sudo modprobe <driver_name> # e.g., modprobe wl or modprobe 8821ce sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager Then check if Wi-Fi appears:

lspci -nn | grep -i network For USB Wi-Fi adapters, use:

sudo apt update sudo apt install git dkms build-essential git clone https://github.com/tomaspinho/rtl8821ce.git cd rtl8821ce sudo ./dkms-install.sh sudo modprobe 8821ce For (USB adapters for dual-band 5GHz):

This guide was tested on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and 24.04 LTS. Commands may vary slightly on older or non-LTS releases.

Before you panic and reinstall Windows, take a deep breath. This is one of the most common issues newcomers face, and it’s usually fixable within 10–15 minutes.

ip a # or nmcli device status You should see wlan0 or similar. Click the network icon—your Wi-Fi networks should now appear. Before buying a laptop or USB Wi-Fi adapter for Ubuntu, Google the chipset + Ubuntu . Intel Wi-Fi 6 (AX200/AX210) works flawlessly. Realtek often causes headaches, and Broadcom is a gamble.

For (very common on HP and Lenovo laptops):