How to Connect to Wi-Fi on an HP 635 Laptop: A Complete Guide with Troubleshooting

Laptop HP 635 — a popular model among users who value a balance of price and performance. However, even with such a device, difficulties can arise when connecting to a wireless network. Most often, problems are not related to hardware faults, but to incorrect operating system settings, outdated drivers, or specific features of the Wi-Fi adapter. Realtek RTL8723BE, which is installed in most modifications of this series.

In this article, we will not only look at the standard process of connecting to Wi-Fi, but also consider typical errors (for example, "No connections available" or Limited Access), which arise on HP 635 with preinstalled Windows 10/11 or LinuxWe'll pay special attention to driver diagnostics, resetting network settings, and alternative connection methods if the standard method doesn't work.

1. Preparing the HP 635 laptop for connection

Before attempting to connect to Wi-Fi, make sure your laptop is wireless-ready. On this model: HP 635 (especially in modifications HP 635 G2 And HP 635 A9M) two common problems often occur:

• 🔌 Disabled Wi-Fi adapter - a physical button or key combination Fn + F12 (on some versions - Fn + F2) can deactivate the module.
• 🔄 Outdated drivers - standard drivers from Microsoft for Realtek RTL8723BE often work unstably.
• ⚡ Energy saving — in the power settings, the Wi-Fi adapter can be disabled to save battery power.

Please check the following points:

1. Make sure Wi-Fi is enabled on your laptop. You should see a network icon without a red cross in the taskbar (lower right corner). If not, click Fn + F12 (or look for the button with the antenna on the keyboard).
2. Check if the Wi-Fi indicator on the laptop case is lit (if your model has one). HP 635 It is usually located to the right of the touchpad.
3. Connect your laptop to a power source - sometimes the adapter turns off when the battery level is low.

2. Standard Wi-Fi connection on Windows 10/11

If the adapter is turned on, proceed to the connection. The instructions are relevant for Windows 10 And Windows 11 (the differences are minimal).

1. Click on the network icon in the lower right corner of the screen (next to the clock).
2. In the list of available networks, find your Wi-Fi network and click on its name (SSID).
3. Enter the password (if the network is secured) and click Connect.
4. If you are prompted for the network type ("Private" or "Public"), select "Private" for home network.

After a successful connection, a message will appear next to the network name. "Connected"If this does not happen, proceed to the section Troubleshooting.

Wi-Fi is enabled on the router|The laptop is within range|The Wi-Fi password is correct|There are no MAC address restrictions on the router-->

On HP 635 With Windows 11 The connection interface is slightly different: the network icon is now in the center of the taskbar, and the network selection window has rounded corners. However, the logic remains the same.

3. Check and update Wi-Fi drivers

If your laptop doesn't see the network or connects with errors, the problem may lie in the drivers. HP 635 often comes with an adapter Realtek RTL8723BE, the drivers for which in the standard Windows distribution work unstable.

How to check the current driver:

1. Click Win + X and select "Device Manager".
2. Expand the section Network Adapters.
3. Find the device with the name Realtek or Wireless (For example, «Realtek RTL8723BE Wireless LAN 802.11n PCI-E NIC»).
4. Right click and select "Properties" → tab "Driver".

Please note driver version And release dateIf the driver is older than 2020, it needs to be updated.

How to update the driver:

• 🔍 Automatically via Windows:
  1. IN Device Manager Right click on the adapter.
  2. Select Update Driver → Automatic search.

Disadvantage of the method: Windows often installs a version that is not the latest.

⚠️ Attention: If you install the driver manually, download it only from the official HP website or RealtekThird-party sources may contain viruses or incompatible versions.

4. Alternative ways to connect to Wi-Fi

If the standard method doesn't work, try one of the alternative options.

Method 1: Connecting via WPS

Many modern routers support the technology WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup), which allows you to connect to the network without entering a password.

1. Click the button WPS on the router (usually it is labeled or has a 🔄 icon).
2. On your laptop, in the list of networks, select your network and click Connect via WPS (if there is such a clause).
3. Wait 1-2 minutes – the connection should be established automatically.

Method 2: Manually adding a network

If the network does not appear in the list, you can add it manually:

1. Open Parameters → Network and Internet → «Wi-Fi».
2. Click Managing Known Networks → Add a new network.
3. Enter:
   • Network name (SSID) — the exact name of your Wi-Fi.
   • Security type - usually WPA2-Personal.
   • Password.

Method 3: Connecting via USB adapter

If the built-in Wi-Fi module does not work, you can use an external one USB Wi-Fi adapter (For example, TP-Link TL-WN725N). It connects to a USB port and works like a regular network adapter. You'll also need to install drivers for it.

5. Troubleshooting common errors

On HP 635 The most common Wi-Fi problems are:

Error 1: "No connections available"

If the laptop does not see any networks, the reasons may be as follows:

• 🔇 Wi-Fi is disabled on the router — Check if the Wi-Fi indicator on the router is on.
• ⚙️ The adapter driver is not installed. - V Device Manager There may be an exclamation mark next to the adapter.
• 📡 The adapter is disabled in the BIOS settings. - rare, but found on some modifications HP 635.

Solution:

1. Reboot your router (unplug it from the power outlet for 30 seconds).
2. Update the driver (see section about drivers).
3. Check if the adapter is turned on BIOS:
   1. Restart your laptop and press F10 (or Esc → F10) to enter BIOS.
   2. Find the section «System Configuration» → «Built-in Device Options».
   3. Make sure that «Wireless LAN» included (Enabled).

Error 2: "Connected, but no internet access"

The laptop connects to the network, but the internet doesn't work. Reasons:

• 🌐 Problems on the provider's side — check if the Internet works on other devices.
• 🔧 Incorrect IP settings - Sometimes Windows assigns an incorrect IP address.
• 🔒 Blocked by antivirus or firewall.

Solution:

1. Restart your router and laptop.
2. Reset network settings:

   netsh int ip reset
   netsh winsock reset

   (run the commands in Command line (as administrator).

3. Check your IP settings:
   1. Open Parameters → Network and Internet → «Wi-Fi» → Managing Known Networks.
   2. Select your network → "Properties".
   3. In the section IP Settings make sure it's worth it Automatic (DHCP).

⚠️ Attention: If after resetting network settings (netsh) the Internet is not working, check if the settings are correct DNSTry manually entering Google's DNS: 8.8.8.8 And 8.8.4.4.

Error 3: "Limited Access" or Constant Connection Breaks

This problem is often associated with power settings or interference.

Solution:

1. Disable power saving for your Wi-Fi adapter:
   1. Open "Device Manager".
   2. Find your Wi-Fi adapter, right-click → "Properties".
   3. Go to the tab Power Management.
   4. Uncheck the box Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.
2. Change the Wi-Fi channel on your router (if there is interference from neighboring networks).
3. Update your router's firmware (instructions are in its manual).

6. Connecting to Wi-Fi on Linux (Ubuntu, Mint, etc.)

If on yours HP 635 one of the distributions is installed Linux (For example, Ubuntu or Linux Mint), the connection process will be different. The main problem is the lack of proprietary drivers for Realtek RTL8723BE in standard repositories.

Step 1: Checking the adapter

Open Terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T) and run the command:

lspci | grep -i network

You should see a line mentioning Realtek or WirelessIf it is not there, the adapter is disabled or not recognized.

Step 2: Installing the driver

For Realtek RTL8723BE In Linux, manual driver installation is often required:

1. Update the system:

   sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

2. Install the required packages:

   sudo apt install git build-essential dkms

3. Download and install the driver:

   git clone https://github.com/lwfinger/rtlwifi_new.git
   cd rtlwifi_new
   make
   sudo make install
   sudo modprobe -rv rtl8723be
   sudo modprobe -v rtl8723be ant_sel=2

After a reboot, Wi-Fi should work. If not, try changing a setting. ant_sel on 1 or 0 in the last command.

Step 3: Connect to the network

In most Linux distributions, connecting to Wi-Fi is done through the network icon in the taskbar:

1. Click on the network icon (usually in the upper right corner).
2. Select your network and enter the password.
3. If the network is not listed, check if Wi-Fi is turned on (sometimes there is a separate switch in the settings).

⚠️ Attention: On some versions of Linux (eg. Ubuntu 22.04) may need to be disabled Secure Boot in BIOS, otherwise the driver Realtek won't load.

7. Additional settings for stable Wi-Fi operation

Even if your laptop is connected to the network, the connection may be unstable. Here are some tips for improving the signal and speed:

• 📶 Router channel optimization:

  Use utilities like Wi-Fi Analyzer (on Android) or inSSIDer (on a PC) to find the least congested channel. In the router settings (usually at 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1) change the channel to a free one.

• 🔋 Setting up power supply:

  IN Control Panel → Power supply → Change advanced power settings find the section Wireless Network Adapter Settings and install Maximum Performance.

• 🔄 Updating the router firmware:

  Access your router's web interface and check for firmware updates. Outdated firmware may cause conflicts with modern adapters.

• 🛡️ Disabling IPv6 (if there are connection problems):

  IN Network properties (in Windows) uncheck Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6).

On HP 635 laptops with a Realtek RTL8723BE adapter, disabling the "802.11n" feature in the driver settings often helps. This reduces the maximum speed but significantly improves connection stability.

8. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

sudo nmcli networking off
sudo nmcli networking on

nmcli dev wifi connect "NETWORK_NAME" password "PASSWORD" hidden yes