Wi-Fi not working on Windows 11: how to fix it

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Wi-Fi problems on Windows 11 come either from the PC (adapter, driver, saved network, network stack) or from the router, modem or provider. Check another device first, then work through the fixes below from the simplest to the most drastic. A driver fix or a network reset solves most PC-side cases.

Applies to:Windows 11All builds
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What it means

"Wi-Fi not working" covers several different situations: Windows can't see any network, can't join one, drops the connection, or joins but shows no internet. The cause may be on the PC (adapter, driver, network settings, a saved network entry, power settings, a stopped service) or outside it (router, modem, internet provider).

The quickest way to split the problem in two is to try a phone or another computer on the same Wi-Fi. If they fail as well, the PC is probably fine and the fix is at the router or provider. If only this PC fails, the steps below go from harmless to more drastic, so stop as soon as Wi-Fi works.

If your problem is a more specific one (connected with no internet, no networks listed, the Wi-Fi option missing, or constant disconnections), the same steps apply, and the order below still works as a checklist.

Symptoms and causes

You are likely dealing with this problem if:

  • The Wi-Fi toggle or the Wi-Fi option is missing.
  • No networks appear in the list.
  • The network says Connected but there is no internet (limited connectivity).
  • The connection drops repeatedly or is very slow.
  • Windows reports an incorrect password or an authentication error even though the password is right.
  • Device Manager shows no network adapter, or the adapter is disabled.

The usual causes, most common first:

Router, modem or provider problem
Other devices on the same network also fail. This is the most common cause and nothing on the PC will fix it.
Wi-Fi or Airplane mode switched off
Wi-Fi is turned off in Windows, Airplane mode is on, or the laptop has a physical Wi-Fi switch that is off.
Stale or corrupt saved network
The saved entry for the network is out of date, for example after the Wi-Fi password was changed.
Damaged network stack or proxy setting
Winsock, TCP/IP, DHCP or DNS settings are corrupted, or a manual proxy is set. This typically shows as connected with no internet.
Bad, outdated or changed adapter driver
The driver is faulty or was altered by an update, or the adapter is disabled or missing from Device Manager.
Adapter power saving
Windows turns the wireless adapter off to save power, which causes drops.
WLAN AutoConfig service stopped
This service manages wireless connections; if it is not running, Wi-Fi does not work properly.
Band or channel issues
The adapter may not support the band the router uses, or the router's channel may be congested.

How to fix it

Work through these in order. They start with the quickest, safest checks and move to deeper repairs; stop as soon as the problem is gone.

1.Rule out the router and modem

Easy

If every device is offline, nothing on your PC needs changing.

  1. Connect a phone or another computer to the same Wi-Fi and see whether it has internet.
  2. If all devices fail, unplug the router and the modem and wait about 30 seconds.
  3. Plug the modem in first and wait for its lights to settle, then plug the router in and give it a few minutes.
  4. If your router offers both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks, try the other one.
  5. If it still fails on every device, contact your internet provider.

2.Check Wi-Fi, Airplane mode and the physical switch

Easy

A switched-off radio looks exactly like a broken adapter.

  1. Click the Network icon in the taskbar and make sure Wi-Fi is turned on.
  2. Open Settings > Network & Internet > Airplane mode and make sure it is off.
  3. On a laptop, look for a physical Wi-Fi switch or a function key for it and make sure it is on.

3.Forget the network and join it again

Easy

Removes a stale or corrupt saved entry, for example after a password change. Have the Wi-Fi password at hand.

  1. Open Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > Manage known networks.
  2. Select the network and click Forget.
  3. Reconnect to the network from the Wi-Fi list and enter the password.

4.Run the network troubleshooter

Easy

The built-in tool checks common settings and can fix some of them automatically.

  1. Open Settings > Network & Internet > Status and start the Network troubleshooter.
  2. Follow the prompts and restart the PC if it asks you to. The Network and Internet troubleshooter in the Get Help app is an alternative.

5.Reset the network stack with commands

Moderate

Repairs corrupted Winsock, TCP/IP and DNS settings, the usual cause of connected-but-no-internet.

  1. Open Command Prompt as administrator (right-click Start, open the terminal as administrator). If you see "Access is denied", the window is not elevated.
  2. Run these commands one after another:
    Command Promptrun as administrator
    netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /flushdns
  3. Restart the PC.
  4. Run ipconfig and check that the adapter now shows a valid IP address and a default gateway.

6.Check the proxy, gateway and DNS when there is no internet

Moderate

Narrows down whether the PC, the router or the provider is the problem.

  1. Open Settings > Network & Internet > Proxy and turn off any manual proxy you did not set up on purpose.
  2. Run ipconfig and note the Default Gateway address, then ping it (replace the placeholder with your address):
    Command Prompt
    ping <gateway>
  3. Replies mean the PC reaches the router, so the fault is likely the modem or provider. No replies: connect the PC by Ethernet cable and see whether the router is at fault.
  4. If ipconfig shows an address starting with 169.254, no address was handed out by DHCP, so check DHCP on the router.
  5. To check DNS, list the DNS servers and ping one of them. If the ping fails, change the DNS servers in the adapter settings.
    Command Prompt
    ipconfig /all | findstr /c:"DNS Servers"

7.Check the adapter and its power settings

Moderate

A disabled adapter, or one that Windows powers down, causes missing Wi-Fi and drops.

  1. Right-click Start, open Device Manager and expand Network adapters.
  2. If your wireless adapter shows Enable device, click it.
  3. Open the adapter's Properties > Power Management and clear Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power. Some adapters do not have this tab.
  4. Optionally, in Control Panel > Power Options > Change advanced power settings > Wireless Adapter Settings, set Power Saving Mode to Maximum Performance.
  5. In the adapter's Properties > Advanced tab, check the wireless mode or band setting matches what your router offers.

8.Restart the WLAN AutoConfig service

Moderate

Wi-Fi connections are managed by this service; if it is stopped, Wi-Fi fails.

  1. Press WinR, type services.msc and press Enter.
  2. Find WLAN AutoConfig and restart it. If it is stopped, set Startup type to Automatic and click Start.

9.Install Windows updates and compare the driver

Easy

A newer driver may already be available through Windows Update.

  1. Open Settings > Windows Update and click Check for updates. If Windows Update itself fails with an error code, see the related articles on this site, such as 0x80070643.
  2. In Device Manager, open the adapter's Properties > Driver and note the version and date. Compare them with the driver listed on your PC maker's support site.

10.Roll back or reinstall the adapter driver

AdvancedChanges settings

Fixes Wi-Fi that broke after an update, or a driver that is damaged.

Before you start: Download the driver from your PC maker's website before uninstalling, using another PC and a USB stick if this one has no connection. Avoid third-party driver-updater tools.

  1. If Wi-Fi stopped working after an update, open Device Manager > the adapter's Properties > Driver and click Roll Back Driver. If the button is grey, there is no earlier driver to go back to.
  2. To reinstall instead, right-click the adapter and choose Uninstall device, tick Attempt to remove the driver for this device, and confirm.
  3. Restart the PC. Windows should reinstall a driver automatically. If it does not, install the driver you downloaded from the PC maker.
  4. If the adapter is not listed, choose View > Show hidden devices, then Action > Scan for hardware changes.

11.Use Network reset

AdvancedChanges settings

A last resort that removes and reinstalls network adapters and restores network settings to defaults.

Before you start: Saved Wi-Fi passwords are lost, so have yours ready. VPN clients and Hyper-V virtual switches may need to be reinstalled or set up again, and networks may default to the Public profile.

  1. Open Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Network reset.
  2. Click Reset now, then Yes, and wait for the PC to restart.
  3. Reconnect to your Wi-Fi and enter the password.

Check that it worked

  • The Wi-Fi network joins and stays connected.
  • A web page loads in the browser.
  • ipconfig shows a valid IP address and a default gateway, not one starting with 169.254.

If it still fails

  • Test the PC on another Wi-Fi network (a phone hotspot works) and by Ethernet. If it fails everywhere, suspect the adapter or its driver; if only your home network fails, suspect the router or provider.
  • Collect details before asking for help: your Windows build (Settings > System > About) and the output of ipconfig /all.
  • If Wi-Fi broke right after a Windows update and the driver steps above did not help, removing that update is a last resort that some guides suggest. Check Microsoft's own instructions for uninstalling updates before trying it.
  • Contact your PC maker's support or Microsoft Support with those details, or your internet provider if other devices fail too.

Questions

Where is Network reset on Windows 10?

Windows 10 has it under Settings > Network & internet > Status > Network reset.

Sources

  1. Fix Wi-Fi connection issues in WindowsOfficial · Microsoft Support
  2. 10 Ways to Fix Wi-Fi That Isn't Working on Windows 11 · Help Desk Geek

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