Windows 11 Won’t Connect to WiFi or Keeps Dropping? Laptop-Side Fixes
No Wi-Fi button, a missing network, "Can't connect to this network" or constant drops: each has its own cause. Here's how to tell them apart and fix the PC side.
When Windows 11 won’t connect to WiFi, what you see narrows it down: no Wi-Fi button, a missing network, “Can’t connect to this network,” or a connection that keeps dropping. Each has its own fix, and free checks come first.
Windows 11 Won’t Connect to WiFi? Match the Symptom First
If Windows 11 won’t connect to WiFi but your phone joins the same network, the router works, though a setting may not suit this PC. Start on the PC: run the troubleshooter, forget and rejoin, then check the band, security type, power saving and driver. If no device can join, start with the router.
| What you see | Where to start |
|---|---|
| No Wi-Fi button | Airplane mode, adapter |
| Other networks show, yours doesn’t | Band and channel |
| “Can’t connect to this network” | Forget, check security |
| Won’t join a phone hotspot | Phone settings |
| Connects, then drops | Disconnect log |
| Connected, no internet | Wi-Fi connected but no internet |
Five Checks Before You Change Any Settings
If Windows 11 won’t connect to WiFi that other devices use, try these free checks first:
- Restart both ends once. Restart the PC and power-cycle the router.
- Test another device. If your phone fails too, suspect the router or password; for Android phones, see Android phone won’t connect to Wi-Fi.
- Run the troubleshooter. Microsoft’s first step is the Network and Internet troubleshooter in the Get Help app; its Wi-Fi troubleshooting page lists the rest.
- Pause VPN and security software. Either can block the join. On your home network only, turn it off for one attempt, then back on.
- Check updates. Install anything pending, over Ethernet or USB tethering if needed. If Microsoft’s Windows release health page lists no Wi-Fi issue for your version (Settings > System > About), suspect a driver that came with the update.
No Wi-Fi Button, or Your Network Isn’t Listed
If the Wi-Fi button stays off, press Windows key + A and turn off Airplane mode. No button at all points to the adapter: check for a Wi-Fi key or switch, then open Device Manager > Network adapters. A down arrow means it’s disabled (right-click it, then Enable device); a missing adapter needs the driver steps below.
When Windows 11 won’t connect to WiFi because your network never appears, check the band. In Command Prompt, run:netsh wlan show drivers
If Number of supported bands lacks 5 GHz or 6 GHz, the adapter can’t see that band (6 GHz also needs a Wi-Fi 6E driver and router). Don’t trust a missing 802.11ax under Radio types supported: that list follows the adapter’s Wireless Mode setting (Advanced tab), which can also filter a band out.
Depending on vendor and region setting, some adapters skip 2.4 GHz channels 12-13 (common outside North America) or are slow to find 5 GHz DFS channels (52-144). To test, set the router to channel 1, 6 or 11, or 36-48 on 5 GHz. Hidden network? Use Manage known networks > Add network.
Fix “Can’t Connect to This Network”: Forget, Re-enter, Retry
This is the usual message when Windows 11 won’t connect to WiFi it joined before. Go to Settings > Network & internet > Wi-Fi > Manage known networks, select the network, choose Forget, then reconnect and type the password.
Unsure of the password? See your Wi-Fi password on a connected device. If a password you’re sure of keeps failing, Microsoft suggests checking the router’s settings, rebooting it and updating its firmware; save a factory reset, which wipes its settings, for last.
After failed attempts, Windows may stop auto-connecting for a while; connecting by hand clears that. To delete a stuck profile (name from netsh wlan show profiles), use an admin Command Prompt:netsh wlan delete profile name="Your Network"
Then rejoin.
Security mismatches the router won’t report
If Windows 11 won’t connect to WiFi on one router but joins others, check these:
- WPA3-only router, older adapter. If
netsh wlan show driversdoesn’t list WPA3-Personal, the laptop can’t join a WPA3-only network. Set the router to WPA2/WPA3 Transitional, as Apple suggests for older devices. - WEP or TKIP. Windows warns on these, and Microsoft plans to block them. Switch the router or extender to WPA2 or WPA3 with AES.
- Random hardware addresses. They hide the PC’s real MAC address, which can trip a MAC filter, parental controls or a reserved address. Turn them off under Manage known networks > [your network] > Random hardware addresses.
Laptop Won’t Connect to Your Phone’s Hotspot
If Windows 11 won’t connect to WiFi on your phone’s hotspot but joins your router, most fixes are on the phone. Forget the hotspot on the laptop after each change.
iPhone
Turn on Allow Others to Join and stay on the Personal Hotspot screen until the laptop connects. On iPhone 12 or later, turn on Maximize Compatibility (Apple warns it can lower speed and security). The password needs 8+ ASCII characters, no accents or emoji; the network name is the phone’s name.
Keep Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings for last: Apple’s hotspot guide notes it also erases saved Wi-Fi networks and passwords, cellular, VPN and APN settings.
Android
On a Pixel, Data Saver must be off, and the hotspot shuts down when nothing is connected; to stop that, turn off Turn off hotspot automatically under Network & internet > Hotspot & tethering > Wi-Fi hotspot.
There, if the laptop’s netsh output lacks WPA3-Personal, set Security to WPA2/WPA3-Personal or WPA2-Personal, and pick 2.4 GHz or a compatibility option if offered. Names vary by maker and Android version: if Windows 11 won’t connect to WiFi shared by another Android brand, look for Band or AP band.
Windows 11 Won’t Stay Connected to Wi-Fi? Read the Disconnect Log
Before changing settings, see what Windows logged.
Build the report
In an admin Command Prompt, run:netsh wlan show wlanreport
It covers three days and prints the HTML file’s path; open it in a browser.
Read the summary
Red circles mark errors; session durations show whether drops cluster, say after you open the lid.
Check the reasons
Disconnect Reasons lists why sessions ended, and the adapter section shows the driver version and date. Microsoft explains each section.
Drops after sleep or on battery
In Device Manager, open the Wi-Fi adapter’s Properties and, on the Power Management tab if present, clear Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power. In Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options, choose Change plan settings > Change advanced power settings and, if listed, set Wireless Adapter Settings > Power Saving Mode to Maximum Performance.
On battery, Modern Standby laptops quiet networking during sleep, but Microsoft says the network should be ready on waking. If Windows 11 won’t connect to WiFi for minutes after waking, that’s a fault; powercfg /spr (as admin) builds a report whose Networking in standby field shows whether it stayed connected.
Drops when you move around
If Windows 11 won’t connect to WiFi reliably in some rooms, two saved networks may be fighting: an extender with its own name or a neighbor’s open network can pull the laptop back and forth. In Manage known networks, turn off Connect automatically when in range for the weaker one.
Longer term, follow Apple’s router advice: one network name and the same security settings on every router and band, and a 20 MHz channel width on 2.4 GHz, where Bluetooth and microwaves crowd the air.
Windows 11 Won’t Connect to WiFi After an Update? Fix the Driver
If Windows 11 won’t connect to WiFi after a recent update, roll the driver back: Device Manager > Network adapters > [Wi-Fi adapter] > Properties > Driver > Roll Back Driver (admin rights needed). If the button is grayed out, Windows kept no older driver, so use the clean reinstall below.
For a newer driver, use your laptop maker’s support page, not driver updater tools. Intel also offers generic drivers for its adapters; for Realtek, MediaTek or Qualcomm chips, the laptop maker is usually the only supported source.
Before a clean reinstall, save a backup driver to the PC or a USB stick, since you may have no internet afterwards. Then right-click the adapter, choose Uninstall device, tick Attempt to remove the driver for this device and restart.
Last resort: network reset
If Windows 11 won’t connect to WiFi after all of the above, Microsoft’s last step is a network reset, which can also help after a Windows 10 upgrade.
It removes every network adapter and its settings, then reinstalls them with defaults after a restart. VPN clients and Hyper-V virtual switches may need reinstalling, known networks may be set to Public, and you may need to re-enter Wi-Fi passwords.
The path is Settings > Network & internet > Advanced network settings > Network reset > Reset now > Yes. Save open work first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my PC not connecting to WiFi when my phone does?
When Windows 11 won’t connect to WiFi that a phone joins, the router works, but a setting may not suit the laptop. Check the PC’s saved profile, band, security type and driver, then router options like WPA3-only mode or MAC filtering.
Will a network reset delete my saved Wi-Fi networks and VPN?
Plan on it: adapters come back with default settings, so you may need to re-enter Wi-Fi passwords and set up your VPN client again.
Should I disable IPv6 if Windows 11 won’t connect to WiFi?
Not as a blanket fix. It doesn’t touch the causes in this guide, so read Disconnect Reasons in the wireless report first.
Still Failing? Look at the Router
If every device drops or none can join, reboot the router, update its firmware and check its security mode. If Windows 11 won’t connect to WiFi anywhere, even on a phone hotspot, go back to the driver steps.
If it joins but pages won’t load, see connected but no internet. More fixes are in our computer guides.
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