empty then either the antenna is not connected to the WiFi adapter or the adapter isn't working. This may be a driver problem rather than hardware, so look in Device Manager for any yellow warnings. Also check that the WiFi adapter is not disable in Device Manager.