Home Tech What To Do When Your Internet Keeps Disconnecting 

What To Do When Your Internet Keeps Disconnecting 

If you’re here, chances are you’re having connection issues with your internet. Your internet keeps disconnecting and you don’t know what to do. 

It can be really frustrating especially if you’re working on something that needs a stable network connection. 

In this article, I will be explaining the causes of why your internet keeps disconnecting. I will also be explaining the simple and not so simple fixes that you can use to solve the problem you’re currently facing. 

Reasons Why Your Internet Keeps Disconnecting 

The causes are numerous but I am separating them into two categories. The categories are based on where the problem lies. 

The accompanying fixes are also going to be explained immediately after the individual causes.

  • Problem with your Internet Connection
  • Problem with your device (PC and others)

Problem With Your Internet Connection

These issues have nothing to do with your system or PC, the issues are usually one of the following four reasons that will be explained below. 

How you will know if other devices you use are also experiencing the same issue as your PC. This immediately rules out your PC and devices and puts your options at a few spots of bother. 

You can use the accompanying fix to help restore a reliable connection to your internet.

Problems From Your Internet Service Providers (ISP)

If the problem is coming from your internet service providers, there’s only so much you can do. You can contact their tech support to report your “internet keeps disconnecting” problem. 

Internet Keeps Disconnecting 

Your internet service providers will probably run some checks like system checks and line checks to look into what the problem is and where it lies. 

The problem could be from their end or from your end. If it is from their end, they would definitely look into it. If they find out it’s from your end, they will offer some tips you can use. 

This is why I always advise folks to use this fix first whenever their internet keeps disconnecting. 

It is important to be able to rule out faulty ISP connections so that you would know that you can just use the fixes below on your own end.

Issues With Your (Cable Or DSL) Modem

When modems overheat, this can lead to you experiencing the “internet keeps disconnecting” issue. 

You can also have a faulty modem power cord that keeps breaking off the flow of power to your modem. This could just as easily make your internet connection flaky.

There are two fixes you can use to solve the problem if it is emanating from your modem. You could

  • Restart Modem
  • Cool Overheating Modem

Restarting Your Modem

Restarting tech is always a goto plan for most issues. It isn’t different here. 

You should also restart your modem by removing the power cord for about 5 minutes. Then put it back in. 

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When you remove your power cord and put it back, your modem should go through some processes that could clear the issues disturbing your internet connection.

It will also reconnect to the internet which also helps in establishing a former connection. Try out your internet connection now to see if the fix worked and you’re back to normal, strong internet connectivity.

Cooling Overheating Modem

This is more of a physical thing so you have to touch the modem and feel if it’s usually hot. 

If it is, you probably need to put it off for a long time (maybe 20 minutes or more) and then put it back on.

The only problem with this fix is when the issues keep reoccurring, you can’t keep turning off your modem. 

You could find a way to keep the temperature of your modem cool (small fans maybe). 

If that doesn’t work, you might have to look into getting a new modem as long as you’re sure the problem with your internet connection is emanating from your faulty modem.

Faulty Routers (Wireless/Wired)

Plugging out your modem (as explained in the fix above) without first unplugging your router means you will reset all of your device’s connection with the router. 

This could help in solving your issues but it is also a long process of reconnecting all of the devices back. Especially if it turns out that the router isn’t at fault.

What To Do When Your Internet Keeps Disconnecting 

You can restart your router or reboot it (some routers have a small reboot feature at the back, it’s a tiny hole that can be accessed by a small pin or something along those lines).

Restarting your router is easy. Remove the power cord, turn off your PC or device. Then restart the router after a few minutes. 

When your router’s lights are blinking, it is reestablishing an internet connection which should hopefully be stable, more than the previous connection. 

Check if your PC is still experiencing the same issues as before or if the fix worked out for your system.

Problem With Your Devices

You can know that there’s an issue with your PC when other devices aren’t experiencing the same issue. 

Like I explained above, the first test is to make sure other devices are working so that you can more accurately pinpoint where the issues are coming from.

If you’ve made sure that the issue lies with your PC, you can now use the fixes below to help get rid of your “internet keeps disconnecting” problem.

Narrowing down where the problem lies from here is difficult so I have organized the causes and fixes in a “most likely to be at fault” order. 

Issues With Your Network Card 

There are quite a few things that could have gone wrong here. 

There could be corrupted files in the network card drivers, you could need updates on network card drivers or you might have to reseat your network card (only for folks comfortable with opening up their PC).

Corrupted Network Card (NC) Drivers

Sometimes some app processes just get corrupted and this affects the entire process. In the case of the Network Card, a corrupted cache can be the cause of your epileptic network connection.

To fix this issue, you will have to navigate to your PC’s Device Manager and delete the network card. It isn’t as dangerous as you think. 

When you delete your Network Card, restart your PC. You will be prompted to allow Windows to reinstall your network card (plus drivers). 

Allow this installation and check to see if your network connection is much more stable than before. 

If the problem was from corrupted NC card drivers, you should be enjoying a better network connection after carrying out this fix.

To delete the network card, open Device Manager, click the small arrow on the Device you need to open all options. Click on the device you want to be uninstalled, and click on the red X on the menu tab to uninstall the device.

What To Do When Your Internet Keeps Disconnecting 

(Updating) Outdated Network Card Drivers 

If your NC card drivers are outdated, you can experience problems with your internet connection. It isn’t a common issue but it is known to happen. 

The fix is really easy. All you have to do is find out if your NC card drivers manufacturers have made recent updates that should help when installed. 

You can find out by checking your system specs from the manufacturer and then going on to their website for more information on updates to the NC card drivers. 

Update the drivers when you find them and it usually solves the problem if outdated card drivers were the main crux disturbing your internet connection.

To update the drivers, open the device manager, right-click on the devices that need updating, and select the update driver setting.

What To Do When Your Internet Keeps Disconnecting 

Reseating Your Network Card (Only For Tech Savvy People Used To Opening Up Their PC)

This fix is used if users suspect that their network card isn’t seated properly. It could also be termed as some sort of a reboot for your network card.

Again, I’d like to emphasize the fact that you need the expertise to perform this fix and there’s also the fact that this fix only works if your PC is the removable expansion card type. 

Find out first if your PC’s NC can be removed before then diving into opening it up. Remove the NC from its PCI slot and return it back while making sure it is seated properly and firmly. 

To perform the process described above to your computer, please turn it off and REMOVE the power cord. 

I am emphasizing this fact due to the issue of electrocution and other dangers to your PC and to you. Check to see if it solved your “internet keeps disconnecting” issue.

PC Windows Issues

This section deals more specifically with Windows PC (especially Windows 10). 

You can adjust the tips here for other systems if you’re familiar with tech stuff but mostly use these steps for the system they are designed for.

Problem Occurring From Windows Updates

This is not likely but some users have reported that immediately after they had a Windows update, the problem with their internet connectivity reared its ugly head. 

The fix for this is really easy, all you have to do is go back to a point before that fix where your system worked well. You can use the System Restore feature to return to that point. 

The above fix is kind of going backward and you might not want to do that. This is why I am suggesting another forward-looking approach below.

More updates. You might be wondering why I will suggest more updates especially since an update caused the issue in the first place. 

The reason is that most updates fix issues that occur from the previous updates. 

So chances are, there is a new update that will fix your faulty update that’s tampering with your internet connection.

To open the system restore, navigate Control Panel\Recovery. Click on “Open System Recovery”.

Internet Keeps Disconnecting 

Next just follow the prompts to restore your system.

Windows System Files Corrupted

This is something most app processes face from time to time so it might be the cause of your internet connection irregularity. 

The fix is something you would have read above. 

The fix for this is really easy, all you have to do is go back to a point before that fix where your system worked well. 

You can use the System Restore feature to return to that point where everything worked well in your system.

There are automatic system restore points you can use.

You may like to read our guide on Run SFC Command in Windows 10 to repair System files.

Other Issues That Could Cause Your Internet Problems

There are other less likely issues that are worth the mention but not probably what’s going wrong with your system. 

Just to be on the safe side, I will still explain the fixes.

(Antivirus Apps/Malware Or Virus) Affecting Your Network Connectivity

Some Antivirus programs have been known to be disruptive to your system processes and this can also happen to your internet connection.

The simple fix is to uninstall the Antivirus and get one that’s more compatible with your PC processes.

You can also have malware/viruses that can totally disrupt your internet connection. 

Use a trustworthy Antivirus program to check if your system is clean or infected. If it is infected, clean it up and your problem should be solved.

To uninstall antiviruses, go to your control panel > programs > uninstall a program.

What To Do When Your Internet Keeps Disconnecting 

Search from the list of programs for the antivirus, click on it and click uninstall.

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Conclusion

The “internet keeps disconnecting” problem is often solved by simple restarts and resets but sometimes you might need to bring out the heavy hitter fixes.

The important thing to do first though is to narrow down where the issue lies by following the tips I explained. 

Then using simple fixes first before diving into more complicated system processes. 

Have you ever faced the “internet keeps disconnecting” issue on your system? 

I would really love to know how you fixed it. It could help other readers with the same problem. Please use the comments section below to share your experience.Â