Windows 11 comes with many offline features, but the most important ones usually need an internet connection that’s stable. A glitch in the internet connectivity can be disruptive and annoying.

If you’re facing internet connection problems in Windows 11, first check if other devices, like a smartphone or tablet, have internet connectivity. If they don’t, chances are that current outage in your locality or your router is to blame.

But if other devices have stable internet connectivity, you are likely to be facing a software-related issue. There are plenty of ways to fix internet connection problems arising from software-related issue. However, a trial-and-error approach may be needed to find the right fit. Here are 9 solutions you can try.

Solution 1 – Restart the computer (making sure the Wi-Fi is switched on)

When a computer error occurs, the first thing experts recommend is to restart the device. We advise you start here as well.

The reason is pretty simple: many issues, including internet-connectivity problems can be triggered by software processes that conflict with each other, get stuck or use more system resources than they normally do. Rebooting the computer clears these processes and starts them afresh.

However, before you restart, check whether the Wi-Fi is switched on or not. It is possible that you (or someone else using your computer) might have turned it off accidentally. Here’s how to check if the Wi-Fi is switched on:

• Type settings in the search bar in the taskbar and hit Enter

• Click Network & Internet in the left-side pane and make sure the Wi-Fi toggle in the right-side pane is turned on

Solution 2 – Disable and re-enable Wi-Fi adapter

Your internet connectivity problem could also be related to Wi-Fi adapter’s settings. Sometimes, Windows updates change settings as well, including those of your Wi-Fi adapter. Therefore, it’s worth trying disabling and re-enabling the Wi-Fi adapter.

• Type settings the Search bar and press Enter
• Click Network & Internet in the left-side pane
• Click Advanced network settings in the right-side pane

• Under Network adapters section, click Disable next to W-Fi and then click it Enable

Solution 3 – Reset known networks

If the issue still persists, we recommend you try resetting known networks. Here’s what you need to do:

• Type settings in the Search bar and hit Enter
• Click Network & Internet
• Click Wi-Fi in the right-side pane
• Click Manage known networks

• Click the Forget button next to your network

• Click the back button
• Click Show available networks in the right-side pane

• Select your usual network and then click the Connect button

• Enter the network security key

Solution 4 – Run a connection test

The internet connection problem could also be due to issues between the system and router. Checking whether the problem is linked to the internet provider is rather easy.

• Type cmd in the search bar in the taskbar and hit Enter
• In the Command Prompt window, type ipconfig and hit Enter

• Find the Default Gateway
• Now type ping followed by the Default Gateway

• If there’s no issue with the internet provider, you’ll see that 4 packets were sent and received. If this information is not there, you can safely conclude that the problem is probably linked to the provider
• Close Command Prompt

Solution 5 – Reset networking stack

The next solution in the list requires you to reset the networking reset. To do so, you must launch an elevated command prompt.

• Type command prompt in the search bar and then right-click Command Prompt in the search results and select Run as administrator

• • Click Yes in the User Account Control Window
• In the Command Prompt window, type the following commands one-by-one and hit Enter after each command
• netsh winsock reset
• netsh int ip reset
• ipconfig /release
• ipconfig /flushdns

Solution 6 – Run Windows 11 troubleshooter

Windows 11 come with a pre-built troubleshooter that can is good enough to handle many common issues. If the previous solution have not worked for you, we recommend you run the Windows troubleshooter.

• Type settings in the search bar in the taskbar and then hit Enter
• Click System in the left-side pane
• Scroll down and click Troubleshoot in the right-side pane

• Click other troubleshooters under the Options section

• Click the Run button next to Network and Internet under the Most frequent section

Solution 7 – Update network adapters driver

With Device Manager — a built-in utility in Windows — you can update device drivers even when you’re offline, provided the latest driver version is present on your system.

• Type device manager in the search bar in the taskbar and hit Enter
• In the Device Manager window, locate and expand Network adapters
• Right-click each device listed in this section and select Update driver

• Click the first option: Search automatically for drivers

• Windows will automatically install the latest version of the driver if it is able to find one on your system
• You’ll need to update the driver for each device listed in the Network Adapters section this way

If you feel that manually updating device drivers via Device Manager is cumbersome, you’re not alone. It indeed is time-consuming, especially if you have to update more than one device drivers. For this reason, we recommend you use a third-party tool to keep your drivers up-to-date. While there are many such tools on the market, we like Driver Updater the best. More information on this software and the download link is shared at the end of the post.

Solution 8 – Roll back to previous driver version

Sometimes a new driver version — not the old one — is the problem. So, if the problem has occurred after a recent driver update, check whether reverting to previous version does the trick.

• Type device manager in the search bar in the taskbar and hit Enter
• Expand Network adapters
• Right-click the device whose driver you have recently updated, and click Properties

• In the properties dialog box, click the Driver tab and then click Roll Back Driver and OK

Solution 9 – Uninstall the network adapter and then reinstall it

To do this, perform the following steps:

• Type device manager in the search bar in the taskbar and hit Enter
• Expand Network adapters
• Right-click your network adapter and select Uninstall device

• Close the Device Manager and restart your computer
• Upon restart, Windows will automatically detect and install the correct driver

Solution 9 – Temporary disable the antivirus program

Antivirus programs can interfere with other programs and processes, causing various issues, including disruption of internet connectivity. Therefore, it’s worth disabling the antivirus program temporarily to check whether this is the case or not. The process varies depending on the antivirus program you’re using, but for pre-installed Microsoft Defender it is pretty simple.

• Type settings in search bar in the taskbar and hit Enter
• Click Privacy & Security and then Windows Security
• Click Virus & threat protection
• Click Manage Settings
• Toggle the Real-time protection switch to the “off” position

Now, check if this fixes the problem. Keep in mind that you need the real-time protection. Otherwise, you’ll be at a much greater risk to cyber attacks. If the problem disappears after you’ve disabled Microsoft Defender (or any other antivirus software that you’re using), consider switching to a different antivirus tool.

Well, that’s about it. We hope one of these solutions work for you. Leave us a comment below if you need additional help and share this post so others can benefit.

Before we wind up the today’s article, here’s more information about Driver Updater and why using it is a smart move.

Automatic driver update tools offer many benefits, the most important ones being:

• You can update device drivers automatically
• The software scans and updates all outdated or missing drivers at one go
• The tool picks the right drivers for your device and operating system, so you won’t have to worry about installing an incorrect driver by mistake
• Automatic driver updates are 100% safe

Driver Updater is one of the best driver update tools out there. Outbyte Driver Updater will give you access to a database of over 1 million drivers. It will regularly scan your PC, suggesting new driver versions to install. Driver Updater contains drivers for a variety of Windows devices. With just one click, you can update drivers in your system.

Step 1
Click here to Install and launch the app

Step 2
Scan all devices

Step 3
Install or update drivers automatically

 

Start Download