Fix Wi-Fi connection issues in Windows

• Select Start > Settings > Network and Internet.

• ​​​​​​​Select Status from the left-hand menu.

• Scroll down and select Network troubleshooter.

• A new window titled Troubleshoot Problems will open. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

• Select the Battery, Network, or Volume icons (   ) on the right side of the taskbar.

• Make sure that Wi-Fi is turned on.

• Check if your network name shows Connected below it. If it displays a status other than Connected, select a Wi-Fi network you recognize from the list of available networks. Then, click on the network and attempt to connect.

For more information, refer to Wi-Fi connection icons and what they mean in Windows.

• Select Start > Settings > Network & Internet.

• Select Wi-Fi from the left-hand menu and then click Manage known networks.

• From the list of known networks, find the network you want to forget. Click on it and then select Forget.

• Reconnect to the network by selecting it and entering the password.

This helps create a new connection to your internet service provider (ISP). When you do this, everyone that is connected to your Wi-Fi network will be temporarily disconnected. The steps you take to restart your modem and router can vary, but here are the general steps.

• Unplug the power cable for the router from the power source.

• Unplug the power cable for the modem from the power source.

• Some modems have a backup battery. If you unplug the modem and lights stay on, remove the battery from the modem.

• Wait at least 30 seconds or so.

• If you had to remove the battery from the modem, put it back in.

• Plug the modem back into the power source. The lights on the modem will blink. Wait for them to stop blinking.

• Plug your router back into the power source.

• Wait a few minutes for the modem and router to fully power on. You can usually tell when they’re ready by looking at the status lights on the two devices.

• On your PC, try to connect again.

Try connecting to a network on a different frequency band. Many consumer Wi-Fi routers broadcast at two different network frequency bands: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. These will appear as separate networks in the list of available Wi-Fi networks. If your list of available Wi-Fi networks includes both a 2.4 GHz network and a 5 GHz network, try connecting to the other network. To learn more about the differences between 2.4 GHz networks and 5 GHz networks, check out Wi-Fi problems and your home layout.

On another laptop or phone, try to connect to the same network. If you can connect, the source of the problem is likely due to your device. 

Run network commands

Try running these network commands to manually reset the TCP/IP stack, release and renew the IP address, and flush and reset the DNS client resolver cache:

1. In the search box on the taskbar, type command prompt. The Command Prompt button will appear. To the right of it, select Run as administrator > Yes.

2. At the command prompt, run the following commands in the listed order, and then check to see if that fixes your connection problem:

   • Type netsh winsock reset and selectEnter.

   • Type netsh int ip reset and select Enter.

   • Type ipconfig /release and select Enter.

   • Type ipconfig /renew and select Enter.

   • Type ipconfig /flushdns and select Enter.

Uninstall the network adapter driver and restart

If the previous steps didn’t work, try to uninstall the network adapter driver, and then restart your computer. Windows will automatically install the latest driver. Consider this approach if your network connection stopped working properly after a recent update.

Before uninstalling, make sure you have drivers available as a backup. Visit the PC manufacturer’s website and download the latest network adapter driver from there. If your PC can't connect to the internet, you'll need to download a driver on a different PC and save it to a USB flash drive so you can install the driver on your PC. You’ll need to know the PC manufacturer and model name or number.

1. In the search box on the taskbar, type device manager, and then select Device Manager from the list of results.

2. Expand Network adapters, and locate the network adapter for your device.

3. Select the network adapter, press and hold (or right-click), and then select Uninstall device > check the Attempt to remove the driver software for this device check box > Uninstall.

4. After uninstalling the driver, select the Start button > Power  > Restart.

   After your PC restarts, Windows will automatically look for and install the network adapter driver. Check to see if that fixes your connection problem. If Windows doesn't automatically install a driver, try to install the backup driver you saved before uninstalling.

Check if your network adapter is compatible with the latest Windows Update

If you lost your network connection immediately after upgrading or updating Windows 10, it's possible that the current driver for your network adapter was designed for a previous version of Windows. To check, try temporarily uninstalling the recent Windows Update:

1. Select the Start  button, then select Settings  > Update & Security >Windows Update  > View update history >Uninstall updates.

2. Select the most recent update, then select Uninstall.

If uninstalling the most recent update restores your network connection, check to see if an updated driver is available:

1. In the search box on the taskbar, type device manager, and then select Device Manager from the list of results.

2. Expand Network adapters, and locate the network adapter for your device.

3. Select the network adapter, select Update driver >Search automatically for updated driver software, and then follow the instructions.

4. After installing the updated driver, select the Start button > Power  > Restart if you're asked to restart, and see if that fixes the connection issue.

If Windows can’t find a new driver for your network adapter, visit the PC manufacturer’s website and download the latest network adapter driver from there. You’ll need to know the PC manufacturer and model name or number.

Do one of the following:

• If you couldn’t download and install a newer network adapter driver, hide the update that’s causing you to lose your network connection. To learn how to hide updates, see Hide Windows Updates or driver updates.

• If you could successfully install updated drivers for your network adapter, then reinstall the latest updates. To do this, select the Start  button, then select Settings  > Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates.

Use network reset

Using network reset should be the last step you try. Consider using it if the steps above don’t help to get you connected.

This can help solve connection problems you might have after upgrading from a previous version of Windows to Windows 10. It can also help to fix the problem where you can connect to the internet, but can't connect to shared network drives. Network reset removes any network adapters you have installed and the settings for them. After your PC restarts, any network adapters are reinstalled, and the settings for them are set to the defaults.

1. Select the Start  button, then select Settings  > Network & Internet  > Status > Network reset.
   Open Network & Internet Status settings

2. On the Network reset screen, select Reset now > Yes to confirm.

   Wait for your PC to restart, and see if that fixes the problem.

Check to see if there is a problem with the connection to your Wi-Fi router.  Do this by using a ping test.

1. In the search box on the taskbar, type command prompt. The Command Prompt button will appear. To the right of it, select Run as administrator > Yes.

2. At the command prompt, type ipconfig, and then select Enter. Look for the name of your Wi-Fi network within the results, and then find the IP address listed next to Default gateway for that Wi-Fi network.  Write down that address if you need to. For example:  192.168.1.1

3. At the prompt, type ping <DefaultGateway> and then select Enter.  For example, type ping 192.168.1.1 and select Enter.  The results should be something like this:

• Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64

• Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64

• Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64

• Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64

• Ping statistics for 192.168.1.1: Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss), Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:  Minimum = 4ms, Maximum = 5ms, Average = 4ms

If you see results like this and are getting a reply, then you have a connection to your Wi-Fi router, so there might be a problem with your modem or ISP. Contact your ISP or check online on another device (if you can) to see if there's a service outage.

If the results of the ping test indicate that you are not getting a reply from the router, try connecting your PC directly to your modem by using an Ethernet cable (if you can). If you can connect to the internet using an Ethernet cable, it confirms the connection problem is due to the Wi-Fi router. Make sure you've installed the latest firmware and see the documentation for your router.

• Open Device Manager and expand Network adapters.

• Right-click your Wi-Fi adapter and choose Properties.

• Navigate to the Power Management tab.

• Uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.

Select Start > Settings > Update & Security >Windows Update > Check for updates. Download and install any new updates.

Many updates require you to restart your device. Save your work and close all open applications. Then, select Start > Power, and select Restart.

If your PC fails to connect to a Wi-Fi network, displaying an error message or no response, follow the below troubleshooting steps.

Restart Your PC and Router: Rebooting both devices can resolve temporary glitches.

Check Airplane Mode:

• Go to Settings > Network & Internet.

• From the left-hand menu, select Airplane mode.

• Ensure Airplane mode is turned off.

Forget and Reconnect to the Network:

• Select Start > Settings > Network & Internet.

• Select Wi-Fi from the left-hand menu and then click Manage known networks.

• From the list of known networks, find the network you want to forget. Click on it and then select Forget.

• Reconnect to the network by selecting it and entering the password.

Update Network Drivers:

• Open Device Manager and expand Network adapters.

• Right-click your Wi-Fi adapter and choose Update driver.

Run the Network Troubleshooter:

• Select Start > Settings > Network and Internet.

• ​​​​​​​Select Status from the left-hand menu.

• Scroll down and select Network troubleshooter.

• A new window titled Troubleshoot Problems will open. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

Check Signal Strength: Ensure the device is close to the router and free of obstructions.

Disable Background Apps:

• Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc).

• End processes consuming high bandwidth.

Test Router Performance: Connect another device to the Wi-Fi. If the issue persists, the router may require maintenance or replacement.

Reset Network Settings: Network reset should be the last step you try.

• Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Status > Network reset.

• On the Network reset screen, select Reset now > Yes to confirm.

Wait for your PC to restart and see if that fixes the problem.

If the Wi-Fi toggle option is missing or not visible in settings, follow the below troubleshooting steps.

Check Hardware Switch: Some laptops have a physical Wi-Fi switch; ensure it is turned on.

Enable Wi-Fi Adapter:

• Open Device Manager and expand Network adapters.

• Right-click your Wi-Fi adapter and select Enable device.

Restart WLAN Service:

• Press Win + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.

• Find WLAN AutoConfig, right-click, and select Restart.

If the Wi-Fi connection drops frequently, disrupting work or streaming, follow the below steps.

Check Power Settings:

• Go to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options.

• Select your plan and click Change plan settings.

• Click Change advanced power settings and expand Wireless Adapter Settings.

• Set Power Saving Mode to Maximum Performance.

Adjust Router Channel: Access your router’s admin page (refer to its manual) and change the wireless channel to reduce interference.

If the device connects to Wi-Fi, but internet access is unavailable, follow the below troubleshooting steps.

Renew IP Configuration:

• Open Command Prompt as Administrator.

• Type ipconfig /release and press Enter.

• Type ipconfig /renew and press Enter.

Flush DNS Cache:

• Open Command Prompt as Administrator.

• Type ipconfig /flushdns and press Enter.

Check for Proxy Settings:

• Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Proxy.

• Turn off any manual proxy settings.

If you're unable to connect to Wi-Fi due to incorrect password errors despite entering the correct credentials, follow the below troubleshooting steps.

Verify Password: Ensure the password is correct and matches the router's configuration.

Reset Router: Reboot the router or restore its factory settings.

Update Router Firmware: Refer to the router’s manual for steps to update its firmware.