8 Best Ways to Fix Windows 10 Network Connection Issues

An internet connection is essential when working from home or enjoying web-based content. Sometimes, you may notice a short delay or no internet error even when connected to Wi-Fi. If you are experiencing this frequently on your Windows 10 computer and laptop, you should definitely fix it to enjoy uninterrupted work and entertainment.

First, you can check if you are experiencing network connection problems with your LAN or router or if you are getting a message about network problems. After confirming that the problem is not network connectivity, you should troubleshoot it.

We’ve compiled the following helpful troubleshooting tips to help you fix Windows 10 network connectivity issues.

1. Check Power Connection

The first thing you should check is the reliability of the power adapters that come with routers and modems. While most are reliable, you never know when these adapters will stop working consistently. The only way to test this is to use it with another compatible option or have the power lines tested.

And whenever there is a power outage, your modem and router will stop working. This means that the Wi-Fi signal is lost and you may have to manually turn them on after the power is restored.

2. Restart Your Modem and Router

Just like restarting your computer, you can do the same for your modem and router. Restarting these devices clears the old cache and DNS data. Go ahead and restart your computer, modem and router. If the modem or router is having a problem, it won’t work properly after rebooting and that’s how you can tell if there’s a problem.

Have you installed a new firmware update on your router or modem and not rebooted? You must reboot these devices to apply the new firmware update changes.

Stage 1: Press and hold the power button on your router for 30 seconds.

Step 2: When it is completely off, disconnect all cables and wait at least 30 seconds.

Stage 3: Reconnect the power cable and ethernet cables. Boot the router and modem.

Once it starts, if you have another computer or phone, try going online on that device. If it’s connected to the internet, you’re perfectly fine, but if not, there may be a problem with your equipment or your ISP.

Still encountering network connection issues? You can continue to narrow down the problem with the following troubleshooting options.

3. Check Physical Connections

Do you still have network problem even after restarting your devices? Before diving into the settings and testing, you can check if the ethernet cables are properly connected to the modem and router.

If you are using an ethernet cable to connect to your router, be sure to unplug it and check closely for any damage. If your laptop has a wireless switch (function + wireless symbol key), you can use it several times to successfully enable wireless.

After verifying a suitable connection, check the modem and adapter. Are the green lights on your router or modem flashing? If no lights flash after rebooting, the device may have difficulty operating normally. And in this case, you may need to get a replacement or a new one.

4. Forget the Wi-Fi network

When you forget a network (which you connected) and add it again, Windows 10 treats it as a completely new network.

If network name conflicts are making it difficult to connect your Windows 10 computer to the internet, manually forcing your device to forget a few of them may fix the problem and get you online.

When you forget a network connection, the Wi-Fi network profile is removed from your computer. Follow the steps below.

Stage 1: Select the Wi-Fi network icon on the right side of the taskbar.

Step 2: Click on Network and Internet settings.

Stage 3: Select Wi-Fi, then select Manage known networks.

Step 4: Select the network you want to forget and then select Forget.

Then select the Wi-Fi icon in the taskbar and try to connect again.

5. Run the Network Troubleshooter

If you can no longer connect to the network, you can use the troubleshooter to diagnose and get rid of some common connection problems.

Use the steps below to use the Network troubleshooter in Windows 10.

Stage 1: Open the Settings app on your Windows 10 device.

Step 2: Go to Update & Security > Troubleshoot.

Stage 3: Go to Additional troubleshooters > Incoming Connections and run the troubleshooter.

6. Turn Off Firewall

As ridiculous as this may sound, the default Windows Firewall can prevent your computer from connecting to the Internet. You can temporarily disable the Windows Firewall. Go through the steps below.

Stage 1: Press the Windows button.

Step 2: Search for Windows Security and click on Firewall and network protection.

Stage 3: Click on Private network.

Step 4: Turn off the Microsoft Defender Firewall toggle switch.

Step 5: Open a browser and see if you can connect to the Internet. Try loading different web pages to verify if the issue is resolved.

You can use the same positive steps to re-enable the firewall, make sure the Firewall status is enabled.

7. Update Network Adapter Drivers

If you see the error message that you can’t connect to the network while trying to establish a network connection, your network adapter drivers are probably out of date. So you can check the Network Driver your Windows operating system is using.

Stage 1: Right-click the start button and select Device Manager from the pop-up menu.

Step 2: Go to Network Adapters from the Device Manager applet.

Stage 3: Select Ethernet Network connection and right click to select Properties.

Step 4: On the General Tab you can find the name of the Driver and the name of the company that supplied it. So you can download using another computer from relevant Driver manufacturer like Intel or using your phone with mobile data.

Step 5: After transfer this driver to your computer. Repeat steps 1-3 and you should select Update driver instead of clicking Properties.

After that, you can browse to the location where you saved the Ethernet driver (unarchived form) and install it.

8. Disable Third-Party Antivirus Software

A third-party antivirus or malware can also cause Windows 10 network connectivity problems. You can temporarily disable that antivirus program to check if it is causing the problem.

If none of these solutions help you get back online, you may have a network outage in your area. You can reach your ISP’s customer service and create a support ticket.

Be online

It is frustrating if you do not encounter frequent internet errors and network problems on your Windows 10 computer. Often unknown software or the latest Windows update can cause the network connection to act funny.

Next: Are you often encountering blurry text in Windows 10? Read the post below to learn how to fix blurry text in Windows 10.