My Laptop Keeps Dropping WiFi

Wireless networks can much more convenient than dragging Ethernet cords around to keep your laptop online, but with wireless networks you can have problems maintaining your network connection, and that's almost never a problem with wired networks. If you're having difficulty keeping your laptop online over a wireless network, you should consider a few common causes and solutions to try to correct the issue.

Distance

The most obvious cause of Wi-Fi connection problems is the distance between your laptop and the router. The farther you are from the router, the weaker the signal will be, and if the signal is too weak, your laptop will frequently drop its connection. If possible, move your laptop closer to the router or move the router closer to you. Check the wireless signal strength by clicking on the wireless network icon in the notification area in the bottom-right corner of your screen. Depending on your laptop's current setup, the icon is either five bars indicating the potential signal strength of a wireless network or the icon is the image of a monitor and an Ethernet cord.

Interference

Electronic devices can cause interference to a Wi-Fi signal, even if those objects aren't particularly large. Monitors, televisions, computer equipment and cordless phones can all interfere with your wireless network, making it difficult for your laptop to maintain its connection. If possible, move all of those types of objects away from your laptop and router. Of course, large objects can also interfere with your signal. This is true of walls and, to a lesser extent, furniture and metal objects like filing cabinets. Keep the router and your laptop away from those as much as possible.

Outdated Drivers

"Drivers" are the instructions your laptop uses to interact with its own hardware, like its video card and its Wi-Fi antenna, and updated drivers can improve performance in some cases. You have to be online to look for new drivers, so you may need to use an Ethernet cable if your Wi-Fi is unreliable. Click the "Start" button on your laptop and select "Control Panel," then "System and Security," then "Device Manager." Select the "Network adapters" option; then right-click your wireless antenna from that list. The exact name of the antenna depends on the manufacturer, but you should see the word "wireless" somewhere. Select "Update Driver Software ..." to begin searching for updates to the drivers. Follow any on-screen prompts to install them.

Antenna Problems

The network problem could be due to your laptop's or router's antenna, and if you replace one or both, your network may become more reliable. Usually internal laptop antennas work well, but if yours is old or damaged, its performance could be significantly reduced. Other laptop antenna options include USB antennas and PC card antennas, if you have a PC card slot. You may want to purchase one of these to see if performance improves. For routers, internal antennas are usually not replaceable, but you can often replace external ones with more powerful or directional antennas. If you replace your router's antenna, buy one for your router's exact model, and buy it from a reputable seller. Ideally, you should purchase it from the router's manufacturer.