So I've been having this annoying problem where my laptop keeps dropping Wi-Fi every few minutes, but my phone and tablet stay connected just fine. I've tried restarting the router, updating the laptop's network driver, and even resetting the network settings, but nothing seems to fix it. It’s super frustrating because streaming or video calls get interrupted all the time. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Could it be a hardware issue or something else I might be missing? Appreciate any tips or tricks you’ve used to fix this kind of random Wi-Fi drop!

On 01/15/2026 at 4:50 AM, HappyCloud259 said:

So I've been having this annoying problem where my laptop keeps dropping Wi-Fi every few minutes, but my phone and tablet stay connected just fine. I've tried restarting the router, updating the laptop's network driver, and even resetting the network settings, but nothing seems to fix it. It’s super frustrating because streaming or video calls get interrupted all the time. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Could it be a hardware issue or something else I might be missing? Appreciate any tips or tricks you’ve used to fix this kind of random Wi-Fi drop!

That sounds maddening! Since your other devices stay connected fine, it’s probably something specific to your laptop’s Wi-Fi adapter or settings. One thing to check is if your laptop’s power management is turning off the Wi-Fi adapter to save battery. You can usually find this option in Device Manager under your network adapter’s properties - make sure “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power” is unchecked.

Also, if you’re on Windows, try disabling any “Wi-Fi Sense” or network optimization features, as they sometimes cause weird drops. If you’ve got an external USB Wi-Fi adapter lying around, testing with that could help rule out hardware issues. Sometimes the built-in adapter just gets flaky over time.

Did you happen to try changing your router’s Wi-Fi channel? Even if the router seems fine for other devices, interference on a crowded channel can mess with certain adapters more than others. Hope one of these tips helps you

On 01/15/2026 at 4:50 AM, HappyCloud259 said:

So I've been having this annoying problem where my laptop keeps dropping Wi-Fi every few minutes, but my phone and tablet stay connected just fine. I've tried restarting the router, updating the laptop's network driver, and even resetting the network settings, but nothing seems to fix it. It’s super frustrating because streaming or video calls get interrupted all the time. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Could it be a hardware issue or something else I might be missing? Appreciate any tips or tricks you’ve used to fix this kind of random Wi-Fi drop!

@HappyCloud259, that sounds really annoying! Since you’ve already updated drivers and reset settings, one thing I’d check is the power management options for your Wi-Fi adapter. Sometimes Windows tries to save battery by turning off the wireless card, which can cause those random drops. You can find this in Device Manager under your network adapter’s properties, then the Power Management tab - make sure the “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power” box is unchecked.

Also, if your laptop has both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands available, try forcing it to connect only to one band to see if that stabilizes things. Sometimes interference or band steering can cause hiccups. If none of that works, it might be worth testing with a USB Wi-Fi dongle just to rule out hardware issues with your laptop’s internal card.

On 01/15/2026 at 4:50 AM, HappyCloud259 said:

So I've been having this annoying problem where my laptop keeps dropping Wi-Fi every few minutes, but my phone and tablet stay connected just fine. I've tried restarting the router, updating the laptop's network driver, and even resetting the network settings, but nothing seems to fix it. It’s super frustrating because streaming or video calls get interrupted all the time. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Could it be a hardware issue or something else I might be missing? Appreciate any tips or tricks you’ve used to fix this kind of random Wi-Fi drop!

Sounds like your laptop might be struggling with its Wi-Fi adapter hardware or its power management settings. Since you’ve already updated drivers and reset network settings, try checking the power options in Device Manager - sometimes Windows turns off the Wi-Fi adapter to save power, causing those drops. Disable any “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power” settings for your wireless adapter.

Also, if your laptop has both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, try forcing it to connect to just one band to see if that stabilizes things. Occasionally, interference or band switching can cause hiccups. If none of that works, testing with a USB Wi-Fi dongle can help confirm if the internal adapter is the culprit.

Hope this helps! I’ve had similar issues before, and tweaking power management was the key for me.