Why Does My Wi-Fi Keep Disconnecting? How to Find the Cause

When Wi-Fi keeps disconnecting, the cause is almost always in one of three places: a single device, your router, or your internet connection. The quickest way to narrow it down is to check whether one device drops or all of them do, then whether a computer plugged into the router with Ethernet drops too. This guide walks through that check, then the fixes Apple, Microsoft, Google and router makers recommend for each case.

It’s built from manufacturer and FCC documentation. Menu names vary by device and software version, so use these as a guide to what to look for.

First: is it one device, all devices, or the internet?

Microsoft, Google and Apple all suggest trying another device on the same network. If the other device stays connected, the problem is probably the first one. Apple adds that if you can’t get online using your other devices, “there might be a service outage,” and you should contact your provider.

A simple way to sort it out:

On Windows, you can also ping the router. Microsoft suggests running ipconfig to find the “Default gateway” address and then pinging it. Microsoft says replies mean there might be a problem with your modem or provider. If there are no replies, it suggests plugging the PC straight into the modem with Ethernet: if that works, the router is likely the problem.

If only one device keeps dropping

Windows laptops and PCs

Microsoft’s Windows 10 and 11 guide lists these fixes:

• Stop Windows switching off the adapter. In Device Manager, open Network adapters, open your Wi-Fi adapter’s Properties, and on the Power Management tab clear Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power. In the advanced power plan settings, set Wireless Adapter Settings > Power Saving Mode to Maximum Performance.
• Reinstall the driver. In Device Manager, right-click the adapter, choose Uninstall device, tick Attempt to remove the driver for this device, then restart. Windows reinstalls it. Intel, which makes many laptop Wi-Fi adapters, says “you can remedy many problems by updating drivers and software.”
• Forget the network and rejoin. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > Manage known networks and choose Forget.
• Network reset, as a last step. In Windows 11: Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Network reset. Microsoft says this removes and reinstalls your network adapters and returns their settings to defaults, so you may need to rejoin Wi-Fi and reinstall VPN software afterward.

iPhone and iPad

Apple’s current troubleshooting page suggests making sure Airplane Mode is off, removing VPN or security apps to test, restarting the router and modem, and trying the 5 GHz band if your router has one. Reset Network Settings (Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings) is the last resort; Apple says to use it “only if other solutions fail.”

Check Connectivity Assist too. Apple says it “uses cellular data to improve your connection when Wi-Fi is slow or unusable.” If your phone seems to leave Wi-Fi on its own, this may be why. Turn it off in Settings > Wi-Fi to test.

Android phones

Pixel phones have Auto-switch to mobile network under Settings > Network & internet > Adaptive connectivity. Google’s help page suggests turning it on; switching it off briefly is our suggestion for testing. Samsung Galaxy phones have Switch to mobile data under Settings > Connections > Wi-Fi > More options > Intelligent Wi-Fi; Samsung says that with it on, “your device will switch to mobile data whenever the Wi-Fi connection is unstable.” Turn the setting off temporarily to see whether Wi-Fi is really dropping.

Google also suggests booting a Pixel into safe mode. If Wi-Fi works in safe mode, a downloaded app is likely the cause.

Private Wi-Fi addresses

Many phones use a private, randomized Wi-Fi address instead of their hardware address; Apple devices use a different one on each network. eero says some devices’ randomized addresses “can change over time,” which can make a device appear offline, and suggests turning off Private Wi-Fi Address on iPhone or choosing Use device MAC on Android if a device keeps going offline. Apple doesn’t describe private addresses as a cause of drops, so treat this as a test, not a fix to leave in place.

If every Wi-Fi device keeps dropping

Weak signal

eero says plainly that “a weak signal can cause your device to drop offline or fail to connect.” Netgear lists weak signal first among its causes of disconnects. If drops happen mainly in far rooms, move the router to a central, open spot, or add a mesh point.

ASUS also suggests keeping the router away from microwave ovens, refrigerators, cordless phones and power boxes. Apple lists microwave ovens, cordless phones, power cables and fluorescent lights as common sources of interference, and notes that Bluetooth and Wi-Fi share the 2.4 GHz band.

Band steering and network names

Many routers now put 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz under one network name and steer devices between them. ASUS says a phone’s own band-preference settings can make its Smart Connect feature ineffective “or lead to frequent disconnections.” TP-Link lists Smart Connect “compatibility problems with certain client devices” as a cause of instability.

If one device keeps dropping or bouncing between bands, try turning band steering off so each band has its own name. Netgear’s disconnect guide takes the opposite view, listing separate band names as a possible cause, so treat this as a test and switch back if it doesn’t help. Our band steering guide shows where the setting is on major brands.

Netgear also lists using a “common or default WiFi network name” as a cause, and eero says conflicts can occur when your network shares a name with another nearby network. Give your network a unique name.

DFS channels on 5 GHz

Some 5 GHz channels are shared with radar, and routers using them must follow the FCC’s Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) rules. Under 47 CFR 15.407, a router must listen for radar for 60 seconds before using one of these channels. If it detects radar, it must stop transmitting on that channel within 10 seconds, and the channel is then off-limits for at least 30 minutes.

In practice, TP-Link says connected devices “will encounter disconnection” when the router moves to another channel, though the connection can be restored after a while. ASUS says radar detection “will cause connected WiFi clients to be disconnected from the network for a period of time,” and that 2.4 GHz keeps working meanwhile.

If your 5 GHz devices all drop at once for a short time, now and then, check whether your router is on a DFS channel. On ASUS routers, ASUS says to untick Auto select channel including DFS channels under Wireless > General, along with the 160 MHz option. Other brands use different menus. Our guide to changing your Wi-Fi channel covers the trade-offs. ASUS’s steps also turn off 160 MHz channels, so avoiding DFS can mean giving up the widest channel option.

Firmware, heat and scheduled reboots

• Firmware. TP-Link says “outdated firmware can cause wireless instability,” and ASUS asks users to make sure firmware is up to date. Apple recommends turning on automatic firmware updates.
• Heat. TP-Link says “overheating is a common trigger for automatic reboots.” Xfinity advises keeping its gateways off carpet and out of enclosed cabinets where the vents are blocked.
• Schedules. TP-Link says to check whether an Auto Reboot schedule is turned on. Many Netgear Nighthawk routers have a wireless schedule that can turn Wi-Fi off at set times, and eero can pause devices or limit new devices that haven’t been assigned to a profile. If drops happen at the same time each day, check for these.

Security mode mismatches

Apple recommends WPA3 Personal, or WPA2/WPA3 Transitional “for compatibility with older devices.” Google takes a more cautious line for its Nest Wifi routers: “Some legacy WPA2 devices may be incompatible with WPA3 and experience connection issues when WPA3 transition mode is on.” ASUS also says some older devices can’t use WPA3.

So if an older device keeps dropping after you turned on WPA3 or mixed mode, switching that network to WPA2 is a reasonable test. Our WPA2 vs. WPA3 guide explains the security trade-off.

If the internet itself keeps dropping

If a computer wired to the router loses internet at the same time as everything else, the problem is upstream. Check your provider first. Xfinity, for example, shows outages in its app, on its outage map, and by text if you send “OUT” to 266278.

Then restart in order. Netgear’s steps: power off the modem and router, remove any backup battery, wait two minutes, turn the modem on and give it about five minutes to connect, then turn the router on. Microsoft gives a shorter wait of at least 30 seconds. If the modem’s lights still look wrong after a restart, contact your provider.

If drops keep coming back, see our guide to fixing slow Wi-Fi for testing your connection.

Sources and verification

Bottom line

Find out what’s dropping before changing settings. One device points to that device’s power and Wi-Fi settings. Every Wi-Fi device points to the router: signal, band steering, DFS channels, firmware and heat. Everything including wired points to your provider. Fix one thing at a time so you know which change worked.