Internet connection drops (Wi−Fi/Mobile data timeout) (Windows)

The operating system installed on our devices is far more complex than it seems. It's made of a wide range of tasks and processes that work together to achieve a desired outcome. What we actually see is a tip of an iceberg. Maybe a process on your device that became unresponsive and usurped your device's memory and hardware (Wi-Fi module, mobile data, etc.) is responsible for Internet timeouts.

To unblock the stuck processes, restart your device and check if the issue reoccurs, once it's powered back on.

It is possible that the router itself is the reason why the Internet connection drops. Maybe it has been overloaded, or maybe there has been a micro down-time after which the router didn't reconnect to the network.

There are lights on every router which tell you whether the Internet connection is active or not, or misbehaving. If you notice that the lights are not working properly, as per suggested in your router's manual, the best solution is to restart the router. The easiest way to restart the router is to unplug the power cord from the power outlet and wait for a couple of minutes. After that, plug it back in the outlet and your Internet access should be restored.

Maybe the ISP (Internet service provider) you are subscribed to experiences technical difficulties, which they may not be aware of. Contact them and let them know of the issue, and they will work on addressing it. Once the issue is out of the way, your Internet connection should return to normal.

Maybe the modem is the reason why your Internet connection drops. Restart the modem, by unplugging the power cord from the power outlet and waiting for a minute or two. After that plug it back in the power outlet and check if the issue persists.

If you have a router with two antennas and your Internet connection drops (times out), place one of the antennas in a horizontal position and the other one in a vertical position, to gain maximum speed and signal.

Devices with Wi-Fi adapters (laptops, smartphones, tablets) are said to work best when their built-in antennas are parallel with the router's antennas. Usually the antennas inside laptops are placed vertically, but if you use a smartphone or a tablet the signal strength depends on the position you are holding them in (horizontal or vertical).

The Ethernet cable must be firmly connected to the Ethernet port, for a proper connection to be established. Maybe your Internet connection keeps dropping because of a badly plugged in Ethernet cable (or even damaged Ethernet cable).

Make sure that all cables (from modem to wall, from modem to router or computer, from router to computer, etc.) are properly plugged in and are not loose, which is an important factor for a stable Internet connection.

It's possible that a malware is playing with your Internet connection. For example, it may have corrupted the network processes and tasks or it drains the Internet speed, etc. Scan your device for viruses, using an antivirus software and remove them, if your device identifies one.

Having an antivirus software doesn't make you virus-proof. You will also need to take extra steps to ensure the safety of your device and the data stored on it. These steps include:

• Install programs/apps from trusted sources only;
• Don't download every file on your device. Make sure it's safe first;
• Don't open suspicious email.
  
  

To learn more ways of how to scan for and remove viruses and fix your Internet connection, check out the viruses/spywares/malware solutions.

Most routers are designed to broadcast the signal slightly downwards and the signal them broadcast is not strong enough to penetrate some of the materials that make the floor, such as metal, concrete or cement.

If your Internet connection drops and if your router is placed on the ground, lift it up off the ground. Also, do consider placing it on a higher, and if possible, on a central position, for the best signal.

Devices like TVs, microwaves, if placed closer to the router, can interfere with the router's signal, make it weaker and result in the Internet connection dropping from time to time, and timing out.

If your router is placed close to appliances, including the appliances above, place your router away from them and the signal should become stronger and the Internet connection more stable.

It is very important to update the device's operating system on time, as the updates contain fixes to various bugs, including the bug which may be responsible for the Internet connection dropping out. Usually, you should receive a notification that a new operating system version is available, however, if you don't receive a notification about the update, check if one is available manually and install it.

See the how to update my operating system guide if you are not sure how to update your device's operating system.

If you live in an area where every house/flat has a router, it is possible to experience Internet timeout issues. In order to broadcast the Internet connection, routers need a certain channel. There are around 11 channels (depending on the router manufacturer) which routers may broadcast on. By default, they are set to choose a channel automatically, however, you can manually set a channel of your choice.

To fix your Internet connection, set a channel that is used by a small number of routers. How to check which channel is less used? Software like WifiInfoView holds the answer to your question. Run it and after the scan is completed, see which channel is used by a very small number of routers (or no people at all) and set it. 

Access the router's user interface. Usually typing 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.0.1 in a web browser (Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome etc.) and entering the router's username and password (default: admin/admin) will be enough. Having entered the router's user interface, click on Wireless Security (or similar name), locate the Wireless Settings (or similar) tab and change the channel (set to 'Automatic' by default).

Note: Every router has a different user interface. Usually, the channel settings are under the 'Wireless settings' section. But, if you have trouble finding it, consult the router's manual, or the manufacturer's website.

How to access my router guide will help you find the default router IP address, username and password (if it isn't admin/admin).

The DNS (Dynamic Name Server) is part of our IDs that grant us pass to the online world. Unless it's set up correctly, we won't be able to go online, and open websites.

If your Internet drops, there may be an issue with the way the network is configured, i.e. with its DNS settings. In order to correct such an issue, you can flush the DNS, a course of action which will clear the DNS and correct anomalies.

To learn how to flush the DNS, follow the steps in the how to flush the DNS guide.

Unless set otherwise, DNS settings are obtained automatically, from your Internet provider. There is a small possibility that bad DNS settings are the reason for issues related to Internet timing out, as they cause nothing but trouble. In this case, changing the settings can help you address the issue. You will need to set for DNS settings to be obtained manually, and input credible settings.

One of the most reliable DNS settings are the ones of Google:

8.8.8.8
8.8.4.4

To learn how to check out and/or change the DNS settings, feel free to check out the how to change the DNS settings guide.

Note: If you decide to use manual DNS settings, you will need to monitor them, to ensure they haven't become unstable.

Drivers can make (up-to-date ones) or break (outdated ones) your computer. Make sure to keep the computer's drivers up to date, because the solution to the issue with your Internet connection might be part of the latest update of your network card driver. Aside from fixing this issue, updating drivers can improve the performance of your device.

You can update your computer's drivers in one of the following ways:

• Through the Device Manager, by following the steps below:
  
  

1. Right-click on the start menu or on This PC and select Device Manager;
2. Click on Network adapters, and right-click the network driver (if there are more entries, you can update them all);
3. Right-click on it and select Update Driver Software...
   
   

   
   
   

• Support tools developed by your computer's manufacturer;
• Third-party driver maintenance software;
• Manually downloading the driver's from the manufacturer's website.

Maybe your Internet connection if fine, but it times out because of the power-saving settings. In this case, unchecking the check box next to Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power will fix this issue.

To change the power plan (disable power-saving mode), follow the steps below:

1. Go to the start menu and type Device Manager.
   
   
   
2. Once the Device Manager opens, click on Network adapters, right-click on your Wi-Fi adapter and click on Properties;
   
   
   
3. Click on the Power management tab (the last one) uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.
   
   

Some USB and wireless signal-emitting devices can interfere with your device's Wi-Fi card, and stop it from working properly. Also, USB hubs are known to interfere with how the wireless card works.

In this case, the solution is to unplug one device after another, until you identify the device responsible for Internet connection timeouts, by observing the behavior of your Internet connection after unplugging each device.

Maybe the Internet connection drops because the router is overheating while you are using it. Ensure that the router is in a cool, well-ventilated place, and that it is not covered by any piece of cloth.

Every browser supports multi-tab browsing, i.e. it allows you to open as many tabs (websites) as you like, as well as to switch between the websites you previously visited without searching for them through the browser history.

Multi-tab browsing requires more of the device's RAM memory and if it doesn't have enough RAM memory, the browser's and the device's speed will slow down. Also, it may result in the Internet connection timing out, since it would be drained by the many opened tabs, and websites that are heavy on Internet usage.

The best course of action, in this case, is to close all the browser tabs that you don't need. You can close tabs by clicking on the small X mark next to the tab's name or by moving the cursor over the tab's name and pressing the middle (spinner) mouse button.

The task of the firewall and antivirus is to protect your computer from threats. Maybe the current firewall and antivirus settings are causing this issue. As a test, try disabling them and check if you still get the error message. If the error didn't appear, access the firewall and the antivirus settings, and see how they are configured. Then, adjust the settings accordingly.

To deactivate the Windows Firewall, follow the steps below:

To activate the Windows Firewall, follow the steps below:

Resetting the Wi-Fi AutoConfig service may help you fix timeout issues, too.

To reset this service, follow the steps below:

1. Press the Windows logo key and R to open the run window.
2. Type services.msc and press Enter;
3. Double-click on WLAN AutoConfig;
   

   

4. Change Startup type to Automatic;
5. Click on Apply and OK to save the changes.
   

   

Maybe your Internet connection doesn't drop. Maybe bad cookies and cache files, which have been accumulated in your device, are responsible for this issue. As a way to fix it, you need to clear the cache files, the cookies and unnecessary data. When the corrupt ones are cleared, new cache and cookies will be created the next time you open the website. The cookies and cache files are intended to improve the loading speed of websites, however when they become corrupt they cause nothing but trouble.

To learn how to clear the browser's cache (and cookies), check the how to clear the cache solutions guide and how to delete browser cookies guide.

Using Internet connection monitoring tools can help you diagnose and later on work on resolving the issue with your Internet connection. Such tools include isp-monitor.appspot, and the Windows Event log (you can find more details on how to use it, in this article).

If the Bluetooth is enabled, and devices are connected to your computer via it, it is possible that the Bluetooth is the reason behind the Internet connection dropping suddenly. Turn off the Bluetooth entirely and monitor if your Wi-Fi connection would drop.

Note: The how to enable/disable Bluetooth guide can assist you, if you are not sure how to fully turn off the Bluetooth.

The Windows network troubleshooter is of great help when addressing network-related problems. All you need to do is to run the troubleshooter and follow the on-screen instructions.

To run the troubleshooter, follow the steps below:

1. Right-click the Wi-Fi icon in the lower right-hand corner of the screen;
2. Click on Troubleshoot problems;
   
   
   
3. Follow the instructions of the wizard.
   

Windows offers an option that will let you look for other Wi-Fi networks while you are currently connected to a Wi-Fi network. While this option can be quite handy, as it makes switching between networks faster, it might also cause issues with the Wi-Fi connection dropping. What you need to do to fix this issue is to disable this option by following the steps below:

1. Right-click the start menu and select Network Connections (or right-click the Wi-Fi icon and select Open Network and Sharing Center);
2. Right-click the Wi-Fi icon and select Status;
   

   

3. Click on Wireless Properties;
   

   

4. Untick the check box next to Look for other wireless networks while connected to this network;
5. Click on OK.
   

   

According to users who had this issue, deactivating the IPv6 protocol can assist with fixing this issue. Follow the steps below, in order to deactivate the IPv6 protocol:

1. Right-click the start menu icon and select Network Connections (or type Network Connections in the start menu search box);
   
   

   
   
   

2. Right-click the network connection you are using and select Properties (e.g. If you use laptop, and you are connected via Wi-Fi, select Wireless Network connection, and If you use a desktop computer, and you are connected by Ethernet cable, select Local Area connection or Ethernet);
   
   

   
   
   

3. Unheck (untick) the checkbox next to IPv6 and click on OK to save the changes.
   
   

   

Majority of Wi-Fi networks are secured using a password, but the security type used is different, varying from one router type to another. If your Wi-Fi connection drops, you may try to change the security type. To change the security type, you need to log in to your router's panel (do check the how to access my router guide if you are not sure how), and go to the Wi-Fi section.

Note: Prior to changing the security type of your Wi-Fi network, make sure to do research on the security type you plan to use, i.e. how secure it actually is, to prevent people from intruding into your router.

It is possible that the RunSwUSB service is in conflict with the network drivers, causing the Wi-Fi network to drop, because it tries to switch you from one driver to another. In this case, you need to deactivate the RunSwUSB service, by following the steps below:

1. Press and hold the Windows and R keys, to open the Run window; 
2. Type services.msc and click on OK;
3. Find RunSwUSB service and double-click it to open Properties;
4. Click the Stop button to stop the service if it was running; 
5. Set the Startup type to Disabled;
6. Click on Apply and OK to save changes.
   
   

Note: Not all computer configurations have the RunSwUSB service available, so if you can't find it in services, feel free to skip to the next solutions.

The following set of controls can help you fix issues with the Internet connection dropping, as you will flush and renew the DNS and the IP address.

Feel free to follow the steps below, to access the command prompt (CMD) and enter the commands:

1. Go to the start menu and type cmd or command prompt. Once it appears, right-click on it and select Run as Administrator;
   
   
   
2. Type the following commands and press enter after you type each of them:
   
   ipconfig /flushdns
   ipconfig /registerdns
   ipconfig /release
   ipconfig /renew
   netsh winsock reset
   
   
   
   
3. Restart your computer.