How to troubleshoot Wi-Fi issues on Windows 11

If you're experiencing this situation, follow these steps to fix Wi-Fi issues on Windows 11 quickly and effectively.

1. Quick start (Check Wi-Fi/Bluetooth bar, Airplane mode, physical switch)

1.1 Check if Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are turned on.

1. Look at the right-hand corner  of the taskbar ; if the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth icon is grayed out, click the icon => turn it back on via  Quick Settings  => make sure it's  turned On . If it still doesn't turn on, go to  Settings => select Network & Internet or Bluetooth & devices  to enable it.

2. If the icon is missing or you cannot enable it, go to  Control Panel => Network Connections  or  Device Manager , find the Wi-Fi adapter and select  Enable .

1.2 Ensure Airplane Mode is turned off

1. Click the network/volume icon in  the taskbar , then press the airplane mode button in  Quick Settings  to turn it off.

2. Alternatively, go to  Settings => Network & Internet => Airplane mode and switch it to  Off .

3. If you can't turn it off, open  Device Manager , disable  the Airplane Mode Switch Collection option  in  Human Interface Devices , and then turn it back on.

1.3 Check the physical switch (if any)

1. Some laptops have a Wi-Fi switch or Fn + F2 key combination to turn the wireless module on/off. Make sure this switch/key is in the  "On" position  , as per the manufacturer's instructions.

2. Run Network Troubleshooter

This is the first step to take when experiencing Wi-Fi problems, as this tool can automatically detect and fix many common errors before you need to intervene further.

How to do it:

1. Step 1. Press  Windows + I  to open  Settings , then select  System  =>  Troubleshoot .

1. Step 2. Click on  Other Troubleshooters , then find the  Network Adapter section .

1. Step 3. Click  Run  next to this item to launch the troubleshooter.

1. Step 4. Windows will automatically check your network card,  TCP/IP configuration, adapter , and may even suggest updating or repairing drivers if necessary.

After the process is complete, the troubleshooter will report the results of the applied solution, or provide specific instructions for further steps if the error persists.

3. Check your router/modem and test your LAN cable.

3.1 Restart your router/modem

1. Unplug both the modem and router, wait at least 30-60 seconds, then plug them back in. This will help the devices reconnect to your Internet service provider (ISP).

2. Check the LED indicator lights: if the error light is red or blinking abnormally, the device may be faulty or the ISP may be interrupted. Also, check that the power cord and WAN/LAN cables are securely plugged in.

3.2 Try connecting via LAN cable

Connect your computer directly to the router using an Ethernet cable.

1. If you still don't have internet, the problem could be with your modem, your ISP connection, or your modem's configuration.

2. If the internet connection is stable on the LAN but Wi-Fi isn't working, the problem lies with the router (Wi-Fi signal, wireless configuration, firmware, etc.).

4. Ping the router to identify the problem (router vs. signal).

Open  Command Prompt  with administrator privileges, type  ipconfig to search for  Default Gateway  (usually  192.168.x.1).

Type the command ping

Default Gateway

1. If you receive a reply  (e.g.,  Reply from 192.168.1.1: time=5 ms): the connection to the router is stable, the problem is most likely with  the modem or ISP .

2. If you experience a ping timeout or packet loss : your computer cannot connect to the router - this could be due to a weak/interfering Wi-Fi signal, a faulty Wi-Fi adapter, or a malfunctioning router.

5. Turn off the power saving mode on your Wi-Fi adapter.

1. Open  Device Manager => Network Adapter, right click => Properties => Power Management tab , uncheck  Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power .

1. You can further change this in  Power Options => Change advanced power settings => Wireless Adapter Settings  to switch to  Maximum Performance .

6. Re-enable the WLAN AutoConfig service.

The WLAN AutoConfig service   (display name: WLAN AutoConfig, system name: wlansvc) is a core component that helps Windows automatically detect, connect to, and manage wireless networks. If this service is disabled or not started, you will encounter errors such as Wi-Fi networks not appearing or not connecting automatically.

How to re-enable the service:

1. Step 1. Press the Windows + R key combination  , type `sudo apt-get install`  services.msc, and then press  Enter  to open the Services window.

1. Step 2. Scroll down to find  WLAN AutoConfig , then double-click to open the properties window.

1. Step 3. In the  General tab : 

- In the  Startup type section , if it's set to  Manual (Trigger Start)  (the default in Windows 11), just leave it as is unless you encounter problems with the service not starting automatically; if the service  doesn't run at startup , change it to  Automatic.

- If  the Service status  is Stopped, press  Start  to manually start the service.

1. Step 4. Press  OK , then  restart your computer  for the changes to take full effect.

7. Update your Wi-Fi driver via Device Manager.

A Wi-Fi driver is software that helps your computer communicate with your network adapter. If the driver is outdated or incompatible, updating it is crucial to ensure a stable connection.

1. Step 1. Right-click on  Start , select  Device Manager .

2. Step 2. Expand the  Network adapters section , then find your Wi-Fi adapter.

1. Step 3. Right-click on the adapter and select  Update driver .

1. Step 4. In the Update Drivers window, select  Search automatically for drivers  - Windows will automatically find and install the latest available drivers. If it doesn't find them, you can select  Browse my computer for drivers  if you have already downloaded the drivers from the manufacturer's website.

1. Step 5. After the update is complete,  restart your computer  to ensure the driver is applied correctly.

8. Delete the saved network (Forget Network) and switch to a private network.

Deleting  saved Wi-Fi networks and switching them to Private  mode   fixes old configuration errors, while also ensuring security and convenience when sharing internally between devices.

Delete saved networks (Forget Network):

1. Step 1. Open  Settings  (press  Windows + I ), go to  Network & Internet => Wi-Fi => Manage known networks .

2. Step 2. Find the network name you want to delete, press  Forget  to remove the previously saved configuration, forcing Windows to scan and connect as a new network the next time you enter the password.

Switch your network to Private mode:

1. Step 1. Still in  Settings => Network & Internet => Wi-Fi , select the network you are connected to and click to access details.

2. Step 2. In  Network profile type , select  Private  to enable data and print sharing between devices on the same LAN - suitable for home or small office networks.

9. Change DNS

To improve internet speed and stability, you can configure your computer to use a public DNS server like Google:

1. Step 1. Open  Settings  (press  Windows + I ), go to  Network & Internet , select  Advanced network settings , then click  More network adapter options  to go to the adapter management window.

1. Step 2. Right-click on the adapter you are using (Wi-Fi or Ethernet), and select  Properties .

2. Step 3. Select  Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4)  and click  Properties .

3. Step 4. Select "  Use the following DNS server addresses ," then enter:  Preferred DNS server :  8.8.8.8 or  Alternate DNS server : 8.8.4.4

1. Step 5. Click  OK  to save and close the window.

Note:  Google Public DNS ( 8.8.8.8,  8.8.4.4) is a popular, free, and stable option. Manually setting DNS helps reduce query latency, avoid errors caused by ISP's default DNS, and improve web browsing speed.

10. Change Wi-Fi frequency band

If your router broadcasts both  2.4 GHz  and  5 GHz , try switching bands:

1. 2.4 GHz typically has a long range and penetrates walls well.

2. 5 GHz offers high speeds but a shorter range.

Go to  Advanced  in the Properties of your Wi-Fi adapter if there is a band option.

11. Use Network Reset

If troubleshooting steps such as running a troubleshooter, updating drivers, checking the WLAN service, changing network modes, or configuring DNS still don't resolve the Wi-Fi issue, you should use the  Network Reset feature  to restore the entire network configuration.

Steps to follow:

1. Step 1. Press  Windows + I  to open  Settings .

1. Step 2. Select  Network & Internet , then click on  Advanced network settings .

1. Step 3. Scroll down and select  Network reset .

1. Step 4. Press the  Reset now button , then select  Yes  to confirm that you want to erase all network settings and allow the system to restart automatically.

Important note:

Network configuration lost : All adapters (Wi-Fi, Ethernet, VPN, proxy, DNS, static IP, etc.) will be uninstalled and reinstalled from scratch. After restarting, you will need:

1. Reconnect to Wi-Fi using the password.

2. Reconfigure your VPN, using a static IP address/DNS if applicable.

3. Reset any network virtualization such as Hyper-V if used.

Switching the network to Public mode : All connections are considered public by default, which increases security, but you may need to switch the network to Private mode to allow internal sharing or printing.

12. Run the netsh and ipconfig commands in Command Prompt.

If all previous troubleshooting steps (troubleshooter, driver updates, Network Reset, etc.) fail to resolve your Wi-Fi or Internet issues, you can use Command Prompt with administrator privileges to execute the following series of commands:

(netsh winsock reset, netsh int ip reset, ipconfig/release, ipconfig/renew, ipconfig/flushdns).

1. netsh winsock reset: Restores the Winsock catalog to its default settings, helping to fix issues related to sockets or non-standard connections.

2. netsh int ip reset: Restores the TCP/IP stack to its original state, fixing underlying configuration errors that cause connection loss.

3. ipconfig/release And  ipconfig/renew: Release and reassign IP addresses from DHCP, allowing the computer to receive a new IP address.

4. ipconfig /flushdnsClear DNS cache to fix outdated or incorrect domain name queries.

After entering all the above commands, you should restart your computer for all changes to take full effect.

13. Check for and install Windows Update.

1. Go to  Settings => Windows Update , select  Check for updates  , and install all relevant patches, drivers, and firmware.

2. Restart if necessary to complete the process.

Summary

Troubleshooting Wi-Fi issues on Windows 11 through steps ranging from running the network troubleshooter and updating drivers to resetting network configurations is an effective way to quickly restore connectivity. Among these, the Network Reset feature is particularly useful, easy to use, and suitable for many common error scenarios.

By following each step carefully, you can easily re-establish a stable connection, fix random errors, and avoid interruptions to your experience. If problems persist after performing these steps, you should check your router/modem, update to the latest Windows version, or contact TipsMake technicians for more in-depth support.