TL;DR: If your Wi-Fi keeps disconnecting on Windows 11, start with the quick fixes: restart the router, forget and rejoin the network, and try the other band (2.4 GHz vs 5 GHz). If drops continue, stop Windows from turning off the Wi-Fi adapter to save power, set the wireless adapter’s power plan to Maximum Performance, update or reinstall the driver, and reset the network stack with a few commands. Network reset is the last resort. A built-in WLAN report can show you exactly when and why the connection dropped.
Few things are more annoying than a laptop that keeps falling off Wi-Fi in the middle of a call or a download. When Wi-Fi keeps disconnecting on Windows 11, the cause is usually one of four things: power-saving settings on the adapter, a driver problem, interference or a weak signal, or the router itself. The fixes below are ordered from fastest to most drastic, and most come straight from Microsoft’s own Wi-Fi troubleshooting guide.
First, work out where the problem is
Before changing settings, do a quick test. Connect a phone or another laptop to the same network and use it for a while. Microsoft’s logic is simple: if the other device stays connected, the problem is most likely your PC. If every device drops, look at the router or your internet provider.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Try first |
|---|---|---|
| Every device drops at the same time | Router or ISP | Fix 1, then contact your ISP |
| Only this PC drops, often after it sits idle | Adapter power saving | Fixes 4 and 5 |
| Started after a Windows or driver update | Driver | Fix 6 |
| Drops in some rooms but not others | Weak signal or interference | Fix 3 |
| Shows “No Internet” but stays connected | IP or DNS issue | Fix 7 |
Fix 1: Restart your modem and router
It is a cliché because it works. Microsoft recommends unplugging both the router and the modem, waiting at least 30 seconds, plugging the modem back in first and waiting for its lights to settle, then the router. Give both a few minutes to fully start before reconnecting your PC.
Fix 2: Forget the network and reconnect
A saved network profile can get corrupted, especially after a router password or security change.
- Open Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > Manage known networks.
- Select your network and click Forget.
- Reconnect from the Wi-Fi menu on the taskbar and enter the password again.
Fix 3: Switch bands or change the router channel
Many routers broadcast both a 2.4 GHz and a 5 GHz network. The 5 GHz band is usually faster but has shorter range, and 2.4 GHz travels further through walls but is more crowded. If drops happen far from the router, try the 2.4 GHz network; if you are close to it in a busy apartment block, try 5 GHz. Microsoft also suggests logging in to your router’s admin page and changing the wireless channel to reduce interference from neighbors.
Fix 4: Stop Windows turning off the Wi-Fi adapter
This is the most common cause of drops on laptops, especially after the screen turns off.
- Right-click Start and open Device Manager.
- Expand Network adapters, right-click your Wi-Fi adapter and choose Properties.
- On the Power Management tab, uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.
- Click OK and restart.
Not every adapter shows a Power Management tab. If yours doesn’t, move on to the next fix.
Fix 5: Set the wireless adapter to Maximum Performance
Microsoft lists this specifically for connections that drop frequently:
- Open Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options.
- Click Change plan settings next to your active plan, then Change advanced power settings.
- Expand Wireless Adapter Settings > Power Saving Mode and set it to Maximum Performance (on battery and plugged in).
This can cost a little battery life, so it is a trade-off on laptops.
Fix 6: Update, roll back or reinstall the Wi-Fi driver
If the problem started after an update, the driver is a prime suspect. First check Settings > Windows Update for new updates, including optional driver updates. If that doesn’t help:
- Download the latest Wi-Fi driver for your exact model from your PC or adapter maker’s website and keep it handy (on a USB drive if you need to).
- In Device Manager, right-click the Wi-Fi adapter and choose Uninstall device, ticking Attempt to remove the driver for this device.
- Restart. Windows will try to reinstall a driver automatically; if it doesn’t, install the one you downloaded.
If a new driver caused the trouble, the Roll Back Driver button on the adapter’s Driver tab returns you to the previous version, when one is available.
Fix 7: Reset the network stack with commands
Open Command Prompt as administrator and run these one at a time, as Microsoft recommends:
netsh winsock resetnetsh int ip resetipconfig /releaseipconfig /renewipconfig /flushdns
Restart afterwards. If websites fail to load even though Wi-Fi looks connected, our guide to flushing the DNS cache on Windows 11 covers that step in more depth.
Fix 8: Check the WLAN report to see why it dropped
Windows can produce a detailed history of your Wi-Fi sessions. In an administrator Command Prompt, run netsh wlan show wlanreport. Windows saves an HTML report, and the command prints its location (usually under C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WlanReport). Open it in a browser to see each disconnect with a reason code, which helps you tell a driver fault from the router ending the session. Microsoft also suggests a ping test against your router’s default gateway (find it with ipconfig) to check whether the PC can still reach the router at all.
Fix 9: Use Network reset as a last resort
Go to Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Network reset and choose Reset now. Windows removes and reinstalls every network adapter and returns settings to default, then restarts. Microsoft warns that you may need to reinstall VPN software afterward, and that known networks may be set to the Public profile.
Still dropping?
If you have tried everything and only your PC drops, test with an Ethernet cable or a cheap USB Wi-Fi adapter. If those are stable, the built-in adapter may be faulty. If every device drops, update the router firmware or contact your provider. For other Windows hardware headaches, see our fixes for Bluetooth not working on Windows 11, which often shares a chip with Wi-Fi, and Windows 11 freezing randomly.
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