Wi-Fi keeps dropping every few minutes
My internet disconnects randomly and comes back on its own.
Written by The CommonFixes team · fact checked by CommonFixes review desk
Last updated
Short answer
Power saving on the wireless card, interference from other networks, or a weak signal at your usual seat. The quickest thing to try first: stop windows switching the adapter off — In Device Manager open your wireless adapter, go to Power Management, and untick Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power. Most people are done in about 15 minutes.
Full walkthrough below: 5 steps for Windows, rated easy.
Sounds like this
- •Short disconnections
- •Video calls freeze then recover
- •Worse in some rooms
Why it happens
Power saving on the wireless card, interference from other networks, or a weak signal at your usual seat.
Work through these in order
0% done- 1
Stop Windows switching the adapter off
In Device Manager open your wireless adapter, go to Power Management, and untick Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.
- 2
Set the power mode for wireless to maximum
Search for Edit power plan, open Change advanced power settings, expand Wireless Adapter Settings, and set Power Saving Mode to Maximum Performance.
- 3
Move closer or change the channel
Thick walls, microwaves and neighbouring routers all interfere. In the router settings, switch the channel to 1, 6 or 11 on the two point four gigahertz band.
- 4
Update the wireless driver from the maker
Go to the support page for your exact laptop model and install the newest wireless driver there, rather than relying on Windows.
- 5
Test with a cable
If a wired connection is rock solid, the problem is definitely wireless and not your provider.
If none of that worked
A cheap USB wireless adapter costs little and completely bypasses a failing built-in card.
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Who wrote this and how we checked it
The CommonFixes team
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We are a small group of people who spend our days repairing laptops and desktops for family, friends and small offices. Every guide here starts with a problem someone actually brought to us, and we only write down the steps that put the machine right.
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CommonFixes review desk
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Before a guide goes live, a second person walks through it on a real machine and checks each instruction against the maker's own support pages. Anything we cannot confirm is removed rather than guessed at.
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This guide was last updated on 10 August 2026. If a step no longer matches what you see on screen, tell us on the contact page and we will test it again.
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