[Solutions] Wifi often disconnects or goes intermittently

The problems with wifi are annoying, they never end, and they always seem to depend on different issues. It may be that the line is absent, it may be the fault of the wireless adapter, the router that no longer works too well or that it has a wrong configuration, the computer that may have malware or some system error and who knows what else. Sometimes it may be enough to restart the PC or restart the router to resolve, but other times you are left with wifi that connects and disconnects continuously, intermittently.

We have written many articles on wifi problems, and this time we see all that can be done when the wifi disconnects often or continuously and the network goes intermittently, losing the signal. To this end, let’s see 10 possible causes and solutions that should cover most problems with wifi, in a synthetic way and without difficulty for those who are less experienced.

What to do if the PC’s wifi often disconnects

There are several reasons why the Internet connection continues to disconnect. The most common causes are weak wifi signal, overworked wifi network, problems with the Internet service provider, interference with other wifi networks or nearby devices, outdated wifi adapter drivers or outdated firmware of the wireless router.

If the wifi disconnects every few minutes, the first thing to do is to check if the connection of other devices that use the same wifi network work well. If everyone has the same problem, this indicates a problem with the modem or router or Internet service provider. If only one device in the network is disconnecting and reconnecting, it is probably a problem with that computer or smartphone. The primary solutions are to restart the router, restart the PC, update the computer’s wifi drivers and try another router.

It is also important that the PC is close enough to the router, and the signal is good and not at the minimum. If necessary, it may be required to amplify the wifi network.

Regarding the wifi on the PC, the most frequent problems are:

• Wifi disconnects randomly: solutions below.
• Wifi limited access: in this case, the computer connects to wifi, but internet access does not work. Most of the time, this problem depends on the network connection, not working, and you will need to call for assistance. If, however, other computers or smartphones usually connect, then we should solve the solutions below.

• • Wifi disconnects when other devices connect.
  • Wifi disconnects with VPN
  • “Unable to connect to this network” error explained in another article.

Invalid IP: For this error, we have seen in another article how to solve the invalid IP configuration on the wifi network

Solutions to restore the wifi connection

Solution 1: Network troubleshooting tool

The first thing to do when there are network problems of any kind, after trying to restart the router and restart the PC and if there is no connection problem that depends on the line (so if other devices usually connect), is to use the troubleshooting tool included in Windows 10. The machine is automatic and restores the correct network parameters.

To find it, open Settings from the Start menu and then go to the Update and Security section. Press on the left column Troubleshooting, scroll down the central part and press on Internet Connections to run the automatic correction tool.

Solution 2: Reset the network

A network restore uninstalls and completely removes the network configuration stored by the computer and restores the default values. Once the PC has restarted, the network cards will be reinstalled, and their settings will return to average costs.

To reset the network in Windows 10, open the Settings from the Start menu, go to Network and Internet, then, in the Status section, scroll down the right part of the screen and click on Network recovery.

Solution 3: uninstall the network card device

The damaged network card driver can cause the wifi problem in Windows 8 and Windows 10. The solution would be to uninstall the network card device from Device Manager and reinstall it. This can be done automatically.

Right-click the Start button on the desktop to find Device Manager. In the list of devices, expand to the Network cards section and then right-click on the one used for wifi. Choose uninstall and restart your computer to have the network card reinstalled automatically.

Solution 4: optimizing power options

If the wifi disconnects after the suspension, it depends on the energy-saving settings: go to the Control Panel> Hardware and Sound> Energy saving options> Change combination settings> change advanced energy-saving settings> Wireless card settings where you need to put maximum performance under energy-saving mode.

Besides, open Device Manager again, as seen in point 2, press the right mouse button on the wifi network card and go to the Properties. Then go to the Energy Saver tab and uncheck the option. Allow the computer to turn off this device to save energy and press OK to save the changes.

Solution 5: remove the security software

If wifi is disconnected frequently, it may be due to anti-malware. Many third-party antivirus programs can interfere with Windows and cause various problems. Then try to disable the antivirus and check if this solves the problem. If disabling the antivirus does not solve the problem, try removing it and uninstalling the antivirus with a removal program.

Solution 6: Disable roaming sensitivity

If wifi is often disconnected, this may be due to the roaming sensitivity function, which allows the device to choose the network to connect to based on the signal quality. This, however, can lead to confusion on the system if there are two wifi networks available.

To disable the roaming function, search the Control Panel in the Start menu and open it. Then open the Network section to go to C within the network and sharing connections (in Windows 10, you can go to Settings> Network and internet and then scroll down the status tab to find the network connection centre).

In the left pane, press on Change adapter settings. Right-click on the wireless connection used, go to Properties and then Configure. Go to the Advanced tab and select Roaming Sensitivity and disable it (in many PCs this option will not be found).

After doing so, the PC will not automatically attempt to connect to other available wireless networks, and the problem with wifi should be solved entirely.

Solution 7: disable 802.11n mode

802.11n is the latest wireless standard that offers better range and transfer speeds. However, some older routers may not support this standard. To resolve the problem of frequent disconnections, try to disable 802.11n mode on the wireless card. To do this, follow the procedure of point 5 until you get to the Advanced tab, where among the options you can find the 802.11n mode which can be disabled. After disabling 802.11n mode, the wireless adapter will be forced to use one of the previous standards, and the problem should be solved.

Solution 8: change the channel on the router

If wifi is disconnected frequently, it may suffer from signal interference. In another article, we saw how to connect to the wireless channel of the Wifi network with the most potent signal explaining what it means.

In another guide, we saw how to change the wifi channel on the Fastweb modem , which is also suitable for other routers where, in the configuration panel, you will always find an option to choose the wifi channel to use.

Note that to avoid interference, it is always advisable to activate the 5 GHz network which compared to the standard 2.4 GHz wifi band is more comprehensive and has many free channels.

Solution 9: uninstall Intel Pro Wireless or other management software

If there are problems with the wifi, it is better to remove, if any, the entirely superfluous management program.

Then use the Windows utility to uninstall the programs and locate the Intel Wireless management software or any other to remove it.

Solution 10: block your PC from connecting to different networks

If you want to prevent the computer from connecting to other wifi networks, these can be blocked. To do this, you must launch command on Powershell or at the command prompt. Right-click the Start button on the Windows 10 desktop to open Powershell or command prompt with administrator rights and run this command:

netsh WLAN add filter permission = block ssid = “Network name” networktype = infrastructure

After executing this command, the specified wifi network will be blocked, and you can repeat this command for all the other wifi that is visible, and that is not used. After blocking most of the available wifi networks, the problem should be solved entirely.

This is a valid solution on fixed PCs, but not on laptops that are used in different places.

Solution 11: use Google DNS or other faster DNS

DNS can cause problems with wifi, to not take anything for granted, it is better to use a reliable DNS as the Google DNS explained in another article.

Solution 12: Set the connection as Private

A wifi network set to Public can have frequent disconnection problems. Then try to solve by reading the guide on how to make the system private at home.

Solution 13: Disable the Connect on the consumption function

The consumption connection serves to save bandwidth in case you have limited gigs for internet connection. When enabled, the association is severely restricted to prevent the PC from downloading too much data. In case we do not need the consumption connection and the wifi has problems, try to see if it is active in Settings> Network and Internet, on Manage public networks, press the name of the wifi network used and then turn off the switch.

FAQ & Answers

Why is my WiFi working intermittently?

•  Low signal quality received from your wireless router.
• Mismatched router and adapter settings.
• Computer adapter’s driver needs to be upgraded

Final Word

If we still have not solved anything and the wifi continues to be intermittent or slow, we will have to buy a new wifi router to replace the old one which could be obsolete or damaged by now.