Wi-Fi keeps disconnecting: how to fix it

Your Wi-Fi connects, works for a while, then drops, so video calls freeze and pages stop loading. Find the pattern behind the drops, then fix the most likely causes first.

Before you start

Drops come from three places: the device, the router or internet service, and interference or distance between them. A few minutes spent noticing the pattern saves a lot of guessing.

• Does it happen on all your devices at once? If so, the router, modem or internet service is the likely cause.
• Does it happen on one device only? Then the device's settings, software or Wi-Fi hardware are the likely cause.
• Does it happen in one room, or when you move around? Then distance or something in the way is the likely cause.
• Does it happen at the same time each day? Then something else switching on, such as a microwave oven, or a busy time on your network, may be involved.

Try these fixes in order

Fix 1: Restart the device and the router

This takes about 10 minutes and clears many temporary faults.

1. Restart the device that drops, and not only Wi-Fi.
2. Unplug the router, and the modem if it is a separate box. Wait at least 30 seconds (2 minutes is safer).
3. Plug in the modem and wait until its lights stop blinking. Then plug in the router and wait a few minutes. See restarting your router the right way.
4. Do not press the Reset button on the router. It erases the Wi-Fi name and password.

Fix 2: Move closer and reduce interference

Wi-Fi is a radio signal. Distance, walls, floors and other radio devices weaken it.

1. Take the device into the same room as the router and use it there for a while. If the drops stop, the signal is too weak where you normally sit.
2. Place the router in the open, off the floor and away from metal objects and thick walls where you can.
3. Keep the router away from microwave ovens and cordless phones where possible. On the 2.4 GHz band these can add interference.
4. If one far room is the problem, an extender or a mesh system may help. See router placement, extenders and mesh.

Fix 3: Try the other Wi-Fi band

Many routers broadcast on two bands, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. They behave differently, and one may be steadier in your home.

1. If your router shows two names, one per band, join the other one. Apple suggests joining the 5 GHz name instead of 2.4 GHz if the router offers both.
2. If you only see one name, the router combines both. Changing that is a router setting. Use the router maker's instructions.
3. If the drops are worse far from the router, 2.4 GHz often holds on farther. If they are worse near other busy networks, 5 GHz often suffers less interference.

Fix 4: Stop the device saving power on Wi-Fi

A laptop may switch its Wi-Fi adapter off briefly to save battery. Microsoft lists these settings for dropped connections.

1. Right-click Start and choose Device Manager.
2. Expand Network adapters, right-click your Wi-Fi adapter and select Properties.
3. Open the Power Management tab and clear Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power. Select OK.
4. Open Control Panel and go to Hardware and Sound then Power Options then Change plan settings then Change advanced power settings.
5. Expand Wireless Adapter Settings, then Power Saving Mode, and set it to Maximum Performance. Select OK.

On a phone, check that no battery saver or similar mode is cutting Wi-Fi when the screen is off. Setting names vary by maker, so search Settings for "battery" and "Wi-Fi".

Fix 5: Update, remove interfering software, forget and rejoin

1. Install system updates. On Windows 11, open Settings then Windows Update and select Check for updates. On Windows 10, the path is Settings then Update & Security then Windows Update. Updates can include a newer Wi-Fi driver. If you need to look further, the maker's own support site is the only safe source for drivers. See fixing driver problems in Device Manager.
2. Switch off any VPN or security app that watches your connection for a test. Apple lists such software as a possible cause of Wi-Fi trouble. If the drops stop, check the app's support page.
3. Forget the network and join again. On Windows, use Settings then Network & internet then Wi-Fi then Manage known networks. On a Pixel, use Settings then Network & internet then Internet then Saved networks. On an iPhone, use Settings > Wi-Fi and the More Info button beside the network.
4. On a Pixel phone, Google suggests testing in safe mode. If Wi-Fi is steady there, a recently installed app is the likely cause, so remove recent apps one at a time.
5. Check whether the router has a firmware update. Apple and Microsoft both advise keeping router firmware current. Updating it is done in the router's settings, following the router maker's instructions.

If nothing helps on Windows, the network-reset steps in flush DNS and reset network settings are the last resort. They remove network adapters and settings, so read the warnings there first.

If it still does not work

• Plug a computer into the router with a network cable and use it for a while. If the cable connection also drops, the router, modem or your internet service is at fault, not Wi-Fi.
• Check the router's lights. If the Internet light changes or goes off at the moment of each drop, the fault is between your home and your provider.
• If drops happen on every device in every room, use the support page on your internet provider's website. Describe when the drops happen.
• If only one device drops on every network, its Wi-Fi hardware may be failing. Use the device maker's support website.
• Slow speeds without disconnecting are a different problem: see slow Wi-Fi.

Frequently asked questions