Getting online at home starts with one simple thing: connecting to Wi-Fi. It can feel daunting the first time, but once you have done it once or twice it becomes second nature. This guide walks you through it gently, step by step, whether you are using a phone, a tablet, or a laptop.
First, what is Wi-Fi?
Wi-Fi is a way of connecting to the internet without any wires. A small box called a router — your broadband provider will have given you one — sends an invisible signal around your home. Your device picks up that signal, and just like that you are online: ready to send emails, make video calls, or look things up.
What you’ll need
- Your phone, tablet, or laptop.
- The name of your home Wi-Fi network and its password. These are almost always printed on a sticker on the back or underside of your router.
Step by step (phone or tablet)
- Find and tap the Settings app. Its icon usually looks like a little cog or gearwheel.
- Tap Wi-Fi near the top of the list. Make sure the switch beside it is turned on — it will show green or blue.
- Wait a moment and a list of nearby networks appears. Find your network name in the list and tap it.
- Type the password carefully. Tap the little eye symbol, if there is one, to see the characters as you type so you can check them.
- Tap Join or Connect.
After a few seconds a small fan-shaped Wi-Fi symbol appears at the very top of your screen. That means you are connected. You usually only need to do this once for your home network — your device remembers it and reconnects on its own every time after that.
On a laptop
The idea is exactly the same. Look for the Wi-Fi symbol in the corner of the screen (bottom-right on Windows, top-right on a Mac), click it, choose your network, type the password, and click Connect.
If it won’t connect
Don’t worry — this happens to everyone, and it is nearly always something simple:
- Check the password again. It is case-sensitive, so a capital “S” is different from a small “s”. This is by far the most common reason a connection fails.
- Make sure you chose the right network. Your neighbours’ networks may appear in the list too.
- Move a little closer to the router. Thick walls and long distances weaken the signal.
- Try turning the router off and on again. Wait about 30 seconds before switching it back on, then give it a couple of minutes to wake up.
Using Wi-Fi when you’re out
Many libraries, cafés, buses, and doctors’ surgeries offer free public Wi-Fi. You connect the same way — just choose their network from the list. Public Wi-Fi is handy, but because strangers share it, it is best not to do anything involving your bank or passwords while you are on it. Save those tasks for your home network, where you are the only one connected.