My laptop sometimes loses Wi‑Fi completely and won't let me enable the wireless connection again. The internet still works normally on my other devices, so the problem seems limited to the laptop. Restarting the computer and toggling the network driver haven't helped. Usually, the only thing that works is waiting a few hours. What could be causing this, and how can I fix it?
2 Answers
It may also be a compatibility or hardware problem with the wireless card. Check whether the issue changes when you move closer to the router, and try forgetting and reconnecting to the Wi‑Fi network. In the adapter’s power-management settings, disable the option that lets Windows turn off the device to save power. If an older driver does not help and the Wi‑Fi adapter disappears or refuses to enable, the card may be starting to fail; a USB Wi‑Fi adapter can help confirm that.
Since the other devices stay connected, this is probably a laptop Wi‑Fi adapter or driver issue rather than a problem with the whole network. Try installing an older version of the wireless adapter driver instead of the newest one. You can usually find previous versions on the laptop manufacturer’s support page, under the exact model. In Device Manager, you can also open the adapter’s Properties, check the Driver tab, and use Roll Back Driver if that option is available.
I’m not sure how to find an older driver, but I’ll check the laptop manufacturer’s support page and the adapter’s Driver tab.