The wifi connection drops out. Solving the problem of disabling WI-FI on a laptop

Very often there are cases when Wi-Fi on a laptop turns off on its own. Now we will figure out why the Internet disappears via Wi-Fi and how to solve this problem. If you came to this page, then you most likely already have this problem. We connect our laptop to Wi-Fi, the Internet works, but sometimes it disappears. There is one important point here: Wi-Fi does not turn off completely, but simply goes into the status “No Internet access” or “Limited” (and a yellow exclamation mark appears). Well, the Internet doesn't work. Although, there are times when the computer completely disconnects from the wireless network. This problem is not uncommon on Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10. So it doesn't matter what operating system is installed on your laptop.

As a rule, the Wi-Fi connection disappears periodically, or after waking up from sleep mode. There are times when the Internet stops working for a few seconds and then appears again. In any case, this creates a lot of inconvenience. You have to wait, reboot the laptop, downloading files, watching movies, etc. are interrupted.

Important point! We will look at solutions when the Internet turns off on only one laptop. That is, other devices that are connected to your router continue to work normally. If the Internet disappears on all devices, both via Wi-Fi and cable, then this is already a problem with the Wi-Fi router, or some kind of problem with the Internet provider.

If you have a problem only on one computer, then now we will try to solve it.

A failure can also occur as a result of power outages or due to a large number of subscribers. All these reasons have one effect - the router freezes. To fix this, simply reboot it. Unplug the WiFi router's power supply from the outlet for 7-10 minutes, then plug it back in. Unfortunately, it will not be possible to completely eliminate this phenomenon, since budget devices are simply not able to withstand high loads without negative consequences and at some point they will still fail.

What to do if WiFi does not work on your laptop: Video

Wireless Internet is very convenient and modern, but it is not always problem-free. Some glitches that cause a lot of trouble for users appear on their own over and over again. Today we’ll talk about why the Wi-Fi network disappears. As a rule, such incidents are relevant for laptops, which, it would seem, are simply designed to work specifically with wireless networks, supporting the idea of ​​​​creating an ideal mobile solution.

Since there may be several reasons for the problem, below we will look at each separately. In general, first you will need to do some diagnostics and check if there are any problems with the router's power supply and the device itself. In the case of the first, everything is determined quite simply; to check the second, you need to try connecting other devices to the network - tablets, phones.

If everything works fine, perhaps the problem is only with the computer, and you need to check the operation and settings of its adapter one by one.

Energy saving

The next thing we should do if the Wi-Fi network has disappeared is to carry out diagnostics using the system. Click on the wireless network signal icon and find the “Problem Diagnosis” item, then follow the instructions. Perhaps this option will help you.

Open “Start” and find the “Control Panel” we need. Now we need the settings that are hidden under the “Power Options” icon.

There will be several options here and, if you do not want to set high performance, then you need to select at least “Balanced mode”.

If this option is also unacceptable, you can only configure separate consumption for the adapter. Click “Configure power supply scheme” next to the required option.

Now “Change advanced settings”.

Here we scroll down and find the item “Adapter parameters” - you need to expand the parameter tree, then once again expand the sub-item “Energy Saving” and there in the parameters “from battery” and “from network” set “Maximum performance”.

You have done everything that could be done here - now click “OK”, “Save changes” and close the window.

The second option also, in a sense, depends on the power settings - it happens that when the user puts the computer into sleep mode, after turning on the adapter still remains in this mode.

Click “Start” again and click on “My Computer” and select “Properties”.

There will be a lot of equipment inside, but we are interested in network adapters. Having opened the tree with them, we look for the one with the Wi-Fi annotation and double-click with the left mouse button.

Here we look for “Power management” and uncheck the “Allow the device to turn off to save energy” checkbox. Next, click “OK” and test how everything works. To be more sure, the best option would be to reboot your device after all these operations.

Sometimes the problem may be due to oxidation of the adapter contacts, failure to connect it after cleaning or repair, or to the device drivers. In the first two cases, only mechanical intervention will help. To update drivers, you need to find the name of your model and go to the manufacturer's official website to download the necessary programs.

Articles on the topic

This is all that could be done on the computer side if the Wi-Fi network disappeared, and now we will look at solving the problem on the distribution point side.

If the reason is in the router

If after all the checks you come to the conclusion that the problem is with the distribution device, then there is not much you can do: when the router is turned on and working normally, even without special settings and a plugged-in provider cable, the network will be detected and should not disappear.

As mentioned above, check the power supply to the device - perhaps a contact is loose somewhere or the power supply is becoming unusable.

The problem may lie in a crashed firmware, but identifying this is quite difficult, since if there is a failure, you can get into the settings and visually everything will be fine, but the Wi-Fi network still disappears over and over again.

In any case, if the router is already not working correctly, flashing it is unlikely to harm it. Just go to the manufacturer's official website, open the instructions and download the firmware. If after this there is no improvement, then most likely you will have to go for a new router.

Why Wi-Fi keeps disconnecting: Video

The network is a very tricky “subject”: if it exists, then it is immediately gone! Today we will look at another common problem of spontaneous disconnection of the Wi-Fi signal on laptops. So!

You have a network: computer - Internet - laptop, but the signal on the laptop constantly disappears. Sound familiar?

What could be the problem?

There are several reasons why this problem occurs. Here they are: 1) violations when connecting to the DNS server; 2) old drivers on network adapters are sources of failure; 3) problems with the module (rare, but it happens); 4) the router itself has broken down (rarely, but it also happens).

All these reasons are not very common, but they do occur. But there is another reason that rarely anyone pays attention to, but, nevertheless, it is the most common.

What do you do to ensure that your laptop retains its battery charge for as long as possible? Well, well, think. That's right: you put it into energy-saving mode. By the way, very often this mode is configured in laptops by default. Yes, this is very true, because the battery retains its charge longer. But this is precisely where the reason for the constant Wi-Fi interruption lies, friends!

Way to solve the problem

Here is a simple, understandable and accessible algorithm for solving the problem.

Regardless of what operating system you have, the gist of it comes down to this.

"Start" - "Control Panel" - "System and Security" - "Power Options". Now you see: you have a tick in the “Energy Saving” item. Right there you have an active system link “Setting up the power supply scheme” - click on this link. On the next page you will see another link “Change advanced power settings” click. You will get a Power Options window where you will see a menu. In this menu, find the item “Wireless network adapter settings” and open it (click on it). The “On Battery” sub-item will open and right there (opposite) you will see options for setting energy saving. So: the option “On battery: maximum energy saving” will be enabled there. It is because of this that your Wi-Fi disappears. The solution is simple: select the option “On battery: maximum performance”. Click "Apply" and "Ok". All.

There is another option to fix the Wi-Fi problem. Open the System and Security folder. In the "System" item, select the line "Device Manager" - "Network adapters". At this point, find the adapter that is responsible for Wi-Fi operation (for example, Qualcomm Atheros AR9485WB-EG Wireless Network Adapter, in general, the word Wireless should be there). Double-click on this adapter with the left mouse button. A window with the properties of your adapter will open. Open the “Power Management” tab and uncheck the “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save energy” option. Click on "Ok". All.

Happy dancing with the tambourine, friends, and see you again!

Setting up a Wi-Fi router is not so difficult, however, after this, despite the fact that in general everything works, a wide variety of problems are possible, and the most common of them include loss of Wi-Fi signal, as well as low Internet speed (which especially noticeable when downloading files) via Wi-Fi. Let's see how to fix this.

I will warn you in advance that this instruction and solution do not apply to situations where, for example, when downloading from a torrent, the Wi-Fi router simply freezes and does not react to anything until it reboots. See also - all articles (solving problems, setting up different models for popular providers, more than 50 instructions)

One of the most common reasons why a Wi-Fi connection drops

First, what exactly does it look like and specific symptoms by which you can determine that the Wi-Fi connection disappears for this very reason:

  • A phone, tablet or laptop sometimes connects to Wi-Fi and sometimes doesn't, with almost no logic.
  • The speed over Wi-Fi, even when downloading from local resources, is too low.
  • The Wi-Fi connection disappears in one place, not far from the wireless router, there are no serious obstacles.

Perhaps I described the most common symptoms. So, the most common reason for their appearance is that your wireless network is using the same channel that is used by other Wi-Fi access points in the neighborhood. As a result of this, due to interference and “clogging” of the channel, such things appear. The solution is quite obvious: change the channel, because in most cases, users leave the Auto value, which is set in the default router settings.

Of course, you can try these steps at random, trying different channels until you find the most stable one. But you can approach the matter more intelligently - determine in advance the most free channels.

How to find an open Wi-Fi channel

If you have an Android phone or tablet, I recommend using different instructions:

First of all, download the free inSSIDer program to your computer from the official website http://www.metageek.net/products/inssider/. ( UPD: The program has become paid. But they have a free version for Android). This utility will allow you to easily scan all wireless networks in your environment and graphically display information about the distribution of these networks by channels. (See picture below).

Signals from two wireless networks overlap

Let's figure out what is shown on this graph. My access point, the site uses channels 13 and 9 (not all routers can use two channels at once for data transmission). Note that you can see that another wireless network is using the same channels. Accordingly, we can assume that problems with Wi-Fi communication are caused by this factor. But channels 4, 5 and 6, as you can see, are free.


Let's try changing the channel. The general idea is to choose the channel that is as far away from any other sufficiently strong wireless signals as possible. To do this, go to the router settings and go to the wireless Wi-Fi network settings () and specify the required channel. After that, apply the changes.


As you can see, the picture has changed for the better. Now, with a high degree of probability, the loss of Wi-Fi speed will not be so significant, and incomprehensible connection breaks will not be so frequent.

It is worth noting that each wireless network channel is separated by 5 MHz from the other, while the channel width can be 20 or 40 MHz. Thus, when choosing, for example, channel 5, the neighboring ones - 2, 3, 6 and 7 - will also be affected.

Just in case: this is not the only reason why the speed through the router may be low or the Wi-Fi connection may be interrupted, although it is one of the most common. This can also be caused by unstable firmware, problems with the router itself or the receiver device, as well as problems with the power supply (voltage jumps, etc.). You can read more about solving various problems when setting up a Wi-Fi router and the operation of wireless networks.

With the development of information technology, it has become difficult to imagine the life of a modern person without the Internet and, in particular, a wireless network, thanks to which he always stays in touch and has the ability to quickly resolve all sorts of issues. This is why a sudden connection loss makes the user nervous and stressed in fear of missing something important. This article will look at all the possible reasons why the Wi-Fi connection on your phone turns off and will provide ways to solve them.

Causes of problems

In most cases, problems with connecting to a wireless network can be caused by the following reasons:

  • errors in Wi-Fi network settings;
  • router malfunction;
  • third-party programs downloaded to the phone;
  • low quality software.

To solve the problem, it is necessary to correctly diagnose the source of its occurrence. In many cases, this can be done independently, without the help of specialists. You can troubleshoot problems using the recommendations below, which are given for any phone operating system. Sometimes the Internet may work slowly and poorly due to network congestion, as too many devices are connected.

Errors in router settings

The first step is to check for errors in the router settings. To do this, you need to log into the control panel by opening it through a browser. The address for entering the settings, as well as the necessary password and login, are usually indicated on the case of the router itself. By default, the local address of the router is “192.168.1.1”, the username and password are the same: “admin”.

After gaining access to the settings parameters, you need to check them:

  • the inclusion of a DHCP server, which is responsible for automatically obtaining an IP address;
  • channel width (shaping) is set automatically, can be from 5 to 40 MHz;
  • channel selection is also performed automatically;
  • the data transfer rate should be set to the maximum of the presented values;
  • The choice of region is rarely the source of the problem, so it is better not to change it;
  • Security Settings.

You can download the file with the software on the official website of the device manufacturer. To reflash the router, you need to go to the “System Tools” section and to the “Firmware Update” category. After that, you will need to specify the path to the firmware file and update it.

Router malfunction

If the router settings did not help determine why Wi-Fi stopped working, you need to check the device itself for problems.

The correct operation of the router is indicated by light indicators:

  • The power indicator indicates that the router is connected to the electrical network. Should always be on. The backlight color may vary depending on the router model.
  • The system indicator displays information about the correct operation of the device. Should blink constantly.
  • The WAN indicator shows Internet access via cable.
  • The WLAN indicator indicates that the Wi-Fi network is active.
  • LAN connection indicators show local connections to the router that do not affect Wi-Fi operation.

Router operation

If the WLAN indicator is not lit or blinking, you should check whether the wireless network distribution is disabled: many routers have a button to limit the methods used to connect to the Internet.

The problem may also be directly in the connection of the router to the Internet - the WAN indicator does not light up. These may be problems on the provider's side, which can be easily checked by connecting the network cable to the computer. If the indicator does not light up even when the cable is connected, then most likely the WAN port of the router or the cable itself is broken, and you should contact a specialist.

In situations where the Internet connection is poor, you can reboot the router using the power button or disconnect from the network. A technical breakdown of the device is also possible, in which case you need to contact a repair service or buy a new one.

Availability of third-party programs

Another reason why the wireless network on the phone disappears is that the device is infected with viruses. To eliminate it, you need to install an antivirus and, if present, eliminate malware. It is worth understanding that anti-virus software is also external and can interfere with the normal operation of Wi-Fi.

It often happens that there are programs installed on your phone that block the Wi-Fi connection. One of these is a special program that allows you to save battery power. The principle of its operation is to automatically turn off unused modules, but sometimes there are failures and the Wi-Fi adapter turns off even when using the Internet. This problem may be indicated by the fact that Wi-Fi on the phone constantly crashes. To solve it, you need to disable or uninstall the mentioned program.

Low quality software

Some users are faced with the fact that their phone stops seeing possible Wi-Fi networks for connecting. The problem may be due to unlicensed software installed or a change in factory settings. In such a situation, you need to reset the current settings or reinstall the software.

On phones whose manufacturers are more responsible for the quality of the software and, as a result, the brand image, this rarely happens. That is why you should pay special attention to choosing the brand of smartphone.

Problems with your phone and the networks connected to it can often be resolved on your own. However, you should not try to figure out internal problems without experience, since physical intervention can lead to damage to the device. If the information presented in this article does not help, you should contact specialists at diagnostic centers.

Any user of modern devices has ever experienced problems with Wi-Fi connection to the Internet. Unstable Internet (or even its complete absence) is usually very annoying; you want the problem to be solved as soon as possible, but it cannot be solved on its own - you need to diagnose the problem and make efforts to solve it. Just today we will look at the most common problems of wi-fi connections to the Internet and ways to solve them.

Why wifi disappears - reasons

There are incredibly many reasons that could potentially cause the lack of a stable wifi connection (or connection at all), such as banal removal at an excessively long distance, the presence of any radio interference in the coverage area of ​​the access point, and the presence of all kinds of shielding elements between the router and you. However, most often the network disappears due to software errors and hardware failures.

Diagnosis of the problem

If the Internet via wifi is lost, and there are no obvious signs of a hardware malfunction (a broken router antenna, for example), and getting close to the access point to a distance of 3-5 meters did not help, you should start looking for software errors. The mechanism for detecting them is individual for each specific OS and gadget. And yet, in the case of the most popular devices, such as laptops with Windows, smartphones running Android and iPhone, there are some universal recommendations that with almost one hundred percent probability will help to detect the software cause of the lack of signal.

If your gadget is running a less popular OS, for example, Symbian, Windows Mobile, or even some kind of “homemade Chinese OS”, it is impractical to carry out software diagnostics, since the built-in mechanisms for this in such OSs, as a rule, are absent, and flashing the firmware will take much less time than “tinkering” with the software core.

What to do if wifi disappears on a Windows laptop

The reasons for the loss of wifi signal on a laptop can be divided into three categories:

If, when you press the corresponding key on the laptop, the wifi module operation indicator (the light next to which wifi is written or the corresponding icon is drawn) does not light up, then the problem is in the device itself. Check if the corresponding option is enabled in the BIOS. To do this, restart the laptop and press the corresponding key in the first 3-5 seconds of booting. As a rule, this is F2, F8 or F12. However, the BIOS boot initiation key may be different - carefully read the notification that appears when you turn it on (usually the required button is written at the bottom right). It is worth noting that your BIOS version may not have the option to enable the wifi module, so it is first recommended to read the user documentation or enter the combination of ““name of your laptop” wifi bios” into a search engine.

Wi-Fi disappeared in windows

If the wifi module and router operation indicators are lit but there is no signal, you should check whether wifi is enabled in Windows itself. Right-click the corresponding taskbar icon (the bar at the bottom or top of the screen), then click: “Network and Sharing Center” => “Change adapter settings” => Find the monitor icon with the wifi signal strength scale => “Enable”.
Also, instead of right-clicking on the icon on the taskbar, you can click “start” => “control panel”.

Often the reason why wifi on a laptop disappears is faulty drivers. Right-click the “computer” shortcut, select “properties” => “device manager” and look for “network adapters”. Make sure the adapter is turned on. If there is a yellow triangle next to it, select “update drivers”.

The reason for unstable wifi operation may be high load on the router. Check and disable the most active users!

If the laptop sees other networks, but cannot connect to the one you are interested in, the problem is in the router settings. To diagnose it, you need to connect to the router using a cable or other device and type the debug address in the browser address bar: “192.168.0.0”. In the window that appears, enter: “admin/admin”. Next, you should check whether signal transmission via wifi is turned on, and whether your device is on the “black list” of the MAC filter. You should also make sure that the router allows the simultaneous connection of multiple devices.

If you cannot connect to the router even through a cable, you should press the “reset” button on the router and wait 10-15 seconds.

If none of the above helps, try calling your ISP and asking if they are receiving feedback from your router (when it is up and running). If not, then most likely your router’s hardware has failed.

Wi-Fi on my laptop turns off constantly or periodically, what should I do?

If the signal on the laptop appears and disappears, no matter what access point you are connected to, most likely the problem is in the system power plan settings. To fix this problem, select the "maximum performance" mode, but note that this will affect battery life. In addition, disable automatic hibernation - very often, after waking up from sleep mode, the wifi adapter de facto remains turned off until the next reboot.

My iPhone loses wifi, what should I do?

First, make sure that the problem is in the iPhone, and not in the router - often, users mistakenly believe that wifi is not working on the iPhone, although the reason is the access point. If your gadget sees other networks, the iPhone is working. Secondly, make sure you have the latest version of iOS.
If the iOS update did not help, click: “Settings” => “General” => “Reset” => “Reset network settings”.
If this doesn’t help, the iPhone is faulty.

If the gadget does not connect to any network at all, either reflashing it or going to a technician will help. If it connects to some networks but not to others, you should enable the bgn broadcast mode on the desired access point and try to set a static signal broadcast channel instead of the Auto mode. This can be done through the router settings menu (the address described above is 192.168.0.0). It is also worth noting that not all Android devices support pairing with wifi, relayed through a laptop in forwarding mode (when the laptop acts as a router).

The Internet via wifi has disappeared, but there is a wifi network

If the device is connected to an access point, but there is no Internet, check the cord going to the router and contact your provider. If the problem is only on a specific device, try clearing the cache or using a different browser. You should also make sure that the device (not the memory card!) has at least 10% memory.

What to do if the wifi icon disappears

If the icon itself disappears, you should make sure that wifi mode is turned on. If the option to turn on wifi is missing, or the icon does not appear, you will have to reflash your smartphone or update your laptop drivers.

So, the article discussed all the most common problems with wi-fi Internet access, and also suggested ways to solve them. If you have read this article, conscientiously followed all the recommendations given, but your wi-fi still does not work, feel free to take your device to a service center, since you (most likely) will not be able to fix the problem at home.

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We regularly use Wi-Fi connections, at work and on vacation; This wireless communication technology has become so integral to our everyday life that it is difficult to imagine life without it. A common error when Wi-Fi turns off spontaneously on Android devices can interfere with essential tasks, which means this problem should be solved or prevented.

Reasons for an unstable connection

The first step is to determine why the network is unstable. There are many reasons why Wi-Fi connection on Android is unstable. Here the most common of them:

  • The mobile antivirus firewall is blocking the connection.
  • Software malfunction.
  • Incorrect router settings.

It is worth noting that the last two points are related to the Android operating system only indirectly: that is, the reason for the unstable connection is not in the smartphone or tablet, but in the router and its settings.

So, let's take a closer look at these errors and their solutions.

What programs affect the connection

Most often, the error when Wi-Fi turns off on Android is associated with the use of mobile antivirus programs. The fact is that the Firewall of such applications simply blocks the network in order to increase security.

Similar problems can be created by other applications that are somehow related to the operation of the wireless module. For example, Virtual router or Portable Wi-Fi Router. Such programs can make certain changes to the parameters of the wireless module, resulting in failures. The solution is to remove such programs. If this does not help, then you should perform a factory reset.

Software failure

Sometimes the problem with connecting to a wireless network occurs due to a software glitch. For the most part, Android loses Wi-Fi connectivity after a software update, but quite often and just out of nowhere. In this case, the first thing you should try is a general data reset. Go to your device settings. In the “Accounts” tab, find the “Backup and reset” item.

On older versions of Android, resetting data is located in the "Privacy" section.

It is worth remembering that after performing the reset, all data contained on the device’s internal memory will be deleted. Therefore, it is recommended to first save them to your computer.

If the problem does not disappear, then there is only one option left - flashing the device firmware. If your smartphone or tablet is still under warranty, then it is better to contact a service center, since if you install the firmware yourself, you will lose the warranty. If the warranty period has expired, then you can try to flash the device yourself: it is quite simple, and there is a lot of information on the Internet on how to do this.

It happens that you seem to have configured it correctly Wi-Fi, and he sometimes disconnects on its own. On outdated laptop models, there was a mechanical lever on the side to turn on the Wi-Fi network, which users accidentally turned off and the Internet and the network disappeared. Most users did not even realize that this lever existed. Today, on modern laptops, these levers have been removed and the controls have been transferred to the keyboard, but no one dares to write instructions for laptops, relying on the user’s intuition. The average person, even when he is advanced, generally suffers for a long time trying to find a simple solution, only because there are no instructions for the keyboard control keys. A person believes that if he gets a new laptop with the OS already installed, then it will be configured and all functions will be enabled. Thus, we need to list the most common reasons why the connection seems to be established, but keeps getting interrupted.

1. The signal source (router) is very far away and the signal is very weak. Install an antenna that will amplify the signal or make one yourself. Pay attention to the indicator in the lower right corner of the monitor, which looks like a ladder; it displays the signal level of the router.

2. There is a powerful source of interference near your network. Install an amplifying antenna or make one yourself.

3. On your old laptop, find the lever with the network icon and switch it to the “On” position.
On modern laptops this can be done using the keyboard. Find the “Fn” key (usually in the bottom rows). Press and hold it, press the key with the Wi-Fi icon (looks like an antenna with diverging waves). Along with this, the power indicator with the same icon on the laptop body should light up.

4. The most common reason on modern laptops is that the communication services of pre-installed operating systems are disabled by default. To check and activate services, you need to go to the “Start” menu - “Control Panel”, select “Programs and Features”. In the “Programs and Features” tab, click on “Turn Windows features on or off.”
In the window that pops up, point the arrow at each item that is not checked in turn, and read the hints about what they refer to. Check the boxes next to all items that relate to the network, Internet, and TCP protocol. Click OK. Wait for everything to install and reboot.

If you have a licensed Windows installed and it is not contaminated with viruses and experimental software, your connection interruptions will stop. In other situations, calling a specialist is required.

Hello. Laptop owners very often contact me with questions regarding problems with connecting to the Internet. In the article, I have collected effective methods that will help fix problems with wifi on a laptop running Windows 10. Most often, the signal disappears or the wireless network adapter turns off spontaneously. Now let's look at these defects in more detail.

The laptop finds the desired access point, the connection is made, the Internet works. But not for long... After a while, an exclamation mark on the network connection icon is displayed in the tray. This indicates the limitations that have arisen. I have to connect again, but soon the problem makes itself felt.

Also, there are times when a red cross appears on the network status icon, indicating an unidentified connection error. Most often, such troubles appear after a system update or. But first you should check whether other devices (smartphones, tablets) can connect to the access point in order to exclude a malfunction of the router.

And sometimes the laptop simply does not see wireless networks. Or they either appear in the list of available points or disappear. I am sure that many of you have encountered similar problems.

Proven solutions

Now we will look at several ways to eliminate them. I recommend using them in the order in which I will describe them.

Deleting a Wi-fi profile

There is a possibility that some changes have been made to the router settings, and the laptop is trying to use an “outdated” profile to connect. To delete it and trigger the creation of a new (updated) one, use the command:

netsh wlan delete profile name=

Very often there are cases when Wi-Fi on a laptop turns off on its own. Now we will figure out why the Internet disappears via Wi-Fi and how to solve this problem. If you came to this page, then you most likely already have this problem. We connect our laptop to Wi-Fi, the Internet works, but sometimes it disappears. There is one important point here: Wi-Fi does not turn off completely, but simply goes into the status “No Internet access” or “Limited” (and a yellow exclamation mark appears). Well, the Internet doesn't work. Although, there are times when the computer completely disconnects from the wireless network. This problem is not uncommon on Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10. So it doesn't matter what operating system is installed on your laptop.

As a rule, the Wi-Fi connection disappears periodically, or after waking up from sleep mode. There are times when the Internet stops working for a few seconds and then appears again. In any case, this creates a lot of inconvenience. You have to wait, reboot the laptop, downloading files, watching movies, etc. are interrupted.

Important point! We will look at solutions when the Internet turns off on only one laptop. That is, other devices that are connected to your router continue to work normally. If the Internet disappears on all devices, both via Wi-Fi and cable, then this is already a problem with the Wi-Fi router, or some kind of problem with the Internet provider.

If you have a problem only on one computer, then now we will try to solve it.

Why does the Wi-Fi connection on my laptop disappear?

The main reasons for losing the connection to the router:

  • There is interference on the channel on which your Wi-Fi network operates. Or, a weak wireless signal.
  • Disabling the Wi-Fi adapter to save energy (Wi-Fi disappears when waking from sleep mode)
  • Unstable operation of the Wi-Fi adapter driver.
  • Problems with the router

I will show using Windows 7 as an example. If you have Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 and the Internet also disappears every 5 minutes (maybe more often or less often), then these tips will suit you. As for Windows 10, it is now full of problems with drivers. Therefore, if the connection in the “ten” is broken, I would first advise experimenting with the wireless adapter drivers.

Wi-Fi disconnects due to interference and weak signal

Our home wireless network operates on a specific channel. As a rule, there are many other neighboring networks within a radius that can cause interference. Interference may also come from other household appliances. And coupled with a not very stable wireless network signal, this can lead to a disconnection of the Internet on the laptop. A yellow exclamation mark "without internet access" may appear and work again after a while.

Also, disconnection can occur due to a poor signal when you move far from the router, and on the laptop, where the signal strength is displayed, one or two bars remain. In such cases, the connection may disappear altogether. If the Internet constantly cuts out in those rooms where the Wi-Fi network signal is weak, then we need to strengthen the signal of our network so that the connection is more stable. I wrote about this in the article: how to strengthen the signal of a Wi-Fi network? We increase the Wi-Fi range.

As for problems with interference, here you need to experiment with the channel on which your network operates. You can try using a special program to find the freest channel and set it in the router settings. Or, just set some static channel in the router settings. I described in detail how to do this in the instructions: how to find a free Wi-Fi channel and change the channel on the router? If you already have a static channel, then set it to Auto.

This is what changing the channel looks like on a Tp-Link router:

Please note under what conditions the Internet connection occurs. This could be, for example, moving around the house, or only in certain places (rooms). Then it will be easier to find the cause and eliminate it.

What to do if the Internet disappears after waking up from sleep mode

This happens because Windows turns off the Wi-Fi adapter during sleep mode to save power. And when you exit sleep mode, the adapter can no longer work normally, and you need to restart the laptop. Also, problems are often observed when the laptop is running on battery power. We need to disable the wireless adapter from being turned off, and set maximum performance when running on battery power and mains power.

Let's set up the power supply first. Press the keyboard shortcut Win+R. Copy the command control powercfg.cpl in the "Open" line and click on the button Ok.

A window with power plans will appear. I advise you to choose Balanced. Next, click next to this plan on the link Setting up a power plan.

Next we open Change advanced power settings. Looking for a section Wireless adapter settings, open it and install Maximum performance when operating from mains and battery. Click Apply And Ok.

We prohibit disabling the Wi-F adapter to save energy

Disabling the adapter will not save us a lot of electricity, but problems with its operation may appear. Therefore, you need to prevent Windows from turning off the adapter.

Click Win+R, copy the command mmc devmgmt.msc and press Ok.

Device Manager will open. Find and open the tab Network adapters. Then, right-click on the Wi-Fi adapter (its name should contain the words "Wi-Fi", "Wireless") and select Properties.

Go to the tab Power management, and uncheck the box Allow this device to turn off to save power. Click Ok.

We reboot the laptop and check how the Internet will work via Wi-Fi.

Internet may disappear due to driver problems

If the Wi-Fi adapter driver is outdated, or the wrong driver is installed, then a variety of problems with the wireless connection may appear. Open Device Manager like I showed above (press Win+R and execute the command mmc devmgmt.msc). Open the tab Network adapters. Find your wireless adapter (the name will include "Wi-Fi", 802.11n, or "Wireless"). There may be a yellow exclamation mark next to the adapter. This means that the device is not working correctly.

Even if there is no warning icon, try updating the driver for this adapter. Perhaps this will solve the problem with Wi-Fi disconnecting. Just don't update through Device Manager. (the system will say that the update is not needed), and download the driver from the official website of your laptop manufacturer. Required for your model and operating system. Download and install the driver. I wrote in more detail about driver installation in this article.

You can also try selecting one from already installed driver versions, removing the driver, or rolling back it. I described all these actions in more detail using Windows 10 as an example in a separate article: solving problems with the wireless Wi-Fi adapter driver in Windows 10.

What to do if the Internet periodically disappears on all devices?

If your Internet connection disappears simultaneously on all connected devices, then the problem is already in the router. I wrote about this at the beginning of the article. On computers, the connection status becomes "no internet access".

And on mobile devices (smartphones, tablets), the Internet simply stops working. And after such failures, you always need to reboot the router, only after that the Internet starts working again. Moreover, such interruptions usually happen at moments when the router is under heavy load: we are downloading something (especially from torrents), watch online videos, play online games, connect some other devices to Wi-Fi, etc. And basically, this problem occurs on inexpensive routers.

This is understandable, they simply cannot withstand the load and “fall”. Only a reboot saves. My friend has exactly the same problem with Tp-Link TL-WR741ND (which is from the Kyivstar provider). After connecting the smartphone and laptop, everything works well. As soon as you turn on watching online video, after a while the Internet disappears.

What can be done:

  • Connect the Internet without a router, directly to the computer, and check the operation. To eliminate interruptions on the provider's side.
  • Update the router firmware, this often helps. We have instructions on our website for all popular router manufacturers.
  • Disable torrent clients on devices (if there are any). They create a load due to which the Internet disappears.
  • If you have Internet via a 3G/4G USB modem that is connected to a router, then such interruptions most likely occur on the provider’s side.
  • Well, buying a more powerful router.

It seems like I didn't miss anything. Write in the comments how you managed to get rid of this problem.