Laptop Not Connecting to Mobile Hotspot: 6 Quick Fixes

Find out what did the trick for others

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Key notes

  • When your laptop is not connecting to a mobile hotspot, it could be the network settings or connection properties to blame.
  • Running the Internet connections troubleshooter might help get rid of the issue.
  • Change the network to an open one instead of an encrypted one from the settings.
fix laptop not connecting to hotspot

Many users who are constantly on the move frequently use their smartphones as Wi-Fi hotspots to access the Internet on their laptops and other devices. But for many, the laptop is not connecting to a mobile hotspot, and that’s what we will be fixing today.

In this scenario, establishing a secure Internet connection becomes a challenge. And with both devices supporting the feature, one can’t figure out why the laptop is not connecting to a mobile hotspot. So, let’s find out!

Why is my laptop not connecting to the mobile hotspot?

Below are some of the few reasons your laptop might not be connecting to the mobile hotspot:

  • Glitch with the network: Sometimes, this issue might be due to a glitch in your connection.
  • Network encryption: At times, this issue might be caused by the encryption on your network. You need to switch to an open connection instead.
  • Issues with the connection: In some cases, users set the connection incorrectly, which led to the laptop not connecting to a mobile hotspot.

What can I do if my laptop is not connecting to a mobile hotspot?

Before we head to the slightly complex solutions, here are a few quick ones:

  • Restart the laptop and the mobile you are using for the hotspot.
  • A quick workaround recommended that has, surprisingly, worked for many is to change the name of the hotspot network on the mobile. Try choosing a simple name.
  • When connecting the laptop to the mobile, turn on Tethering first and then the Hotspot. This seemed to do the trick for many.
  • Check if your laptop is on the list of blocked devices on the mobile. In that case, you will have to remove it from the list.

If none of these work, it’s likely another problem, and the solutions below would help.

1. Reconnect to the network

Note icon NOTE
Try this solution only if you were able to connect to the mobile hotspot earlier. In case you are encountering the problem on the very first attempt, move to the next solution.
  1. Press Windows + I to open Settings, head to the Network & Internet tab, and click on Wi-Fi.wi-fi settings
  2. Choose the Manage known networks option.manage known networks to fix laptop not connecting to hotspot
  3. Locate the mobile hotspot, and click the Forget button next to it.forget network to fix laptop not connecting to hotspot
  4. Once done, head back to Wi-Fi settings, and choose Show available networks.show available networks to fix laptop not connecting to hotspot
  5. Now, click on the mobile hotspot here, and enter the password for it to establish a connection.connect to fix laptop not connecting to hotspot

A simple fix when your laptop is not connecting to the mobile hotspot is to forget it and then reconnect to it. The problem usually arises due to trivial issues, and it shouldn’t take more than a minute to fix things.

2. Check if the critical services are running

  1. Press Windows + R to open Run, type services.msc in the text field, and hit Enter.services
  2. Locate and double-click on the WLAN AutoConfig service to launch its Properties.WLAN Autoconfig service to fix laptop not connecting to hotspot
  3. Now, choose Automatic as the Startup type, click on the Start button if the service is not running, and then click OK to save the changes.automatic to fix laptop not connecting to hotspot
  4. After you are done, check if the laptop is now connecting to the hotspot.

3. Run the Internet Connections troubleshooter

  1. Press Windows + I to open the Settings app and choose Update & Security.
    update and
  2. Select Troubleshoot from the left pane and click Additional troubleshooters
    troubleshoot
  3. Now, select Internet Connections and click the Run the troubleshooter button.
    run trouble

If you are getting a can’t connect to this network hotspot prompt, it might be due to a glitch with your network. The quickest way to fix this is to run the Internet Connection troubleshooter.

This will diagnose the issue and recommend possible solutions.

4. Use an open network instead of an encrypted one

  1. Open the Settings app on your mobile phone and select the Connections option.
    connections
  2. Now, choose Mobile Hotspot and Tethering.
    mobile hotspot -laptop-not-connecting-to-mobile-hotspot
  3. Tap the Mobile Hotspot option.
  4. Tap the three vertical dots in the top right corner and select Configure Mobile Hotspot.
    configure
  5. Next, tap the Security dropdown and select Open.
  6. Finally, tap the Save option and try connecting again.
    open

Besides the open access, we’ll also suggest disabling the WAP encryption. This might also cause a connection problem, even though you can confirm you’ve entered the proper password.

There are multiple reasons this might fail, especially on older iterations of Windows. Follow the aforementioned steps to remove the encryption from your Android Hotspot.

5. Change the Wi-Fi frequency

  1. Open the Settings app on your mobile phone and Choose Connections.
  2. Now, select Mobile Hotspot and Tethering.
    mobile hotspot -laptop-not-connecting-to-mobile-hotspot
  3. Tap the Mobile Hotspot option.
  4. Next, click the three vertical dots in the top right corner and choose Configure Mobile Hotspot.
    configure
  5. Tick the radio button for Show advanced options.
  6. Finally, select the dropdown under Broadcast channel, select 2.4GHz, and tap the Save button.
    show advanced

The Wi-Fi frequency might be another reason your mobile hotspot is not working on your laptop.

If your handset shares the Wi-Fi over the 5.0 GHz band and your Wi-Fi card don’t support it, you won’t be able to connect.

That’s why we suggest, if the option is available, to switch from 5 GHz to 2.4 GHz band and give it a go by following the steps above.

6. Reset the Android network settings

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Choose Network & Internet.
  3. Tap on the 3-dot menu and select Reset Wi-Fi, mobile, & Bluetooth.
  4. Confirm the selection and reset the Network settings.
  5. After that, reconfigure the hotspot with the previously suggested settings and try connecting again.

Finally, if your hotspot is not showing up on your laptop, you must ensure your OS firmware is up-to-date. The second requires resetting Network settings to their default values.

Remember that this will erase all saved ISSDs you have, Mobile Data settings, and Bluetooth-paired devices. But it should also resolve all bugs concerning network connectivity.

Are you still having connection issues? Your Firewall might be to blame. Find out what to do if Windows Firewall is blocking your Internet connection.

With that said, we can conclude this article. Feel free to tell us in the comments section below if you have anything to add or take.

More about the topics: Android issues, Fix WiFi problems