Before changing any settings, answer two questions. They tell you where the problem is:
| What you see | Where to look |
|---|---|
| Only one device drops; others stay connected | That device |
| All Wi-Fi devices drop at once; a wired device stays online | The router or Wi-Fi |
| Everything loses internet, including a device plugged into the router | The modem or your provider |
| Drops happen only in certain rooms | Coverage |
This table is Router Academy’s diagnosis; the fixes below follow Microsoft, Apple and router-maker guidance.
Question 1: one device or all of them?
When the drop happens, check another device in the same place. Apple’s rule of thumb applies: if other devices can connect, the router and network are working.
Question 2: is it Wi-Fi or the internet that’s dropping?
If you can, keep one computer or console connected to the router by Ethernet. If it loses internet at the same moments as your Wi-Fi devices, the Wi-Fi isn’t the problem; the connection behind the router is. If the wired device stays online while Wi-Fi devices drop, the problem is the Wi-Fi.
If only one device drops
Windows laptops and PCs. Microsoft’s fixes for Wi-Fi that keeps dropping start with power settings: in Device Manager, open the network adapter’s properties and untick “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power”, and in the advanced power settings set the wireless adapter’s power saving mode to Maximum Performance. If that doesn’t help, Microsoft suggests uninstalling the Wi-Fi adapter driver and restarting so Windows reinstalls it. A network reset goes further: it reinstalls your network adapters with default settings.
iPhone and iPad. As a last resort, Reset Network Settings clears all saved Wi-Fi networks and passwords, as well as cellular, VPN and APN settings, so you’ll need to rejoin your networks afterwards.
Band steering. If your router puts all bands under one network name and moves devices between them, a device’s own preferences can fight it. ASUS notes that a device’s built-in network preferences may make its band steering ineffective or lead to frequent disconnections.
If all Wi-Fi devices drop
- Restart, then update. Restart the modem and router. Both Microsoft and Apple suggest it. Then update the router’s firmware, as Apple advises, and turn on automatic firmware updates if your router supports them.
- Check for radar channels (5 GHz). Part of the 5 GHz band is shared with radar. Routers using 5.25–5.35 GHz or 5.47–5.725 GHz must detect radar and avoid operating on the same channel as a radar system. Intel notes that several 5 GHz channels may be restricted at times because of weather or airport radar.
- Look for interference (2.4 GHz). TP-Link lists microwaves, Bluetooth devices and USB 3.0 devices as sources of 2.4 GHz interference. Drops that happen when the microwave runs point here.
If drops happen only in some rooms
Devices at the edge of coverage drop when the signal fades. That’s a coverage problem, not a fault: see Wi-Fi dead zones for how to find the cause and fix it.
If everything loses internet, wired devices included
The drops are happening between your router and the internet. Check whether a device plugged straight into your modem or gateway also loses connection. If it does, contact your provider. Modem vs router vs gateway explains which box does what.
If your connection stays up but is slow, Slow Wi-Fi is the better starting point. For how the bands differ in range and reliability, see 2.4 GHz vs 5 GHz vs 6 GHz.