If wifi keeps disconnecting windows 11 laptops in particular, start by forgetting the network and reconnecting, then check your Wi-Fi adapter’s power-saving settings. If that doesn’t hold the connection, a driver update usually does. A couple of adapter tweaks and a network stack reset clear up most of what’s left. Work through the fixes below in order — they’re arranged from quickest to most involved.
If your Wi-Fi is just slow rather than dropping, that’s a different problem — see our guide on making your Wi-Fi faster without buying a new router.
Quick Answer: Wifi Keeps Disconnecting Windows 11 — Try These First
Try these in order:
- Restart your router and PC.
- Forget the Wi-Fi network and reconnect.
- Turn off Wi-Fi adapter power saving.
- Update or reinstall the Wi-Fi driver.
- Adjust roaming and band settings (if your adapter offers them).
- Turn off Fast Startup.
- Reset Windows’ network settings.
- Rule out the router by testing another network.
1. Restart Your Router and PC
Restarting both devices clears out a lot of the short-lived glitches that cause disconnects.
Shut down your PC first. Unplug the router, wait about 30 seconds, then plug it back in and let its lights settle. Start your PC and reconnect.
If the connection holds, the problem was likely temporary. If it drops again, move to the next fix.
2. Forget and Reconnect to the Wi-Fi Network
A stale saved network profile is a common reason wifi keeps disconnecting windows 11 users report, even when everything else about the setup looks fine.
Go to Settings → Network & internet → Wi-Fi → Manage known networks, select your network, and choose Forget. Then go back to Settings → Network & internet → Wi-Fi, select the network again, click Connect, and re-enter the password.
A fresh connection profile often resolves authentication issues that a simple restart doesn’t touch.
3. Turn Off Wi-Fi Adapter Power Saving
Windows manages power for wireless adapters by default, and on some laptops that management is aggressive enough to drop the connection during idle moments. Aggressive power saving is one of the most common reasons wifi keeps disconnecting windows 11 laptops report while sitting idle.
Press Windows key + X and open Device Manager. Expand Network adapters, right-click your wireless adapter, and select Properties. Open the Power Management tab. If you see Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power, uncheck it, click OK, and restart.
Some newer drivers don’t show a Power Management tab at all — if that’s the case, skip to the next fix.
4. Update or Reinstall Your Wi-Fi Driver
An outdated or damaged driver is another frequent cause when wifi keeps disconnecting windows 11 users search for a fix.
In Device Manager, right-click your Wi-Fi adapter and choose Update driver, then Search automatically for drivers. For a more reliable result, check your laptop or motherboard manufacturer’s support page and download the driver built specifically for your model rather than relying on a generic one.
If updating doesn’t help, right-click the adapter again and choose Uninstall device, then restart. Windows usually reinstalls it automatically; if it doesn’t, install the driver manually from the manufacturer’s site.
5. Adjust Band and Roaming Settings
If your router broadcasts 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz under the same network name, Windows can sometimes bounce between bands and lose the connection mid-hop.
Many Intel, Realtek, and Killer wireless adapters expose settings for this. Open your adapter’s Properties in Device Manager and go to the Advanced tab. Look for Preferred Band or Band Selection. Set it to 5 GHz if you’re close to the router. Use 2.4 GHz if you’re further away or behind walls. While you’re there, check for Roaming Aggressiveness and set it to Lowest or Medium-Low — a high setting makes Windows switch access points more eagerly than most home setups need.
Not every adapter shows these options. If yours doesn’t, that’s normal — move on.
6. Turn Off Fast Startup
Fast Startup speeds up boot times by saving part of the system state to disk instead of doing a full shutdown, but that saved state can carry a broken network driver from one session into the next.
Open Control Panel, switch the view to Large icons, and click Power Options. Select Choose what the power buttons do. Click Change settings that are currently unavailable — this needs admin rights. Under Shutdown settings, uncheck Turn on fast startup (recommended), save, and restart.
7. Reset the Network Stack
If wifi keeps disconnecting windows 11 despite every fix above, Windows’ network components themselves may need a reset.
Right-click the Start button, open Windows Terminal (Admin), and run these one at a time:
netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /flushdnsRestart afterward. If you’d rather skip the command line, Windows offers the same reset through Settings → Network & internet → Advanced network settings → Network reset. It’s more thorough, but it removes all saved Wi-Fi networks — keep your password handy.
Still Getting Wifi Keeps Disconnecting Windows 11? Test the Router
Connect your PC to a different network — a phone hotspot works well — and use it normally for a few minutes.
If the connection stays stable on the hotspot but drops on your home Wi-Fi, the router or its placement is the more likely cause. If it drops on every network you try, the problem is on the PC side: the adapter, driver, or Windows configuration.
Test another device on your home network too. If several devices lose the connection, restart the router and check its admin page for a firmware update. Look at its wireless channel and band-steering settings while you’re there. If only your Windows 11 PC keeps dropping while everything else stays connected, keep the focus on the adapter and driver.
FAQ: Wifi Keeps Disconnecting Windows 11
Why does my Wi-Fi keep disconnecting on Windows 11? The most common causes are adapter power-saving settings, an outdated driver, weak signal or interference, a stale saved network profile, or a router-side issue. Testing another network is the fastest way to tell whether the problem is your PC or your router.
How do I stop Windows 11 from disconnecting from Wi-Fi? Start by forgetting and reconnecting to the network, then disable adapter power saving and update the driver. If it keeps happening, adjust roaming/band settings and use Windows’ network reset as a last resort.
Why does Wi-Fi disconnect but Ethernet stays connected? If Ethernet is stable, your internet connection itself is fine — the issue sits with the wireless adapter, its driver, signal strength, or the router’s Wi-Fi settings specifically.
Does resetting network settings delete anything important? No. A network reset removes and reinstalls your network adapters and clears saved Wi-Fi passwords, but it doesn’t touch your files, documents, or installed programs.
More Wifi Keeps Disconnecting Windows 11 Questions
Why does my laptop disconnect from Wi-Fi specifically when it wakes from sleep? This usually comes down to power management not properly re-initializing the adapter after sleep. Disabling the power-saving option in Device Manager (Fix 3) is the most direct fix.
Can antivirus or firewall software cause Wi-Fi disconnects? Occasionally. Some security software installs network filter drivers that misread normal traffic. If you’ve ruled out everything else, try temporarily disabling third-party antivirus to see if the connection stabilizes.
Why does Wi-Fi work fine on my phone but not on my Windows 11 PC? Different hardware, different drivers. If your phone stays connected while the PC repeatedly drops, test the PC on another network to narrow down whether it’s the adapter or the router.
What if none of these fixes work? Test the adapter on another network and test another device on your own network. If the PC drops everywhere, the wireless card itself may be failing and worth having checked. If every device drops on your network, the router or your ISP connection is the more likely culprit.
Wifi Keeps Disconnecting Windows 11: Final Checklist
Work through these from simplest to most involved: forget and reconnect the network, disable power saving, update the driver, adjust band/roaming settings if available, turn off Fast Startup, and reset the network stack if you’re still stuck. If other devices on the same network also disconnect, the router is the more likely cause; if only your PC drops, stay focused on its adapter and driver.
If your laptop feels sluggish in general and not just on Wi-Fi, our complete guide to speeding up a slow laptop covers the rest of the checklist. And if your camera also cuts out during calls, see why a webcam stops working on Zoom or Teams and how to fix it.
