Surface Go 3 Wifi Not Working: Essential Fixes

Surface Go 3 Wi-Fi Not Working? Essential Fixes You Need Now!

Experiencing “Surface Go 3 Wi-Fi not working” can be incredibly frustrating, but don’t worry! This guide offers simple, step-by-step solutions to get your Surface Go 3 back online. We’ll cover easy fixes and more advanced troubleshooting to restore your internet connection quickly.

Surface Go 3 Wi-Fi Not Working: Essential Fixes

It’s incredibly common for Wi-Fi issues to pop up on any device, and your Surface Go 3 is no exception. One minute you’re browsing, streaming, or working, and the next, that little Wi-Fi icon looks distressed, or worse, disappears altogether. When your Surface Go 3 Wi-Fi isn’t working, it can feel like your digital world has come to a halt. But take a deep breath! Most of the time, these connection problems are fixable with a few straightforward steps. My goal here at Tabletzoo is to make tech troubles disappear, and this guide will walk you through everything you need to know to get your Surface Go 3 connected and back to doing what you love.

We’ll start with the quickest, simplest solutions and gradually move towards more in-depth troubleshooting. By the end of this article, you’ll have several proven methods to try, empowering you to solve your Surface Go 3 Wi-Fi woes confidently!

1. The Quickest Checks: Restart and Reconnect

Before diving into anything complicated, let’s try the absolute easiest fixes. Often, a simple restart can clear up temporary glitches that are preventing your Surface Go 3 from connecting to Wi-Fi.

Restart Your Surface Go 3:

1. Click the Start button (the Windows icon) in the bottom-left corner of your screen.
2. Click the Power icon.
3. Select Restart.

Let your Surface Go 3 fully boot up, and then try connecting to your Wi-Fi network again. See if that little Wi-Fi icon behaves itself!

Toggle Wi-Fi Off and On:

Sometimes, just refreshing the Wi-Fi connection can do the trick.

1. Click the Network icon (it looks like a globe or Wi-Fi signal) in the bottom-right corner of your taskbar.
2. Click the Wi-Fi button to turn it off. Wait a few seconds.
3. Click the Wi-Fi button again to turn it back on.

Once Wi-Fi is back on, try connecting to your network. You might need to enter your Wi-Fi password again.

2. Forget and Rejoin Your Wi-Fi Network

If a simple toggle doesn’t work, your Surface Go 3 might be holding onto incorrect or corrupted network information. Forgetting the network tells your device to “start over” with that specific Wi-Fi connection.

1. Click the Start button.
2. Go to Settings (the gear icon).
3. Click on Network & Internet.
4. Select Wi-Fi from the left-hand menu.
5. Click on Manage known networks.
6. Find your Wi-Fi network name in the list. Click on it, and then click Forget.

After forgetting the network, search for available Wi-Fi networks again, select yours, and enter the password. This ensures a fresh connection with your router.

3. Check Other Devices

Is it just your Surface Go 3, or is your entire network down? This is a crucial step to help pinpoint where the problem lies.

• Try connecting another device (like your smartphone or another tablet) to the same Wi-Fi network.
• If other devices can connect successfully, the issue is almost certainly with your Surface Go 3.
• If other devices also can’t connect, the problem is likely with your router, modem, or internet service provider (ISP). In this case, you might need to restart your router and modem, or contact your ISP.

4. Restart Your Router and Modem

If multiple devices are having trouble connecting, a quick reboot of your network equipment can often resolve the issue. This is like giving your internet a fresh start!

1. Unplug the power cables from both your modem and your router.
2. Wait for about 30-60 seconds. This allows them to fully reset.
3. Plug the modem back in first and wait for its lights to stabilize (this usually takes a minute or two).
4. Then, plug your router back in and wait for its lights to stabilize.

Once your network equipment is fully back online, try connecting your Surface Go 3 again. You can find more detailed guidance on restarting your network equipment from many ISPs, such as Xfinity’s guide on power cycling.

5. Run the Network Troubleshooter

Windows has a built-in troubleshooter that can automatically detect and fix many common network problems. It’s designed by Microsoft to help with issues like Wi-Fi not working.

1. Click the Start button.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Click on Network & Internet.
4. Scroll down and click on Network troubleshooter.
5. Follow the on-screen prompts. The troubleshooter will guide you through diagnosing and fixing potential issues with your Wi-Fi adapter or network connection.

The troubleshooter may identify specific problems and offer solutions, such as resetting network settings or updating drivers. Make sure to run it when your Surface Go 3 is connected to power, as some fixes might require a restart.

6. Update Your Wi-Fi Driver

A modem or corrupted Wi-Fi driver can cause all sorts of connection headaches. Drivers are small software programs that allow your hardware (in this case, your Wi-Fi card) to communicate with your operating system.

How to Update Your Wi-Fi Driver (Device Manager):

1. Right-click the Start button.
2. Select Device Manager.
3. Expand the Network adapters section.
4. Look for an adapter that mentions “Wi-Fi” or “Wireless” (e.g., “Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX200” or similar).
5. Right-click on your Wi-Fi adapter.
6. Select Update driver.
7. Choose Search automatically for drivers. Windows will search online and on your device for the best available driver.

If Windows finds a new driver, it will install it automatically. After installation, restart your Surface Go 3 and check your Wi-Fi connection.

Downloading Drivers from Microsoft (More Advanced):

If the automatic update doesn’t find anything, or if you suspect the driver is faulty, you can manually download the latest drivers directly from Microsoft’s Surface support page. This is a bit more involved:

1. Go to the official Microsoft Surface Drivers and Firmware website.
2. You’ll need to identify your Surface model and its operating system version.
3. Look for the most recent driver package (.msi file) for your Surface Go 3.
4. Download the .msi file.
5. Run the downloaded file, and it will guide you through the driver installation process.
6. Restart your Surface Go 3 after the installation is complete.

Keeping your drivers up-to-date is a fundamental part of maintaining a healthy system, ensuring all your hardware works smoothly.

7. Reset Network Settings

This is a more drastic step, but it can resolve persistent Wi-Fi issues by resetting all your network adapters and components back to their default settings. This means you’ll lose all saved Wi-Fi passwords, VPN configurations, and other network-related settings, so use this when other methods haven’t worked.

1. Click the Start button.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Click on Network & Internet.
4. Scroll down to the bottom of the status page and click Network reset.
5. Click the Reset now button.
6. You’ll see a confirmation prompt. Click Yes.

Your Surface Go 3 will restart automatically after a few minutes. Once it’s back up, you’ll need to reconnect to your Wi-Fi network by selecting it from the list and re-entering your password.

8. Check for Windows Updates

Sometimes, Wi-Fi problems can be caused by bugs in the operating system itself. Microsoft regularly releases updates to fix these kinds of issues. Ensure your Surface Go 3 is up-to-date!

1. Click the Start button.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Click on Update & Security (or Windows Update on Windows 11).
4. Click Check for updates.

If any updates are found, download and install them. You’ll likely need to restart your Surface Go 3 to apply the updates. Once restarted, test your Wi-Fi connection.

9. Check Airplane Mode

It sounds simple, but sometimes Airplane Mode can be accidentally enabled, which turns off all wireless communication, including Wi-Fi. Make sure this isn’t the culprit!

How to Check Airplane Mode:

1. Click the Network icon in the bottom-right corner of your taskbar.
2. Look for the Airplane mode button.
3. If it’s highlighted or blue, Airplane mode is ON. Click it to turn it OFF.

You can also find this setting in Settings > Network & Internet > Airplane mode.

10. Disable and Re-enable the Wi-Fi Adapter

Similar to restarting the adapter, this can sometimes “wake it up” if it’s stuck in a bad state.

1. Right-click the Start button.
2. Select Device Manager.
3. Expand the Network adapters section.
4. Right-click on your Wi-Fi adapter.
5. Select Disable device.
6. Wait a few seconds, then right-click on it again and select Enable device.

Try connecting to Wi-Fi after this.

11. Check Your Router Settings (Advanced)

While less common for a suddenly appearing issue, sometimes router settings can interfere. If you’ve tried everything else, and especially if only your Surface Go 3 is affected:

• SSID Broadcast: Ensure your Wi-Fi network name (SSID) is set to be broadcast. If hidden, your Surface Go 3 might have trouble finding it.
• MAC Filtering: If MAC filtering is enabled on your router, your Surface Go 3’s network adapter’s MAC address must be added to the allowed list. You can find your Surface Go 3’s MAC address in Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi > Hardware properties.

Accessing your router’s settings usually involves typing its IP address (often `192.168.1.1` or `192.168.0.1`) into a web browser. Consult your router’s manual or ISP for specific instructions.

12. Consider a Hardware Issue

If you’ve exhausted all the software troubleshooting steps and your Surface Go 3 still won’t connect to Wi-Fi, there’s a small possibility of a hardware problem with the Wi-Fi card itself. This is less common, but it can happen.

If your device is still under warranty, this is the time to contact Microsoft Support. They can guide you through further diagnostics or arrange for a repair or replacement if necessary.

Troubleshooting Summary Table

Here’s a quick reference for the fixes we’ve discussed:

Step	Description	When to Use	Difficulty
1. Restart Device	Reboot your Surface Go 3.	First step for any glitch.	Easy
2. Toggle Wi-Fi	Turn Wi-Fi off and then on.	Quick connection refresh.	Easy
3. Forget & Rejoin	Remove and re-add your network.	Corrupted network profile.	Easy
4. Check Other Devices	See if other devices connect.	Isolate network vs. device issue.	Easy
5. Restart Router/Modem	Power cycle network equipment.	Multiple device connection issues.	Medium
6. Network Troubleshooter	Run Windows’ built-in tool.	Automatic detection of common issues.	Easy
7. Update Wi-Fi Driver	Install latest driver software.	Outdated or faulty driver.	Medium
8. Reset Network Settings	Revert all network config to default.	Persistent, complex connection issues.	Medium/Hard
9. Check Windows Updates	Ensure your OS is up-to-date.	OS bugs affecting Wi-Fi.	Easy
10. Check Airplane Mode	Ensure Airplane mode is off.	Wireless disabled unintentionally.	Easy
11. Disable/Enable Adapter	Reactivate the Wi-Fi hardware.	Adapter unresponsive.	Easy
12. Check Router Settings	Review SSID broadcast, MAC filtering.	Advanced, if other steps fail.	Hard
13. Hardware Issue	Contact Microsoft Support.	All software fixes failed.	N/A

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Here are some common questions people have when their Surface Go 3 Wi-Fi isn’t working.

Q1: How do I know if my Surface Go 3 is even detecting Wi-Fi networks?

A: You’ll usually see a Wi-Fi icon in the bottom-right corner of your screen (taskbar). Click it! If you see a list of available networks, your Surface Go 3 is detecting them. If you see a “No Wi-Fi available” message, or the icon is missing, it suggests a more significant problem with the adapter or driver.

Q2: My Surface Go 3 can see networks, but it won’t connect. What’s wrong?

A: This usually points to a password issue or potentially an issue with the router itself. Double-check you’re entering the exact Wi-Fi password (they can be case-sensitive!). Try forgetting the network and rejoining it (Step 2), as this clears out stored incorrect information. If that doesn’t help, try restarting your router and modem (Step 4).

Q3: Is it safe to reset my network settings on my Surface Go 3?

A: Yes, it’s safe! Resetting network settings (Step 7) just reverts your network configurations back to default. It won’t delete personal files or applications. However, it will remove all saved Wi-Fi passwords, so you’ll need to re-enter them for your known networks. It’s a powerful step for fixing persistent issues.

Q4: How often should I update my Wi-Fi drivers?

A: You don’t need to update them constantly. However, it’s a good idea to check for updates periodically, especially if you encounter network problems or after a major Windows update. Following the steps in Step 6 will ensure you have a generally up-to-date and stable driver.

Q5: My Surface Go 3 was working fine yesterday, but now Wi-Fi is broken. What could have happened?

A: This often happens