My Windows 11 PC uses an Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz adapter. The 5 GHz connection can work normally for hours or even days, including during gaming, but then suddenly stops passing internet traffic and Windows reports "No internet, secured." When this happens, the adapter fails to receive a DHCP IPv4 address and assigns itself a 169.254.x.x address without a default gateway. The same PC still works on my 2.4 GHz network, and the AX201 also works with my iPhone hotspot while the home 5 GHz connection is failing. The 5 GHz connection sometimes starts working again on its own, and reconnecting, restarting, disabling and re-enabling the adapter, resetting Windows networking, and renewing DHCP have not consistently helped. A router reboot helped once but not reliably. Other devices 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 updated or reinstalled it. Does this sound more like an AX201 driver or 5 GHz compatibility problem, an access-point configuration issue, or failing hardware? What should I test next?
4 Answers
The distance explanation seems unlikely by itself if the connection was stable for roughly three years and other devices remain fine. Signal strength can still be checked, but the sudden DHCP failure makes a compatibility or configuration change more plausible. Compare the router’s event log with the Windows WLAN report at the time of failure, then try a router firmware update and a manually selected non-DFS 5 GHz channel.
Check the adapter’s power-management settings in Device Manager and disable any option that allows Windows to turn it off to save power. Also review the advanced AX201 settings, especially preferred band, roaming aggressiveness, transmit power, and 802.11ax mode. As a diagnostic test, try disabling Wi-Fi 6/802.11ax or forcing the adapter to use 802.11ac, and test a fixed 5 GHz channel rather than Auto. If that stops the failures, the issue is likely a driver or access-point compatibility problem rather than dead hardware.
A 169.254.x.x address means DHCP failed; it is not primarily a DNS problem. Since 2.4 GHz and the phone hotspot work on the same adapter, total hardware failure is less likely. Still, test the computer close to the router and try a different 5 GHz channel or temporarily disable features such as DFS, band steering, WPA3-only mode, and 160 MHz channel width. If the problem follows the AX201 to another access point, suspect the adapter or driver. If it only happens with the home router, focus on its firmware and 5 GHz configuration.
First compare what happens on another device at the exact moment the PC fails. If phones, TVs, and other computers continue using the 5 GHz network, the router and radio are probably still functioning, which points more toward the AX201, its driver, or an interaction between that adapter and the access point. Updating or reinstalling the Wi-Fi driver from Intel or the computer manufacturer would be a good next step. The driver package may also include firmware for the adapter; there usually is not a separate firmware updater to run manually.
All of my other devices continue working on the 5 GHz network when this PC loses access, so I’ll start with a clean driver update.