The fastest check: the Wi-Fi icon
Before opening any settings, look at the Wi-Fi icon in the corner of your screen. On Windows, it sits at the far right of the taskbar. On a Mac, it sits in the menu bar at the top. Click it and read the list of network names that appears.
This first glance answers one question only: which networks are within range right now. It does not tell you whether your internet works, whether the router is healthy, or how strong a signal is. If the list looks as expected, reconnect or move on. If it is empty, keep reading.
Windows 10 and 11: where the list lives
On Windows, the same list appears in two places, both without third-party software.
Taskbar menu. Click the Wi-Fi icon near the clock. Windows lists available networks, strongest signal first. Click a name to connect; a padlock icon means the network is password-protected.
Settings. Open Settings, go to Network & Internet, then Wi-Fi, and choose "Show available networks." The label can shift slightly between Windows 10 and 11, so look for a similar option. If no Wi-Fi section appears, your device may lack a wireless adapter or have one disabled — more below.
Also note the Wi-Fi icon changes with connection state: filled bars when connected, a different indicator when not. Either way, the available-networks list is where you check what is nearby.
macOS: where the list lives
On a Mac, click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar. The dropdown lists networks in range, with a checkmark beside your current one. If the icon is missing, you can add it in System Settings under Control Center or Network, though the exact path has changed across macOS releases.
For more detail, open System Settings (or System Preferences on older versions), go to Network, then Wi-Fi, to see the current connection and turn Wi-Fi on or off. Apple moves these menus between releases, so treat the labels as a guide rather than expecting an identical screen on every Mac. For most readers, the menu bar list alone is enough; the settings view matters mainly when the icon is missing or Wi-Fi is off.
Optional: the Windows command line
If you prefer a text check, Windows includes a command-line tool. Open Command Prompt (or Windows Terminal) and type
netsh wlan show networks
to see network names, channel, and signal.
Two cautions apply. This command is not available in every Windows edition, and its output format differs across versions; if it errors, use the graphical steps above. It also lists what your device can see — it does not measure distance or predict quality. Treat it as a second opinion, not a diagnosis.
What an empty list means
An empty list means your device is not seeing any networks to connect to. That is all it proves. It does not mean your internet is down, the router is broken, or that no WiFi exists nearby. Several ordinary situations produce this result, and each can be checked in seconds:
- Airplane mode is on. Airplane mode turns off wireless radios. Turn it off and look again.
- Wi-Fi is toggled off. The Wi-Fi toggle can be switched off on its own. Turn it on and recheck.
- You are out of range. A laptop at the far edge of a house may see zero networks even with a working router. Move closer and recheck.
- The network is hidden. Some networks do not broadcast their name (SSID), so they never appear in the list even when you are in range; you would need the exact name and password to join manually.
These are possibilities, not confirmed causes. Test one at a time: change one thing, look again, and see whether networks appear.
Also keep two states separate. "Connected" and "networks available" are different facts. You can be connected while the available list is empty, because the list only shows other networks in range. You can also see networks while having no internet connection at all. Checking availability tells you what is reachable, not whether that network reaches the internet.
If no networks appear: next steps
Work through the quick checks first: airplane mode off, Wi-Fi toggle on, and move a few steps closer to the router before looking again. If an expected network name is missing, ask whether it was set to hidden by whoever configured it.
Wait a few seconds after each change. Scans do not refresh instantly, so reopen the list after a short pause.
When to stop and escalate
If the list is still empty, you have hit the limit of built-in tools. The next step is consulting the right source:
- Official Microsoft support pages for Windows network troubleshooting.
- Official Apple support pages for macOS Wi-Fi issues.
- The router manual or configuration page, for router-side settings such as a disabled broadcast.
- Your internet service provider, if the router was supplied by them and other devices also cannot connect.
Diagnosing a faulty adapter, broken router, or ISP outage needs equipment and information beyond a network list, and guessing at hardware faults helps no one. If multiple devices in your home see no networks, the problem is likely router-side; if only your laptop sees nothing, focus on the device.
A note on version differences
Every step here uses built-in tools, but exact names and locations change across Windows 10, Windows 11, and recent macOS releases. If a label does not match what you see, look for the closest equivalent in the same section. Coverage and public WiFi terms also vary by location, so this guide stays on your own device. Before relying on these steps for a critical connection, verify them on your own device or against official Microsoft and Apple documentation, since menu wording and command availability differ by version.
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