Wi-Fi works normally on every other device in the house, but my laptop shows as connected while internet-based apps load indefinitely or respond extremely slowly. The connection works perfectly when I use Ethernet. I do not have a VPN or proxy enabled. I have tried changing between Google and Cloudflare DNS, flushing the DNS cache, switching from 2.4 GHz to 5 GHz, restarting the router several times, and leaving it powered off for about 20 minutes, but nothing has helped. What else should I check?
2 Answers
Try booting the laptop from a Linux live USB and select the option to try it without installing. Connect to Wi-Fi and browse for a few minutes. If internet access works normally there, the hardware is probably fine and the issue is likely a Windows driver, setting, or installed security program. If it is still slow, hardware or compatibility becomes more likely.
Check the laptop's Wi-Fi driver first. Use the manufacturer's support page or the operating system's optional updates to install the newest driver. You can also remove the adapter from Device Manager and reinstall it. If it uses an Intel Wi-Fi card, Intel's driver utility may help identify an update.

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