I'm using a Windows 11 laptop, and my otherwise fast Wi-Fi periodically becomes unusably slow. The spikes seem to happen roughly once a minute, although I haven't measured the timing precisely. They interrupt calls and make online games impossible. I've tried several solutions found online without success. The issue might also affect my phone, but I haven't used it on this network long enough to confirm. What should I check to find the cause?
3 Answers
The type of internet service matters here. Cable and fiber connections usually point toward local Wi-Fi interference, router problems, or a faulty adapter, while fixed wireless or 5G service can have recurring signal or congestion issues. Note the exact time and duration of each spike and compare another device during the same event before replacing hardware.
Start by checking whether this is limited to the laptop or affects the whole network. During a spike, run a continuous ping to your router’s local address and another to a public address such as 1.1.1.1. If both show timeouts, the Wi-Fi connection or router is the problem. If only the public ping spikes, it may be your ISP or upstream connection. Testing your phone at the same time can help separate a device issue from a network-wide one.
Since this is on Windows 11, check the laptop’s Wi-Fi adapter settings and driver. Update or reinstall the wireless driver, then look in the adapter’s power-management settings and disable any option that allows Windows to turn it off to save power. Also test both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks if your router provides them; interference on one band can cause recurring freezes.
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