After a batch of Windows security updates in mid-August, my desktop started showing as connected to our home Wi‑Fi while barely being able to access the internet. It is the only affected device in a household with more than a dozen others. Every 15 minutes or so, the connection works for a few seconds, then becomes unusable again. Occasionally it fixes itself without any obvious change and stays stable until the PC is restarted.
The PC was built in December 2024 and only connects over Wi‑Fi because it is not near the modem. I have already reinstalled or updated the Wi‑Fi drivers several times, disabled and re-enabled the adapter, reset Windows networking, flushed DNS, restarted the modem, contacted the ISP, tried guest Wi‑Fi, updated the BIOS, checked for malware, reconnected the antenna, tested a VPN, changed wireless modes, checked proxy settings, and installed the latest Windows updates. I also tried a USB Wi‑Fi adapter that works normally in another computer, but it has the same problem on this PC. Phone hotspot connections are slow but stable, and USB tethering from an Android tablet works reliably.
Booting a Linux-based operating system from a USB drive does not cause the problem, which makes me suspect something in Windows rather than the hardware or router. Interestingly, using the PC to create a hotspot for another device seems to stabilize the connection, although the speed is much lower than expected. I would prefer not to wipe the system without understanding the cause. Are there any Windows networking, driver, or update-related fixes I should try next?
4 Answers
Try disabling every relevant power-saving option, even if the adapter appears to be working normally. In the Wi‑Fi adapter’s Power Management tab, clear the option that allows Windows to turn off the device. In the active power plan, set PCI Express Link State Power Management to Off and USB selective suspend to Disabled, then reboot. These settings can sometimes cause intermittent connectivity, especially with PCIe or USB network adapters.
Since the same hardware behaves normally when booted into Linux, and even a separate USB Wi‑Fi adapter has the same symptoms only in Windows, this points strongly toward a Windows networking problem rather than the router or physical Wi‑Fi hardware. I would check Device Manager for warnings, remove the Wi‑Fi adapter completely, and install the manufacturer’s Windows driver rather than relying on Windows Update. It may also be worth checking whether the issue began with a specific recent update and temporarily uninstalling that update as a test.
The fact that phone tethering and the Linux USB boot work normally is useful evidence. Before doing a full wipe, compare the Windows and Linux results with a continuous ping: one test to your router and another to a public IP such as 1.1.1.1. If the router ping fails, the Windows adapter or local network stack is the problem. If the router responds but the public IP fails, look at Windows routing, DNS, firewall, or filter software. You can also inspect the Windows Event Viewer and run `netsh wlan show wlanreport` to generate a wireless report.
A repair install or rollback of the suspected Windows update may be safer than immediately wiping the computer. First create a restore point and back up important files. If the issue started directly after the security updates, uninstalling the relevant update or using System Restore can confirm whether Windows changed something that affects the network stack. A clean reinstall should be the last step, especially since the problem may return if the same driver or update is installed again.
I checked those settings already, and the power-saving options were disabled. Unfortunately, changing them did not make any difference.