Since there are so many factors responsible for connecting your Windows 11 PC to the Internet, straight from a router to the drivers on your PC, troubleshooting can become quite a chore. But if you approach it right, it shouldn't take that long.
How to fix Wi-Fi not working on Windows 11
We have prepared this guide to help you do just that. So, let's get straight to the point.
REBOOT THE PC
Before trying the advanced solutions, you can try restarting your PC to see if it helps. This will close all apps and processes running in the background and prevent them from interfering with Windows 11 operations.
RESET NETWORK SETTINGS
If restarting your PC doesn't help, you can consider resetting the network settings on your Windows PC. This will remove all of your network adapters and reset the network settings to their default value. Here's how to do it.
- Press Windows key + I to launch the Settings app. Switch to the Network and Internet tab on the left and go to Advanced Network Settings.
- Under Other Settings, click Network Reset.
- Finally, click the Reset Now button next to Network Reset.
Wait for the process to complete and restart your PC to see if this fixes the problem.
DISABLE THE CONSUMPTION CONNECTION
If you're short on an Internet plan or are using a rental portable Wi-Fi device, you may have asked Windows to mark your connection as metered. This can prevent apps on the Windows 11 PC from accessing Wi-Fi once that limit is reached. Therefore, you can try to disable it by following the steps below.
- Open the Settings app by pressing Windows key + I. Switch to the Network & Internet tab and click on Wi-Fi.
- Open the properties of the Wi-Fi network you are trying to connect to.
- Turn off the switch next to the metered connection option.
RUN THE TROUBLESHOOTING TOOL
Your Windows 11 has a number of troubleshooting tools that can help you detect and fix system-wide problems on your own. Here's how to use it to fix Wi-Fi problems on Windows 11.
- Click the Search icon from the system tray, type the troubleshooting settings and press Enter.
- Go to More Troubleshooting Tools.
- Under Most Frequent, run the Internet Connection Troubleshooter.
Wait for the process to complete and see if this fixes the Wi-Fi issue.
UPDATE WI-FI DRIVER
The Wi-Fi drivers on Windows are responsible for connecting the PC to the Internet. And it is normal for these Wi-Fi drivers to become out of date if you have disabled automatic updates. Therefore, you can try to update them to fix Wi-Fi problems on Windows 11. Here's how.
- Click the Search icon from the system tray, type Device Manager and click the first result displayed.
- Expand Network Adapters, right-click the Wi-Fi driver and choose the Update Driver option.
From there, follow the on-screen instructions to update the Wi-Fi driver for Windows 11.
REINSTALL THE WI-FI DRIVER
If updating the drivers doesn't help, the Wi-Fi drivers on your PC may be corrupted. If so, you will need to reinstall them to fix the Wi-Fi issue. To do it:
- Open Device Manager on your PC.
- Expand the network adapters.
- Right-click on the Wi-Fi adapter and choose the Uninstall Device option.
Once removed, restart your PC and Windows will automatically reinstall the Wi-Fi drivers.
CLEAR DNS
If you are unable to access the Internet despite being connected to a Wi-Fi network, you can download and renew the DNS or Domain Name System on your PC. That's how.
- Right-click the Start menu and choose Windows Terminal (Administrator) from the resulting menu.
Run the following commands one by one.
netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset
ipconfig / release
ipconfig / renew
ipconfig / flushdns
Once applied, restart your PC for the changes to take effect and check if the internet is working properly.
UPDATE WINDOWS
Finally, if all of the above methods fail, you can try updating your PC. Wi-Fi issues on Windows 11 may be limited to the particular version of Windows you are using. Therefore, you can try to check for new updates by visiting the Windows Update section within the Settings app.
