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Knowledge document #293

FRITZ!Box's Wi-Fi network cannot be found

One or several notebooks, smartphones, or other wireless devices cannot find the FRITZ!Box's Wi-Fi network. When it searches for Wi-Fi networks, the name of the FRITZ!Box's Wi-Fi network (SSID) is not displayed.

Simply proceed as described below. After each measure, check whether the problem is solved.

Note:All instructions on configuration and settings given in this guide refer to the latest FRITZ!OS for the FRITZ!Box.

1 Enabling the Wi-Fi network

The following step is only necessary if the WLAN LED on the FRITZ!Box is not lit:

  1. Briefly push the WLAN button on the FRITZ!Box to enable the Wi-Fi network. If you enabled keylock in the FRITZ!Box:
    1. Click "Wi-Fi" ("Wireless") in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
    2. Click "Wi-Fi Channel" ("Radio Channel") in the "Wi-Fi" ("Wireless") menu.
    3. Click "Adjust Wi-Fi channel settings".
    4. Enable the Wi-Fi network.
    5. Click "Apply" to save the settings.

2 Enabling the wireless network adapter

Some notebooks have a special switch or key combination that allows you to switch integrated Wi-Fi network adapters on and off:

  1. Enable the wireless adapter of the wireless device that you want to connect to the FRITZ!Box's Wi-Fi network.

    Note:Refer to the manufacturer for information on enabling it, for example consult the manual.

3 Optimizing the FRITZ!Box's Wi-Fi settings

Perform the following steps on a different device connected to the FRITZ!Box:

Important:If you cannot access the FRITZ!Box with any device, proceed as described in the guide FRITZ!Box user interface cannot be opened.

Enabling the 2.4 and the 5 GHz Wi-Fi networks

Many wireless devices only support Wi-Fi connections in the 2.4-GHz frequency band. To ensure that the wireless device can connect to the FRITZ!Box, enable the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi networks in the FRITZ!Box:

  1. Click "Wi-Fi" ("Wireless") in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Wi-Fi Channel" ("Radio Channel") in the "Wi-Fi" ("Wireless") menu.
  3. Enable the option "Adjust Wi-Fi channel settings".
  4. Enable the Wi-Fi network for the 2.4 and the 5 GHz frequency bands.
  5. Click "Apply" to save the settings.

Adjusting the name of the Wi-Fi network (SSID)

  1. Click "Wi-Fi" ("Wireless") in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Wi-Fi Network" ("Radio Network") in the "Wi-Fi" ("Wireless") menu.
  3. Click "Additional Settings for the Wi-Fi Network" and disable the option "Different names for the Wi-Fi networks on 2.4 and 5 GHz" to use the same name (SSID) for both Wi-Fi networks. Only then can the FRITZ!Box automatically steer your wireless devices to the ideal frequency band ("band steering").
  4. Click "More Information on the Wi-Fi Network" and disable the option "Hide name of the Wi-Fi network". This way, all wireless devices can connect to the FRITZ!Box and the FRITZ!Box can optimally control your wireless devices in the Mesh ("Mesh Wi-Fi Steering").
  5. Enter a unique name in the field "Name of the Wi-Fi network (SSID)". This prevents your wireless devices from trying to connect to the wrong wireless router if there are Wi-Fi networks with the same name in the vicinity.
  6. If you changed the name of the FRITZ!Box's Wi-Fi network (SSID), remove all special characters from the Wi-Fi network name. Since some wireless devices do not support all of the special characters allowed by the FRITZ!Box, only use letters (but not special characters such as ä, ë, ö, ü, á, é, í), numbers, and spaces.
  7. Click "Apply" to save the settings. All Wi-Fi connections to the FRITZ!Box are cleared when the new Wi-Fi network name is adopted. You must then reconfigure the Wi-Fi connections to the FRITZ!Box.

Setting Wi-Fi channel settings automatically

In the factory settings, the FRITZ!Box evaluates the Wi-Fi environment and the connection quality of the wireless devices at regular intervals. Based on this evaluation, it automatically selects the best Wi-Fi channel settings. If you disabled the automatic adjustment of Wi-Fi channel settings, enable it again:

  1. Click "Wi-Fi" ("Wireless") in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
  2. Click "Wi-Fi Channel" ("Radio Channel") in the "Wi-Fi" ("Wireless") menu.
  3. Enable the option "Set Wi-Fi channel settings automatically (recommended)".
  4. Click "Apply" to save the settings. Now Wi-Fi connections to the FRITZ!Box are briefly cleared and then automatically re-established.

4 Installing the latest software for the wireless device

  1. Install the latest software version for the wireless device (for example Android, iOS) or the latest driver for the computer's wireless network adapter (for example from the Intel Download Center).

    Note:Refer to the device's manufacturer for information on how to update, for example consult the manual.

5 Removing USB 3.0 devices from the FRITZ!Box

  1. For testing purposes, remove all of the USB 3.0 devices from the FRITZ!Box's USB ports.
  2. If the problem no longer occurs then, a USB device was interfering with the radio connection. Eliminate the interference caused by the USB device.

6 Finding the ideal location for the FRITZ!Box

  1. If possible, place the FRITZ!Box in a centrally located room. The FRITZ!Box has omnidirectional antennas. The Wi-Fi signal is therefore emitted spherically in all directions.
  2. Do not place the FRITZ!Box directly in the corner of a room.
  3. Position the FRITZ!Box so that it is as unobstructed as possible, i.e. not directly in back of or under an obstacle such as pieces of furniture or a heater.
  4. Place the FRITZ!Box as high in the room as possible, for example on a shelf.
  5. Place the FRITZ!Box so that there are as few obstacles as possible between it and the wireless devices. Even small objects in the immediate vicinity of your FRITZ!Box can greatly reduce the range of the Wi-Fi signal. Especially metallic objects or objects containing water, for example radiators, refrigerators, or houseplants, significantly reduce the quality of the Wi-Fi signal.
  6. Place the FRITZ!Box away from other radio transmitters, such as microwaves, wireless speakers, or Bluetooth devices.

7 Testing a different wireless device

  1. Test whether a different wireless device can find the FRITZ!Box's Wi-Fi network.
    • If the other wireless device can find the FRITZ!Box's Wi-Fi network, the first wireless device may be defective.
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