Wi-Fi keeps dropping on Windows 11 22H2 — fix power saving

Nothing's more annoying than your Wi-Fi dropping in the middle of a Zoom call or while you're downloading a big file. I've seen this exact problem on dozens of Dell and Lenovo laptops running Windows 11 22H2. The fix is almost always the same.

The real fix: turn off power saving for your Wi-Fi adapter

Windows 11 has a hidden setting that cuts power to your Wi-Fi adapter to save battery. The problem is, it's too aggressive. It drops the connection even when the laptop is plugged in. Here's how to stop it.

1. Press Windows key + X and select Device Manager. You'll see a list of all your hardware.
2. Scroll down to Network adapters and click the arrow to expand it. You should see your Wi-Fi adapter. On most modern laptops, it shows as "Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz" or "Realtek 8822CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC."
3. Right-click your Wi-Fi adapter and choose Properties.
4. Click the Power Management tab. Don't worry if you don't see it at first — it's there.
5. You'll see a checkbox that says "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power." It's checked by default. Uncheck it.
6. Click OK to save.

After you click OK, you should see your Wi-Fi reconnect for a second. That's normal. It's just the adapter restarting with the new setting.

What if the Power Management tab is missing?

I've run into this on a few HP models. If you don't see the tab, your driver doesn't expose that setting. Don't panic — there's another way.

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator. Press Windows key + X, then choose "Terminal (Admin)."
2. Type this command and hit Enter:

   powercfg /attributes SUB_NETWORK_ADAPTER SLEEPPKTNONE 1

   That doesn't fix it yet. It just makes the hidden setting visible.
3. Now press Windows key + R, type control, and hit Enter to open Control Panel.
4. Go to Power Options and click Change plan settings next to your active plan.
5. Click Change advanced power settings.
6. Scroll down to Wireless Adapter Settings and expand it.
7. You'll see Sleep on Packet — set it to Disabled for both "On battery" and "Plugged in."
8. Click Apply and OK.

After this, your Wi-Fi shouldn't drop. I've seen this fix work on about 8 out of 10 cases where the Power Management tab was hidden.

Why this fixes the problem

Windows 11's default power management is designed to save battery by putting the Wi-Fi adapter to sleep when it thinks you're not using it. The problem is, it can't tell the difference between a brief pause in traffic (like when you're reading a page) and actual idle time. So it turns off the adapter, which breaks the connection. Unchecking the box tells Windows to leave the adapter alone, period. Your battery might drop by maybe 5% over a full day, but your Wi-Fi stays connected.

Less common variations of the same problem

Sometimes the power saving setting isn't the only culprit. Here are a couple of other things I've seen that cause the same symptoms:

Driver too old (or too new)

Windows Update sometimes pushes a driver that causes drops. I've seen it most often with Intel Wi-Fi 6 adapters on version 22.160.0.3 or older. Go to Device Manager, right-click your Wi-Fi adapter, select Update driver > Browse my computer for drivers > Let me pick from a list. If you see multiple driver versions, try an older one from 2022. The Intel driver version 22.150.1.1 is rock solid in my experience. If you only have one, download the latest from Intel's website.

Router's 5 GHz channel overlapping

If you're in an apartment building with tons of Wi-Fi networks, the 5 GHz channel your router uses might be crowded. I've fixed this by logging into the router and switching the 5 GHz channel to a less-used one. Use a free tool like Wi-Fi Analyzer (from the Microsoft Store) to see which channels are busy. Pick one with the fewest networks. This isn't a Windows setting, but it mimics the same symptoms — frequent drops, especially at peak hours.

Windows Fast Startup interference

Fast Startup, that hybrid shutdown thing, can mess with network adapters. I've seen Wi-Fi drop after resuming from sleep or shutdown. Disable it: go to Control Panel > Power Options > Choose what the power buttons do. Click Change settings that are currently unavailable, then uncheck Turn on fast startup (recommended). Reboot. This helped in maybe 1 out of 5 cases where Power Management alone didn't cut it.

How to prevent this from coming back

Once you've turned off power saving, you're mostly safe. But Windows updates can sometimes reset driver settings. I've seen that happen after a feature update (like upgrading from 22H2 to 23H2). Here's what I tell my clients:

• After every major Windows update, check the Power Management tab. If the checkbox is back, uncheck it again. Takes 30 seconds.
• Don't install optional drivers from Windows Update. They often cause more problems than they solve. Stick with the driver your laptop manufacturer provides.
• If you use a VPN, some VPN software (especially older versions of Cisco AnyConnect) can override your network settings. Disable any VPN for a day to see if the drops stop. If they do, update the VPN client.
• Keep your Wi-Fi driver simple. I recommend sticking with one driver version once you find one that works. Don't update just because a newer one is available. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

That's it. This fix has saved me hours of frustration with clients. Try it and your Wi-Fi should stay connected through your next meeting or movie.