especially if it is on the motherboard.

You can get a dongle for about $15 and they can handle 150 mbs.

Edit: That is, a USB Wi-Fi dongle.

The experience did freak me out-- what's next to fry?

A USB wi-fi adapter is not terribly expensive. If it works, will confirm diagnosis.

On Edit: Try reinstalling wireless driver first. See how that goes.

many contain malware that will infect your computer

If windows 10 update crapped out your driver, try the manufacturers website for windows support.

or buy a new wifi USB that will either work with the windows 10 or maybe will come with a DVD with the driver on it.

so fugeddabout drivers and just use the cable.

Maybe get a dongle to have it around if i need it.

and it is pretty hard for it to break.

If you right click on the start button and run "Device Manager" there is no "Wireless" device under Network Adapters?

Name: Wi-Fi
Description: Ralink RT5390R 802.11bgn Wi-Fi Adapter
Physical address (MAC): ***********
Status: Not Present
Maximum transmission unit: 0
Connectivity (IPv4/IPv6): Disconnected


Name: Local Area Connection* 11
Description: Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapter
Physical address (MAC): ******************
Status: Not Present
Maximum transmission unit: 0
Connectivity (IPv4/IPv6): Disconnected

That the adapter itself is buggered.

BUT...

Just googling to see if a driver for W10 was around, I found this:
Q: Ralink RT5390R 802.11bgn Wi-Fi Adapter and Windows 10
https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/insider/forum/insider_wintp-insider_web-insiderplat_pc/ralink-rt5390r-80211bgn-wi-fi-adapter-and-windows/b07675fd-e80e-4e95-a55a-626a022ccd0f?auth=1

So go have a read and see if it answers your questions

Cos it looks like plenty of others are having problems with that wireless adapter and Win10.

If you're confident in taking the side off your computer, a desktop wireless card is cheap, as long as it comes with a Win10 driver. You can install in a couple of minutes.

It's essentially a laptop, or huge tablet, with legs on it and a separate keyboard.

I've been in there to add memory (laptop memory, actually) and a few other things, but wifi seems to be on the motherboard, like with laptops.

If it can't be fixed, so be it. I don't have a problem with being hooked up with an Ethernet cable. It just worries me what else can go wrong...

And will this happen to my laptop?

You are not alone. Microsoft might issue a fix - it's starting to look like a driver issue. You could also turn off auto updates on your laptop until a fix is sorted out.

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-networking/wi-fi-adapter-not-functioning-windows-10/9d637e46-70f5-4c9b-ab92-71d5b047783f?auth=1

http://www.troublefixers.org/laptops/fix-wifi-not-working-in-hp-pavilion-series-using-windows-10/500/?doing_wp_cron=1516645455.3033049106597900390625

to poke around inside it.

But this ralink adapter as others have noted is a poc. Lots of people are having issues with it, and there doesn't appear to be a recent win10 driver for it.

A usb wifi adapter should work fine and is cheap and is easy to install.

WiFi is as fragile as the rest and why remove it from Ethernet (RJ45 jack), that is the bees knees, you want that!

(non-wireless network printers, Skype phone, security camera and other things going into that switch) WiFi should have been slower, but wasn't.

Anyway, reconfigured everything with the new router and it now works fine off the ethernet cable.

Get new switch if anything stops working on it, but works otherwise without it.

Cheap switches are not the most reliable device either, I had to get one and it broke in less than 12 months, and it was only handling 2 most of the time.

Upgraded to a better quality one and it's still OK after about a year, fingers crossed.

and switched off your wifi mechanically? I have a couple of Vista-era laptops that both have network kill buttons that are easy to accidentally trip. They also have function-key shortcuts that do it. Why killing your wifi with a flick of the wrist is so important I don't know but they can be hard to diagnose

avoid some mistakes.

But, this isn't a laptop, although it uses a lot of laptop components. no switches or key shortcuts that i can fins.

or a security set-up that came with the PC with a keyboard shortcut you didn't know existed. Those kinds of add-ons don't show up in the repair routines I've noticed.