My Windows 11 PC uses an Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz adapter. The 5 GHz connection can work normally for hours or days, including during gaming, but then suddenly stops passing internet traffic and Windows reports "No internet, secured." During the failure, DHCP does not provide a normal IPv4 address; the PC assigns itself a 169.254.x.x address and has no default gateway. The same PC continues working over 2.4 GHz, and the AX201 also works with my iPhone hotspot, so the adapter is not completely unusable. The 5 GHz connection sometimes recovers on its own, while reconnecting, disabling and re-enabling the adapter, releasing and renewing DHCP, forgetting the network, and using Windows Network Reset have not consistently helped. A router reboot helped once temporarily. Other devices in the house continue using the home 5 GHz network normally. The adapter is running driver version 23.150.0.4 from June 12, 2025, and I have not yet reinstalled or updated it. Does this point more toward an AX201 driver or 5 GHz compatibility problem, an access-point configuration issue, or failing hardware? What tests should I try next?
3 Answers
Since other devices continue using the same 5 GHz network while this PC fails, the problem is more likely specific to the AX201, its driver, or its interaction with the access point rather than a general internet outage. Updating or reinstalling the Intel wireless driver would be a good first step. The driver package can also include firmware for the adapter, so you usually install that through Intel or your PC manufacturer rather than updating firmware separately.
Test the 5 GHz connection from another device while the PC is showing the 169.254.x.x address. If phones, televisions, and other computers still work, that helps isolate the issue to this Windows adapter or its interaction with the router. Because the PC has worked reliably for years and the failure affects only this particular 5 GHz connection, signal range alone seems less likely, especially if the router is only one room away.
Check the adapter’s power-management settings in Device Manager. Open the AX201 properties, look under Power Management, and disable any option that allows Windows to turn off the device to save power. Also review the adapter’s Advanced settings for aggressive power saving. This is worth testing, although the DHCP-specific failure could still be a driver or access-point compatibility problem.
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