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This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Darlene Antonelli, MA. Darlene has been writing and editing tech content at wikiHow since 2019. She previously worked for AppleCare, served as a writing tutor, volunteered in IT at an animal rescue, and taught as an adjunct professor for EN101 and EN102. Darlene has completed Coursera courses on technology, writing, and language. She holds both a BA (2011) and an MA (2012) from Rowan University in Writing, with a focus on workplace communication. With her extensive experience, academic background, and ongoing learning, Darlene has become the go-to grammar expert for her friends and family, as well as a skilled wordsmith for anyone in need.
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Most modern PCs and Macs come with wireless cards, but if you're using an older computer, it may not support Wi-Fi. This wikiHow article teaches you how to find out if your computer has a wireless networking card.
Quick Steps
- Open Device Manager.
- Expand the menu under Network adapters.
- Look for an adapter labeled "wireless" or "Wi-Fi."
Steps
-
Open Device Manager. Press the Windows key to open your taskbar, type device manager, and click the Control Panel result. -
Click the arrow next to Network adapters. This expands the menu.- Your network adapters will be listed here. If you have a wireless adapter, it should be obvious from the name of it (it might say Wireless or Wi-Fi). If it is not, you can do an internet search for the name of the device to learn whether it is wireless.[1]
-
Press and hold the ⌥ Opt key and click the Apple menu. When you hold down the Option key and click the Apple menu, you'll see different options than you would otherwise. -
Click System Information. This opens a report that covers the hardware in your Mac.- The shorter report may not list your Wi-Fi card, so make sure you have File > Show More Information selected.
-
Look under "Network" to find a Wi-Fi card. If your Mac desktop or MacBook has a wireless network card, it will be listed here.[2]
-
Open a Terminal window. Press Ctrl + Alt + T to open a Terminal if you haven't already.[3] -
Type sudo lshw and press ↵ Enter. When prompted, enter your account password to run the command. If your computer has a wireless card, you will see the information with "Wireless Card."[4]
Expert Q&A
Tips
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You can purchase a Wi-Fi adapter card and install it if you don't have a built-in one and as long as your PC is upgradable.Thanks
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References
- ↑ https://www.dell.com/support/contents/en-ph/videos/videoplayer/how-to-check-for-the-wireless-card-in-the-network-adapters-section-in-device-manager/6176627722001
- ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/system-information/system-information-user-guide-syspr35536/mac
- ↑ https://ubuntu.com/tutorials/command-line-for-beginners#3-opening-a-terminal
- ↑ https://help.ubuntu.com/stable/ubuntu-help/net-wireless-troubleshooting-hardware-check.html.en
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