Fix WiFi keeps dropping on Windows 11 22H2

Your WiFi is cutting out every couple of minutes. Here's why.

You're in the middle of something—maybe a Zoom call, maybe a game—and your WiFi drops. You wait a few seconds, it comes back, then drops again. This is a known issue on Windows 11 22H2, especially with Intel WiFi 6 AX201 and Realtek 8822CE adapters. The culprit? Windows' aggressive power-saving logic. It tells your wireless card to take a nap even when you're actively using the internet. Microsoft hasn't fully fixed it in updates, so you have to fix it yourself.

The real fix: disable power saving on your WiFi adapter

This is the first thing you should try. It works in 9 out of 10 cases.

Press Windows Key + X and select Device Manager.
In Device Manager, expand Network adapters. You'll see your WiFi card listed—something like "Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6 AX201 160MHz" or "Realtek 8822CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC."
Right-click your WiFi adapter and select Properties.
Go to the Power Management tab.
Uncheck the box that says "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power."
Click OK.

After you click OK, the change takes effect immediately. You don't need to restart. Now test your connection—open a browser, load a few pages, or stay on a video call for 10 minutes. The drops should stop.

Why this works

Windows 11 has a feature that tells your WiFi adapter to go into a low-power state when it thinks the connection is idle. But it's bad at telling the difference between "idle" and "I have a background download running" or "I'm on a voice call." When the adapter goes to sleep, Windows loses the connection to your router. It then wakes up, reconnects, and the cycle repeats. By unchecking that power-saving box, you force the adapter to stay awake and maintain a steady link. Simple. No driver magic needed.

When that doesn't work – other fixes to try

Sometimes the power-saving setting is already off, or it doesn't fully fix it. Here are three more things that close the gap.

1. Update your WiFi driver – but only the right way

Don't rely on Windows Update for this. Go directly to the manufacturer's website. For Intel cards, use the Intel Driver & Support Assistant. For Realtek, go to your laptop maker's support page (HP, Dell, Lenovo) and grab the latest driver for your exact model. A driver from 2022 is often the whole problem. Install the new one, reboot, then test.

2. Reset your network stack with a couple of commands

If drivers don't fix it, your network settings might be corrupted. Run these commands in an elevated Command Prompt (right-click Start, select Windows Terminal (Admin)):

netsh winsock reset
netsh int ip reset
ipconfig /flushdns
ipconfig /release
ipconfig /renew

After you hit Enter on the last command, restart your PC. This clears out any junk in the network stack and forces your adapter to get a fresh DHCP lease. After reboot, your IP address will be new, and the drops often stop.

3. Disable 802.11n mode (only for some Realtek cards)

This is a niche one, but I've seen it work on HP laptops with Realtek 8822CE. Go back to Device Manager, right-click your WiFi adapter, Properties, then Advanced tab. Find 802.11n Mode (might be called "HT Mode" or "Wireless Mode"), set it to Disabled, then OK. This forces the adapter to use slower but more stable protocols. Your top speed will drop (maybe from 300 Mbps to 150 Mbps), but the connection won't drop.

Less common causes that look like WiFi drops

I've also seen cases where the drop isn't the WiFi at all—it's the router. Before you spend hours on your PC, restart your router. Unplug it for 30 seconds, plug it back in, wait 2 minutes for it to fully boot. If the drops disappear, your router was the problem. Also check for channel congestion: if you live in an apartment building with 20 networks all on channel 6, that alone can cause intermittent drops. Download a free tool like WiFi Analyzer, see what channels are crowded, then log into your router's admin page and switch to a less-used channel (like 1 or 11 for 2.4 GHz, or a random 5 GHz channel).

Prevention – stop this before it starts again

Once you've got a steady connection, lock it down. Do three things:

Turn off Windows' power-saving for the adapter permanently – you already did this, but check again after any major Windows update. Updates have a nasty habit of re-enabling it.
Set a static IP address for your PC on your router. This prevents DHCP lease conflicts that can cause brief drops. Log into your router (usually 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1), find DHCP reservation, and assign your PC's MAC address a fixed IP.
Keep your driver updated – but only from the manufacturer. I check every 3 months. An outdated driver is the second biggest cause of random drops after power saving.

That's it. You shouldn't have to mess with registry keys or third-party tools. Start with the power-saving box, and 90% of the time you're done. If not, work through the other steps in order. Your WiFi will stay connected.