My phone and laptop connect to Wi‑Fi normally, but my desktop PC suddenly stopped connecting. It was working earlier today. I've already restarted the router and PC, uninstalled and reinstalled the Wi‑Fi driver, and run the network troubleshooter. Sometimes Windows says there are no available networks; other times it only shows my network and a "Hidden Network." The only recent change is that I moved the PC tower. What should I check next?
3 Answers
Completely power-cycle the network equipment: turn off the router and PC, unplug the router for about two minutes, then reconnect it and wait until it finishes starting up before turning the PC back on. This can clear a temporary router or adapter issue.
If the hardware connections look fine, check whether the PC’s Wi‑Fi adapter is enabled in Network Connections or Device Manager. You can also try forgetting the saved Wi‑Fi network and reconnecting by entering the password again. If other networks still don’t appear, the moved tower may have affected the adapter, antenna, or signal position rather than the router itself.
Since the problem started after moving the tower, check the Wi‑Fi antenna connections on the back of the PC. If your adapter uses external antennas, make sure they’re screwed in tightly. Also check that the adapter or USB dongle wasn’t loosened or damaged while moving the computer. A “Hidden Network” appearing can simply mean the adapter is detecting networks unreliably.
The timing makes sense—I’ll check the antenna and adapter connections first.