Windows 10: Connect To Wireless Network in Windows 10

How to: Connect To Wireless Network in Windows 10

How to Connect To a Wireless Network in Windows 10


When you connect to a new password key, and security information to be able to connect to a wireless network.

This tutorial will show you how to manually set up and connect to a wireless network on your PC in Windows 10.

*note Windows will usually automatically connect to networks in this priority order:

• Ethernet
• Wi‑Fi (wireless)
• Mobile broadband

When you connect to a new Wi‑Fi network, its added to the list, and Windows will connect to that network while its in range. If you connect to another Wi‑Fi network while in range of the first network, Windows will prefer the second network over the first one.

Mobile broadband networks are treated differently. If you manually connect to a mobile broadband network when there is a Wi‑Fi network in range, the mobile broadband network is preferred just for that session. The next time youre in range of both networks, the Wi‑Fi network is preferred. This is because mobile broadband networks typically are metered.

If you want to force your PC to prefer a mobile broadband network over Wi‑Fi, tap or click the Wi‑Fi network in the list of networks, and then click Disconnect. Windows wont automatically connect to that Wi‑Fi network.

*tip Fix Wi-Fi problems in Windows 10 | Microsoft Support

*tip To be able to set up and add a wireless network connection on your PC, you will need to know the information listed below from your wireless router or access point.

• SSID (network name)
• Security type (ex: Open (none), WEP, WPA (TKIP), WPA-2 (AES))
• Security Key (aka: password, passphrase)

CONTENTS:

• Option One: Connect to Wireless Network in Network and Sharing Center
• Option Two: Connect to Available Wireless Network in Settings app
• Option Three: Connect to Hidden Wireless Network in Settings app
• Option Four: Connect to Available Wireless Network in Network Flyout
• Option Five: Connect to Hidden Wireless Network in Network Flyout
• Option Six: Connect to Existing Wireless Network Profile in Command Prompt

OPTION ONE [/i] Connect to Wireless Network in Network and Sharing Center
1. Open the Control Panel (icons view), and click/tap on the Network and Sharing Center icon.

2. In the Network and Sharing Center, click/tap on Set up a new connection or network. (see screenshot below)



3. Click/tap on Manually connect to a wireless network, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)



4. Enter the information for the wireless network you want to add and connect to, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)

*note This would be the information from the tip *tip at the top of the tutorial from your router or access point.

Start this connection automatically = You would check this box to place this wireless connection at the top of the connection priority order to automatically connect to when it's in range.

Connect even if the network is not broadcasting = This is to be able to automatically connect to the wireless network when it's not broadcasting it's SSID (network name).



5. If you are connecting to an existing wireless network profile on your PC, then click tap on Use the existing network, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)



6. If you are connecting to a new wireless network that you do not have a profile for on the PC, then click/tap on Close, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)



7. You may also wish to set this wireless network connection to be a private or public location.

8. When finished, you can close the Network and Sharing Center if you like.





OPTION TWO [/i] Connect to Available Wireless Network in Settings app
1. Open the Settings app, and click/tap on the Network & Internet icon.

2. Click/tap on Wi-Fi in the left pane, click/tap on the Show available networks link under Wi-Fi on the right side, and go to Option Four below. (see screenshot below)









OPTION THREE [/i] Connect to Hidden Wireless Network in Settings app
1. Open the Settings app, and click/tap on the Network & Internet icon.

2. Click/tap on Wi-Fi in the left pane, click/tap on the Show available networks link under Wi-Fi on the right side, and go to Option Five below. (see screenshot below)









OPTION FOUR [/i] Connect to Available Wireless Network in Network Flyout
1. Click/tap on the wireless network icon in the taskbar notification area, and click/tap on an available wireless network (ex: Brink-Router2) that you want to connect to. (see screenshot below)



2. Check Connect automatically if you like, then click/tap on Connect. (see screenshot below)

*note You would check the Connect automatically box if you want Windows to place this wireless connection at the top of the connection priority order to automatically connect to this wireless network when it's in range.



3. If you are connecting to an existing wireless network profile on your PC, then you will see this below. Go to step 6 below.



4. If you didn't already have a profile for this wireless network, and this is a secured wireless network connection, then you will need to enter the security key (password) of the wireless router or access point, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)

*note If you have turned on Connect to networks shared by your contacts, then also check (on) uncheck (off) Share network with my contacts for what you want.



5. Click/tap on Yes (private) or No (public) for this wireless network connection to be set as a private or public location. (see screenshot below)



6. You are now connected to the wireless network (ex: Brink-Router), and have added it as a wireless network profile on your PC if it's not already.





OPTION FIVE [/i] Connect to Hidden Wireless Network in Network Flyout
1. Click/tap on the wireless network icon in the taskbar notification area, and click/tap on Hidden network at the bottom. (see screenshot below)



2. Check Connect automatically if you like, then click/tap on Connect. (see screenshot below)

*note You would check the Connect automatically box if you want Windows to place this wireless connection at the top of the connection priority order to automatically connect to this wireless network when it's in range.



3. If this is a secured wireless network connection, then you will need to enter the SSID (ex: Brink-Router2) name of the wireless router or access point, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)



4. If this is a secured wireless network connection, then you will need to enter the security key (password) of the wireless router or access point, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)

*note If you have turned on Connect to networks shared by your contacts, then also check (on) uncheck (off) Share network with my contacts for what you want.



4. Click/tap on Yes (private) or No (public) for this wireless network connection to be set as a private or public location. (see screenshot below)



5. You are now connected to the hidden wireless network (ex: Brink-Router2), and have added it as a wireless network profile on your PC if it's not already.





OPTION SIX [/i] Connect to Existing Wireless Network Profile in Command Prompt

*note You will only be able to use this option to connect to an existing wireless network profile on your PC.
1. Open a command prompt.

2. In the command prompt, copy and paste the command below, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)

*note This command will give you a list of all wireless network profiles on each interface on your PC.
netsh wlan show profiles




3. In the command prompt, type the command below, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)
netsh wlan connect name="Name of wireless network profile"

For example, if I wanted to connect to my Brink-Router2 wireless network profile listed in step 2 above, I would type the command below exactly.

netsh wlan connect name="Brink-Router2"





4. When finished, you can close the command prompt if you like.

That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Add a Wireless Network Profile in Windows 10
• How to Create a Show Available Networks shortcut in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off Connect Automatically to Wireless Network in Windows 10
• How to Disconnect from a Wireless Network in Windows 10
• How to See List of Wireless Network Profiles in Windows 10
• How to Delete a Wireless Network Profile in Windows 10
• How to Cleanup and Reset Network Adapters in Windows 10
• Set Wireless Network as Metered or Non-Metered Connection in Windows 10
• How to Backup and Restore Wireless Network Profiles in Windows 10
• How to See Your Wireless Network Security Key Password in Windows 10
• How to Set Network Location to be Public, Private, or Domain in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off Wi-Fi Communication in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off W-Fi Sense in Windows 10
• How to Enable or Disable W-Fi Sense and Paid Wi-Fi Services in Windows 10
• How to Change a Network Profile Name in Windows 10
• How to Create a Wi-Fi Settings shortcut in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off Random Hardware MAC Addresses for Wi-Fi in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off Mobile Hotspot on a Windows 10 PC
• How to Turn On or Off Hotspot 2.0 Networks in Windows 10
• How to Change Wireless Network Connection Priority Order in Windows 10
• How to Change Network Adapter Connection Priorities in Windows 10
• How to View Wireless Network Signal Strength in Windows 10

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This should help you.

 

I'm glad it could help refack. *Smile

 

Hi Brink. Do you know of any way for me to setup a connection to a non-broadcasting SSID, for future? In other words, I am not at the location yet, but I know the hidden SSID and password, and would like to get it into the computer, so it will auto connect when it gets there. Any idea how I can do that? TIA.

EDIT: Never mind, I figured it out......