How To Fix The Network Adapter That Keeps Disconnecting?

Having a Wi-Fi adapter for computers can be a lifesaver to keep you connected to your Wi-Fi. However, when your wireless network adapter keeps disconnecting, it can be very jarring and frustrating if you’re trying to stream something or work on a project.

A lot of the time, this can be because it is outdated or got misconfigured. 

Keep reading to learn some of why the wireless adaptor is disconnecting, whether a network adaptor can go bad, and some steps to fix your connection issues. Check out the best network adapters on Amazon that won’t let you down!

Why Does Your Wireless Network Adapter Keep Disconnecting?

The most common reason for a Wi-Fi adapter disconnecting is that it has a disfunctioning network driver.

You should first update this driver to see if that solves the disconnection problem, but it can sometimes be a time-consuming and frustrating process, so you may need to get outside help.

You can do this by right-clicking the Windows Start button and selecting Device Manager. Click on your wireless card and select Update driver. Select Search automatically for updated driver software and give Windows sime time to find and install any new drivers.

Another issue can be that you’re simply trying to connect to the wrong network. A lot of the time, network adapters can come up with unique names for the Wi-Fi, or it may be that there is a Wi-Fi signal close to your home or work that is close enough in the name that you’re mixing them up.

Ensure that you are picking the proper Wi-Fi signal.

Can a Network Adapter Go Bad?

Like all pieces of technology, eventually, your network adapter will break or fail. This could be because of worn-out internal hardware components from being used over the years, or it could be caused by some compatibility issues.

Some signs that your network adapter needs replacing are:

  • There aren’t any networks showing in the availability list.
  • The connection is frequently dropping.
  • You’re only getting low speeds for your Wi-Fi connection.
  • The light that indicates that the adapter is on isn’t turning on anymore.
  • You’re constantly getting pop-up error messages when using your network adapter.

How to Fix a Disconnecting Network Adapter?

Now that you have some ideas of why your network adapter isn’t working, you need to decide whether or not it is a problem with the adapter itself or if something is going on at the back end.

If it’s a hardware issue, then you need to replace your adapter with a new one, but if it’s a program issue, then there are a few things you can do.

You can also check switch your network profile from Public to Private. To do this click on the Wifi icon > Select your Network > Click Properties and then select Private.

How to Discover the Problem

The quickest way to figure out what exactly is going on with your Wi-Fi adapter is to run a Windows Network diagnosis.

To run one of these diagnoses, you need to right-click on the Wi-Fi icon on the bottom right of your screen in the taskbar. A menu will pop up with the option to troubleshoot problems, and the network Diagnostics will immediately start running. 

After the network diagnosis is over, it should give you any issues that it found, and you can start to fix those problems.

Sometimes all you have to do is follow the prompts from the windows Network Diagnostics, and it will prompt you through all the steps to fix the issue.

Other times it’ll just give you an idea of where exactly you need to start.

How to Change Your Adapter Options

Now that you have an idea of the actual issue, you may want to configure it for your adapter.

If you haven’t done this when you plug in the adapter, then that may be why you’re having issues, but it could also be that while updating your computer, the information is lost, and the adapter isn’t connecting correctly.

To configure your adaptor options:

  1. Right-click on your Wi-Fi connection on the bottom right of your screen in the taskbar.
  2. Click on the “Open Network & Internet Settings” option in the pop-up menu.
  3. Find the header “Change your network settings” in the new menu and click on the “Change adapter options.”
  4. Out of the list of Wi-Fi connections, find your network and right-click to get a new menu. 
  5. Click on “Properties.”
  6. On the Properties menu, click on “Configure.” 
  7. Click on the “Power Management” tab.
  8. Uncheck the box next to “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power” and then click “OK.”

This should automatically configure your computer for the specific Wi-Fi network you’re trying to connect to.

If you’re still having issues, then it may be that you need to uninstall your network adapter driver and reinstall it like it is a new piece of software that you’re using.

This will act as a bit of a soft reset for your adapter. 

Check Your Computer/Modem

Now that we have talked about the solutions for the adapter itself, the troubleshooting steps for your PC or laptop are also worth mentioning. Your adapter might be fine and the issue with the Wi-Fi connection can be caused by your PC.

We suggest first thing you do is to go to the Updates section and check if you have missed some important update, or the latest update didn’t get installed correctly. 

Your computer must be up-to-date in order for the network adapter to work properly.

Once you made sure of that, simply restart your computer so all the minor software glitches will get fixed. You can also power off your computer, disconnect it from the power cable, and leave it for a few hours as an alternative.

Don’t forget to restart your modem/router as well. Simply disconnect it from the power source, wait for 1 minute, plug it back in.

Conclusion

The reason your adapter is disconnecting is that the hardware of the adapter itself is old enough that it is causing some issues.

You can always try to replace your adapter if you have had it for several years. If you don’t think this is the issue, you want to run a diagnostic to figure out the problem.