Before you begin
First identify whether you are using Wi-Fi or an Ethernet cable. Then check whether another device can use the same home network. A phone using mobile data is not a test of your home broadband.
- If every device is offline, check the router’s connection lights and your internet provider’s service status.
- If only the PC is affected, work through the connection and Windows checks below.
- If only one game or website fails, check that service before resetting your entire network.
Keep your Wi-Fi password available before forgetting a network or resetting settings. You do not need to send support your router password, Wi-Fi password or account passwords.
Step-by-step checks
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Check which connection the PC supports
Wi-Fi is not included in every PC configuration. Check your order specification. If Wi-Fi was supplied with external antennas, attach them to the matching rear connectors by hand, without tools or excessive force. Position the antenna or antenna base in an open location rather than behind the metal case. A missing or badly positioned antenna can cause weak reception even when Windows lists nearby networks.
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Check Wi-Fi or Ethernet at the PC
For Wi-Fi: open Windows network settings, turn Wi-Fi on, turn aeroplane mode off and connect to your own network. Confirm the network name carefully. If the saved connection seems wrong, forget it and reconnect using the correct password.
For Ethernet: reseat the cable at the PC and a router LAN port until it clicks. Try a known working cable and another LAN port if available. Do not connect to the router’s WAN or internet port. Check power to any switch or powerline adapters in the path.
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Restart the PC and network equipment
Restart Windows normally. If the home network is also affected, restart the router using your provider’s instructions and allow it time to reconnect. Tell others before interrupting a shared connection. Use a normal restart, not the recessed factory-reset button, which can erase the router’s configuration.
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Use Windows’ network diagnostics
On Windows 11, open the Get Help app and run its Network and Internet troubleshooter. Follow the prompts and note the result. You can also open Settings → Network & internet to see the connection status. Menu names differ across Windows versions.
Windows steps: Microsoft Wi-Fi troubleshooting.
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Check whether Windows can see the network adapter
Right-click Start, open Device Manager and expand Network adapters. Note the adapter name and any warning symbol or error code. A missing Wi-Fi option can mean the hardware was not included, the adapter is disabled or its driver is missing. Ask support for the correct driver for your order. If another device is needed to download it, use the motherboard or adapter maker’s official website and transfer the installer with a USB drive.
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Separate a Wi-Fi issue from a broadband issue
If possible, temporarily connect the PC directly to the router by Ethernet. If wired access works but Wi-Fi does not, concentrate on the wireless adapter, antennas, signal and router Wi-Fi settings. This test does not prove the router or PC is faulty on its own. If both connections fail only on this PC, record that result for support.
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Check apps, VPNs and the pattern of failure
Try more than one website and application. If you use a personal VPN, disconnect it briefly and retest if that is appropriate for your connection; reconnect afterwards. Leave security software enabled. On a work-managed PC, ask your administrator before changing network software. If only a game disconnects, record its error code, server and time of failure.
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Use network reset only as a later step
In Windows 11, network reset is under Settings → Network & internet → Advanced network settings → Network reset. It removes and reinstalls network adapters and resets settings. You may need to reconnect to Wi-Fi and reinstall or reconfigure VPN or virtual-network software. Record any custom settings first and ask support if unsure.
What the symptoms mean
There is no Wi-Fi option
Confirm Wi-Fi was included in the order, then check the adapter and driver. A gaming PC can have Ethernet without having Wi-Fi hardware.
Connected to Wi-Fi, but no internet
The PC may be connected to the router while the router has no working broadband connection. Compare another device on that same network.
Speed or connection quality changes with position
Move the antenna base into the open and compare closer to the router. Walls, metal furniture and congestion can affect wireless quality. Wired testing helps establish a useful baseline.
Downloads are fast, but online games lag
Download speed is different from latency and packet loss. Pause downloads, compare a wired connection and record the game’s network readings.
Common questions
Which Wi-Fi band should I use?
Try the available bands supported by your equipment. A 2.4 GHz connection often reaches farther, while 5 GHz or 6 GHz can offer more capacity at shorter distances. Test stability where the PC is actually used; 6 GHz also requires compatible hardware and local support.
Can Bluetooth working prove Wi-Fi is fine?
No. They may share a module or antennas, but they are separate connections. Report which features work and which do not.
Should I disable the firewall?
Leave it enabled. If one app is blocked, use its official connection guidance or ask support to help identify a specific rule instead of removing protection for everything.
Should I factory-reset my router?
Not as an initial troubleshooting step. It may remove your broadband and Wi-Fi settings. Follow your internet provider’s advice if a normal restart does not help.
When to contact support
If only your PC remains affected, contact ElitePCS support. If every device is offline, your internet provider is the right starting point for the broadband connection.
- Send your order number and whether you are using Wi-Fi, Ethernet or powerline adapters.
- Include the adapter name, Windows connection message and any Device Manager error code.
- Tell us whether another device works on the same network and whether direct Ethernet works.
- Describe whether the problem is constant, intermittent or limited to one application.