# Wi-Fi not connecting on uConsole? **URL:** \ **Category:** uConsole\ **Tags:** tinkering, community, help, hardware, retroarch\ **Created:** [April 15, 2025, 4:57am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/wi-fi-not-connecting-on-uconsole/16781 "2025-04-15T04:57:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Smiths](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/smiths/32/11698_2.png) [@Smiths](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/Smiths)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2025, 4:57am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/wi-fi-not-connecting-on-uconsole/16781/1 "2025-04-15T04:57:02Z")
Hey folks, Just got my uConsole set up, but I can’t seem to get it to connect to Wi-Fi. It sees the network but fails to join. Anyone run into this? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![luqezr](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/luqezr/32/11255_2.png) [@luqezr](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/luqezr)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2025, 6:04am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/wi-fi-not-connecting-on-uconsole/16781/2 "2025-04-15T06:04:25Z")
can you give more details about your issue? Which image are you using? which CM? What does the error say? ---
**Author:** ![mattconn24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6f9a4e/32.png) [@mattconn24](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/mattconn24)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2025, 6:52am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/wi-fi-not-connecting-on-uconsole/16781/3 "2025-04-15T06:52:18Z")
do you have it connected to the CM or to the Mainboard connecter? ---
**Author:** ![white-round-square](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/white-round-square/32/10385_2.png) [@white-round-square](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/white-round-square)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2025, 10:01am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/wi-fi-not-connecting-on-uconsole/16781/4 "2025-04-15T10:01:20Z")
> [@Smiths](#): > > Just got my uConsole set up, but I can’t seem to get it to connect to Wi-Fi. It sees the network but fails to join. Anyone run into this? 1. you need CM5 with wifi, like CM41xxx/CM51xxx model 2. you need to connect antenna to connector on CM5 itself, not on the mainboard ---
**Author:** ![dw119](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@dw119](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/dw119)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2026, 5:20am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/wi-fi-not-connecting-on-uconsole/16781/5 "2026-02-23T05:20:48Z")
Question - I accidentally ordered the CM5 without wifi and am past the return window. Do you know if it would be possible for me to make it work without purchasing the wifi version or am I out of luck? It’s pretty unlike me and I did all the research and thought I was purchasing the wifi version and didn’t realize until it was too late (when my uconsole came in months later) ---
**Author:** ![Codiator](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/codiator/32/15080_2.png) [@Codiator](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/Codiator)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2026, 6:12am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/wi-fi-not-connecting-on-uconsole/16781/6 "2026-02-23T06:12:47Z")
Unfortunately you are out of luck. But you could buy an extension card with a USB port and use a WiFi dongle. ---
**Author:** ![white-round-square](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/white-round-square/32/10385_2.png) [@white-round-square](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/white-round-square)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2026, 10:03am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/wi-fi-not-connecting-on-uconsole/16781/7 "2026-02-23T10:03:44Z")
> [@dw119](#): > > Do you know if it would be possible for me to make it work without purchasing the wifi version or am I out of luck? it will work, but you won’t have wifi. can use an usb dongle though. you can buy an ‘io board’ and use cm5 module as full size pi5 ---
**Author:** ![DigitalDreams](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/digitaldreams/32/16007_2.png) [@DigitalDreams](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/DigitalDreams)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2026, 10:11am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/wi-fi-not-connecting-on-uconsole/16781/8 "2026-02-23T10:11:38Z")
Maybe the Hackergadgets kit and AC1200 wifi module… > **[【Pre-Order】uConsole Upgrade Kit - Adding NVMe SSD/RJ45 Ethernet/ USB 3](https://hackergadgets.com/products/uconsole-upgrade-kit)** > > Important note: 1) After installing the RJ45 Ethernet and USB 3.0 expansion board. If the uConsole can't boot, make sure the ribbon cable is installed as shown in the picture below. Never ever plug in the charger if the ribbon cable is installed the... Note you may need to buy currently out of stock parts from somewhere like AliExpress till production starts again (please purchase as much as you can from Hackergadgets as I did to support development and production) ---
**Author:** ![snipeytje](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@snipeytje](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/snipeytje)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2026, 10:21am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/wi-fi-not-connecting-on-uconsole/16781/9 "2026-02-23T10:21:31Z")
the stock extension board has 2 usb ports and only one is ever used, so you can always add a usb wifi dongle to it if needed