When your laptop has trouble connecting to Wi-Fi, restarting the wireless adapter can be a useful troubleshooting step. The adapter is the component that allows your computer to connect to a wireless network. Disabling and enabling it briefly disconnects the computer and gives Windows an opportunity to re-establish the connection.
You can perform these steps using either PowerShell or Command Prompt.
Before you begin:
- Make sure you can access an administrator account.
- Your internet connection will be interrupted temporarily.
- Once the adapter is enabled again, you can check its status and reconnect to your Wi-Fi network.
Section 1: Using PowerShell
Open the Start menu and search for PowerShell to check whether it is installed. Windows normally includes Windows PowerShell. If you cannot find it, open the Microsoft Store, search for PowerShell published by Microsoft and install it.
Then find PowerShell in the Start menu, right-click it and select Run as administrator. If Windows asks for permission, select Yes.
Step 1: Check the interface name
Enter the following command and press Enter to see your network adapters:
Get-NetAdapter
Find your wireless adapter and note the name shown in the Name column. It is often called Wi-Fi, but the name can be different on your computer.
Step 2: Disable the interface
Disable-NetAdapter -Name "Wi-Fi" -Confirm:$false
Replace Wi-Fi with the name you found in Step 1 if it is different. This disables the wireless adapter and disconnects your computer from Wi-Fi.
Step 3: Enable the interface
To turn the adapter back on, enter:
Enable-NetAdapter -Name "Wi-Fi" -Confirm:$false
Again, use your adapter’s actual name if it is different. Windows should enable the adapter, and your computer may reconnect automatically to a saved network.
Step 4: Check whether Wi-Fi is working
Get-NetAdapter -Name "Wi-Fi"
Replace Wi-Fi with your adapter’s name if needed, then check the Status column:
- Up: The adapter has an active connection.
- Disconnected: The adapter is enabled but does not currently have a connection.
You can also select the Wi-Fi icon on the taskbar, connect to a network if needed and open a website to check internet access.
Section 2: Using Command Prompt
Open the Start menu, search for Command Prompt, right-click it and select Run as administrator. If Windows asks for permission, select Yes.
Step 1: Check the interface name
netsh interface show interface
Find your wireless adapter and note the name shown under Interface Name. It is often called Wi-Fi, but your computer may use a different name.
Step 2: Disable the interface
netsh interface set interface name="Wi-Fi" admin=disabled
Replace Wi-Fi with your adapter’s actual interface name if necessary. The computer will disconnect from Wi-Fi when the adapter is disabled.
Step 3: Enable the interface
netsh interface set interface name="Wi-Fi" admin=enabled
Use the same interface name you identified in Step 1. Windows will enable the adapter, and the computer may reconnect to a saved network automatically.
Step 4: Check whether Wi-Fi is working
netsh interface show interface
Check the wireless adapter in the results. Its Admin State should show Enabled. You can then select the Wi-Fi icon on the taskbar and check whether the computer is connected to a network. Open a website to confirm that internet access is working.
Simplifying technology, one step at a time.