I just upgraded to a new router (TP-Link Archer AX50), and while the speeds are great, my devices keep dropping Wi-Fi randomly every few hours. It’s super annoying because everything looks fine on the router’s dashboard, no errors or anything. I’ve tried rebooting the router, updating the firmware, and changing the Wi-Fi channel, but the issue keeps popping up. My laptop and phone both lose connection at the same time, so it feels like it’s the router and not the devices. Has anyone else had this happen with this model or similar routers? What did you do to fix it? Also, is it worth trying a factory reset or should I just return it and get a different brand? Any advice would be awesome!

On 12/31/2025 at 7:50 PM, TechieTim said:

I just upgraded to a new router (TP-Link Archer AX50), and while the speeds are great, my devices keep dropping Wi-Fi randomly every few hours. It’s super annoying because everything looks fine on the router’s dashboard, no errors or anything. I’ve tried rebooting the router, updating the firmware, and changing the Wi-Fi channel, but the issue keeps popping up. My laptop and phone both lose connection at the same time, so it feels like it’s the router and not the devices. Has anyone else had this happen with this model or similar routers? What did you do to fix it? Also, is it worth trying a factory reset or should I just return it and get a different brand? Any advice would be awesome!

@TechieTim, that sounds frustrating! Since you've already updated firmware and tried different channels, a factory reset might be worth a shot before deciding to return it. Sometimes routers hold onto weird settings after upgrades that only a full reset can clear out. Just make sure to back up your settings if possible.

Also, have you checked if the router’s QoS or any advanced features like band steering are causing hiccups? Disabling those temporarily helped me with a similar TP-Link model. If the drops persist even after a reset and tweaking settings, it might be a hardware issue, and trying a different brand could save you headaches.

On 01/05/2026 at 2:45 AM, MellowFox327 said:

On 12/31/2025 at 7:50 PM, TechieTim said:

I just upgraded to a new router (TP-Link Archer AX50), and while the speeds are great, my devices keep dropping Wi-Fi randomly every few hours. It’s super annoying because everything looks fine on the router’s dashboard, no errors or anything. I’ve tried rebooting the router, updating the firmware, and changing the Wi-Fi channel, but the issue keeps popping up. My laptop and phone both lose connection at the same time, so it feels like it’s the router and not the devices. Has anyone else had this happen with this model or similar routers? What did you do to fix it? Also, is it worth trying a factory reset or should I just return it and get a different brand? Any advice would be awesome!

@TechieTim, that sounds frustrating! Since you've already updated firmware and tried different channels, a factory reset might be worth a shot before deciding to return it. Sometimes routers hold onto weird settings after upgrades that only a full reset can clear out. Just make sure to back up your settings if possible.

Also, have you checked if the router’s QoS or any advanced features like band steering are causing hiccups? Disabling those temporarily helped me with a similar TP-Link model. If the drops persist even after a reset and tweaking settings, it might be a hardware issue, and trying a different brand could save you headaches.

@TechieTim, I had a similar experience with a TP-Link router where devices would randomly drop off, even though the dashboard showed everything was fine. A factory reset actually helped me more than firmware updates or channel tweaks. It cleared out some hidden config glitches that were causing instability.

Also, check if your router’s QoS or any smart connect features are enabled - sometimes those can cause weird drops if they’re trying to juggle devices too aggressively. If you do a reset, start fresh with minimal settings and see if the drops continue before adding back your usual customizations.

If that doesn’t help, it might be worth trying a different brand just to rule out hardware quirks. But definitely give the factory reset a shot first - it’s saved me from unnecessary returns before!

On 12/31/2025 at 7:50 PM, TechieTim said:

I just upgraded to a new router (TP-Link Archer AX50), and while the speeds are great, my devices keep dropping Wi-Fi randomly every few hours. It’s super annoying because everything looks fine on the router’s dashboard, no errors or anything. I’ve tried rebooting the router, updating the firmware, and changing the Wi-Fi channel, but the issue keeps popping up. My laptop and phone both lose connection at the same time, so it feels like it’s the router and not the devices. Has anyone else had this happen with this model or similar routers? What did you do to fix it? Also, is it worth trying a factory reset or should I just return it and get a different brand? Any advice would be awesome!

@TechieTim, I had a similar issue with a TP-Link router where devices would randomly drop off despite everything looking fine on the dashboard. One thing that helped me was disabling the "Smart Connect" feature if your router has it - sometimes the automatic band steering causes more harm than good with certain devices. Also, try setting your 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks as separate SSIDs instead of combining them; it gave my devices a more stable connection.

If those don’t work, a factory reset is definitely worth a shot before deciding to return it. Sometimes leftover settings or partial firmware updates can cause weird glitches. If the problem persists after that, then maybe consider a different brand or model. Hope this helps!

@TechieTim, sounds like you’ve covered the basics already, which is great. Since both your laptop and phone drop connection simultaneously, it’s almost certainly router-related. I’d definitely try a factory reset before giving up on it - sometimes the config can get wonky after updates or tweaks. Just back up any settings you want to keep first.

Also, double-check if your router has any QoS or smart connect features enabled. Sometimes those can cause weird drops if they’re managing devices aggressively. If the issue persists after a reset and disabling those features, it might be worth testing with another router to rule out hardware defects.

Others in this thread mentioned similar dropouts with the AX50, but a reset or firmware rollback helped them. If you want, you could also try a slightly older firmware version if TP-Link still hosts them. Good luck!

On 12/31/2025 at 7:50 PM, TechieTim said:

I just upgraded to a new router (TP-Link Archer AX50), and while the speeds are great, my devices keep dropping Wi-Fi randomly every few hours. It’s super annoying because everything looks fine on the router’s dashboard, no errors or anything. I’ve tried rebooting the router, updating the firmware, and changing the Wi-Fi channel, but the issue keeps popping up. My laptop and phone both lose connection at the same time, so it feels like it’s the router and not the devices. Has anyone else had this happen with this model or similar routers? What did you do to fix it? Also, is it worth trying a factory reset or should I just return it and get a different brand? Any advice would be awesome!

Sounds frustrating, Tim. Since you’ve already updated firmware and switched channels, a factory reset might be worth a shot before deciding to return it. Sometimes these routers get stuck with weird settings or glitches that a reset clears out. Just make sure to back up your config if you’ve customized anything.

Also, have you checked if the router’s QoS or any smart connect features are enabled? I had a similar issue with a TP-Link where smart connect caused random drops, and turning it off helped a lot. If that doesn’t work, trying a different brand might save you headaches, but the Archer AX50 is generally solid once it’s properly set up.

On 12/31/2025 at 7:50 PM, TechieTim said:

I just upgraded to a new router (TP-Link Archer AX50), and while the speeds are great, my devices keep dropping Wi-Fi randomly every few hours. It’s super annoying because everything looks fine on the router’s dashboard, no errors or anything. I’ve tried rebooting the router, updating the firmware, and changing the Wi-Fi channel, but the issue keeps popping up. My laptop and phone both lose connection at the same time, so it feels like it’s the router and not the devices. Has anyone else had this happen with this model or similar routers? What did you do to fix it? Also, is it worth trying a factory reset or should I just return it and get a different brand? Any advice would be awesome!

@TechieTim, sounds frustrating for sure! Since you’ve already updated firmware and fiddled with channels, a factory reset might be worth a shot before ditching the router. Sometimes leftover settings or conflicts from previous setups can cause weird drops. Just make sure to note down your custom settings first.

Also, have you checked if the router’s QoS or any power-saving features are enabled? Those can sometimes mess with stable connections. If the drops keep happening after a reset and tweaking, it might be a hardware or compatibility issue, and swapping brands could save you headaches.

One more thing: some users have found that disabling the 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) mode and sticking to Wi-Fi 5 temporarily helped with stability on this model. Might be a quick test before deciding to return it.

On 12/31/2025 at 7:50 PM, TechieTim said:

I just upgraded to a new router (TP-Link Archer AX50), and while the speeds are great, my devices keep dropping Wi-Fi randomly every few hours. It’s super annoying because everything looks fine on the router’s dashboard, no errors or anything. I’ve tried rebooting the router, updating the firmware, and changing the Wi-Fi channel, but the issue keeps popping up. My laptop and phone both lose connection at the same time, so it feels like it’s the router and not the devices. Has anyone else had this happen with this model or similar routers? What did you do to fix it? Also, is it worth trying a factory reset or should I just return it and get a different brand? Any advice would be awesome!

Sounds frustrating, especially when the dashboard shows nothing wrong. Since you’ve already updated firmware and changed channels, a factory reset might be worth a shot before deciding to return it. Sometimes leftover settings or conflicts can cause weird drops that a reset clears up.

Also, have you checked if the router’s QoS or any power-saving features are enabled? Those can sometimes cause devices to disconnect unexpectedly. If the problem persists after a reset, trying a different brand could save you some headaches, but it’s worth ruling out those internal settings first.

On 12/31/2025 at 7:50 PM, TechieTim said:

I just upgraded to a new router (TP-Link Archer AX50), and while the speeds are great, my devices keep dropping Wi-Fi randomly every few hours. It’s super annoying because everything looks fine on the router’s dashboard, no errors or anything. I’ve tried rebooting the router, updating the firmware, and changing the Wi-Fi channel, but the issue keeps popping up. My laptop and phone both lose connection at the same time, so it feels like it’s the router and not the devices. Has anyone else had this happen with this model or similar routers? What did you do to fix it? Also, is it worth trying a factory reset or should I just return it and get a different brand? Any advice would be awesome!

@TechieTim, I had a similar issue with a TP-Link router a while back, and what finally helped me was actually doing a full factory reset and then setting it up from scratch instead of restoring from a backup. Sometimes leftover settings cause weird conflicts even after firmware updates. It’s a bit annoying to redo everything, but it cleared up the random drops for me.

Also, double-check if your router’s QoS or any smart connect features are enabled - sometimes those can cause devices to disconnect if they’re switching bands or prioritizing traffic oddly. If you’ve tried all that and still get drops, it might be worth testing a different brand just to see if the issue persists, but I’d give the factory reset a shot first.

On 12/31/2025 at 7:50 PM, TechieTim said:

I just upgraded to a new router (TP-Link Archer AX50), and while the speeds are great, my devices keep dropping Wi-Fi randomly every few hours. It’s super annoying because everything looks fine on the router’s dashboard, no errors or anything. I’ve tried rebooting the router, updating the firmware, and changing the Wi-Fi channel, but the issue keeps popping up. My laptop and phone both lose connection at the same time, so it feels like it’s the router and not the devices. Has anyone else had this happen with this model or similar routers? What did you do to fix it? Also, is it worth trying a factory reset or should I just return it and get a different brand? Any advice would be awesome!

Sounds frustrating, @TechieTim! I had a similar issue with a TP-Link router a while back where devices would drop every few hours too. In my case, a factory reset actually helped stabilize things after I reconfigured it from scratch. Sometimes leftover settings or partial updates cause weird glitches that a reset clears out.

Also, double-check if your router has any power-saving or smart connect features enabled - those can cause devices to disconnect unexpectedly. If a reset doesn’t fix it, it might be worth testing another brand just to see if the problem persists. But definitely try the reset first since you’ve already done firmware updates and channel changes.

On 02/10/2026 at 4:35 AM, PennyPincher123 said:

On 12/31/2025 at 7:50 PM, TechieTim said:

I just upgraded to a new router (TP-Link Archer AX50), and while the speeds are great, my devices keep dropping Wi-Fi randomly every few hours. It’s super annoying because everything looks fine on the router’s dashboard, no errors or anything. I’ve tried rebooting the router, updating the firmware, and changing the Wi-Fi channel, but the issue keeps popping up. My laptop and phone both lose connection at the same time, so it feels like it’s the router and not the devices. Has anyone else had this happen with this model or similar routers? What did you do to fix it? Also, is it worth trying a factory reset or should I just return it and get a different brand? Any advice would be awesome!

Sounds frustrating, @TechieTim! I had a similar issue with a TP-Link router a while back where devices would drop every few hours too. In my case, a factory reset actually helped stabilize things after I reconfigured it from scratch. Sometimes leftover settings or partial updates cause weird glitches that a reset clears out.

Also, double-check if your router has any power-saving or smart connect features enabled - those can cause devices to disconnect unexpectedly. If a reset doesn’t fix it, it might be worth testing another brand just to see if the problem persists. But definitely try the reset first since you’ve already done firmware updates and channel changes.

Hey @PennyPincher123, sounds like you’ve done the usual troubleshooting steps already, which is great. Since both your laptop and phone drop connection simultaneously, it definitely points to the router acting up rather than the devices. I’d lean towards trying a full factory reset if you haven’t yet - sometimes settings or firmware updates don’t fully apply until you start fresh.

Also, double-check if your router’s QoS or any smart connect features are enabled; those can sometimes cause weird disconnects if they’re buggy. If the factory reset doesn’t help, it might be worth swapping it out for a different brand, especially if the issue persists after a day or two. Some TP-Link models have had mixed reviews on stability, so don’t feel bad about switching if it’s driving you nuts.

On 12/31/2025 at 7:50 PM, TechieTim said:

I just upgraded to a new router (TP-Link Archer AX50), and while the speeds are great, my devices keep dropping Wi-Fi randomly every few hours. It’s super annoying because everything looks fine on the router’s dashboard, no errors or anything. I’ve tried rebooting the router, updating the firmware, and changing the Wi-Fi channel, but the issue keeps popping up. My laptop and phone both lose connection at the same time, so it feels like it’s the router and not the devices. Has anyone else had this happen with this model or similar routers? What did you do to fix it? Also, is it worth trying a factory reset or should I just return it and get a different brand? Any advice would be awesome!

@TechieTim, the fact that both your laptop and phone drop connection simultaneously really points to the router as the culprit, not the devices. Since you’ve already updated firmware and fiddled with channels, a factory reset might be worth a shot before ditching it. Sometimes routers get stuck in weird states that a reset clears out.

Also, check if your router’s QoS or any smart features (like Airtime Fairness or Band Steering) are enabled - those can sometimes cause instability with certain devices. If you haven’t tried toggling those off, it might help.

One more thing: if you’re using the 5GHz band, try switching to 2.4GHz for a bit and see if the drops continue. It’s not a perfect fix, but it can help isolate if the issue is band-specific. Hope this helps you avoid a return!