With Windows 11, Microsoft brought a design overhaul to the operating system. However, its core functionality remains the same and some problems continue to exist. One such issue that remains consistent across all versions of Windows is the Wi-Fi connectivity issue.
Troubleshooting can become quite a daunting task as many factors are responsible for connecting your Windows 11 computer to the internet, from the router to the drivers on your computer. But if you approach it the right way, it shouldn’t take that long. We’ve created this guide to help you do just that. So let’s go towards it.
1. Restart the Computer
Before trying the advanced solutions, you can try restarting your computer to see if it helps. This will close all apps and processes running in the background and prevent them from interfering with Windows 11 processes.
2. Reset Network Settings
If restarting the computer does not help, you may consider resetting the network settings on your Windows PC. This will remove all your network adapters and reset your network settings to their defaults. Here’s how to do it.
Stage 1: Press Windows key + I to launch the Settings app. Switch to the Network & internet tab on your left and go to Advanced network settings.
Step 2: Under Other settings, click Network reset.
Stage 3: Finally, click the Reset now button next to Network reset.
Wait for the process to finish and restart your computer to see if the issue has been resolved.
3. Disable Metered Connection
If your internet package is low or you are using a rented portable Wi-Fi device, you may have asked Windows to mark your connection as Metered. This can prevent apps on your Windows 11 PC from accessing Wi-Fi when this limit is reached. So, you can try to disable it by following the steps below.
Stage 1: Open the Settings app by pressing Windows key + I. Go to the Network and internet tab and click on Wi-Fi.
Step 2: Open the properties of the Wi-Fi network you are trying to connect to.
Stage 3: Turn off the switch next to the metered connection option.
4. Run the Troubleshooter
Your Windows 11 has a number of troubleshooters that can help detect and fix system-level problems on their own. Here’s how to use it to fix Wi-Fi problems in Windows 11.
Stage 1: Click the Search icon from the Taskbar, type troubleshooting settings and press Enter.
Step 2: Go to other troubleshooters.
Stage 3: Under Most frequent, run the Internet Connections troubleshooter.
Wait for the process to finish and check if this fixes the Wi-Fi issue.
5. Update Wi-Fi Driver
Wi-Fi drivers in Windows are responsible for connecting your computer to the internet. It’s common for these Wi-Fi drivers to be out of date if you’ve disabled automatic updates. So, you can try updating them to fix Wi-Fi issues in Windows 11.
Stage 1: Click the Search icon from the Taskbar, type Device Manager and click on the first result that appears.
Step 2: Expand Network adapters, right-click on the Wi-Fi driver and select Update driver.
From there, follow the onscreen instructions to update the Wi-Fi driver for Windows 11.
6. Reinstall Wi-Fi Driver
If updating the drivers does not help, the Wi-Fi drivers on your computer may be corrupted. In this case, you need to reinstall them to fix the Wi-Fi issue. To do this, open Device Manager on your PC. Expand Network adapters, right click on your Wi-Fi Adapter and select Uninstall device.
Restart your computer after removal; Windows will automatically reinstall the Wi-Fi drivers.
7. Clear DNS
If you are connected to a Wi-Fi network but cannot access the internet, you can clear and refresh the DNS or Domain Name System on your PC. Here’s how.
Stage 1: Right click on the start menu and select Windows Terminal (Admin) from the menu that appears.
Step 2: Execute the following commands one by one.
netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew
ipconfig /flushdns
Once applied, restart your computer for the changes to take effect and see if the internet is working fine now.
8. Update Windows
Finally, if every method above fails, you can try to update your computer. Wi-Fi problems in Windows 11 may be limited to the version of Windows you’re on. So, you can try checking for new updates by visiting the Windows Update section in the Settings app.
Reconnected
Access to the Internet allows you to do much more on your PC. I hope the solutions mentioned above helped you fix Wi-Fi issues in Windows 11.