How to Fix Internet Disconnects in Windows 11: 3 Settings Worth Checking

Introduction

If your internet connection keeps dropping, the problem isn't necessarily your ISP or router. When phones and other devices on the same network work normally but your Windows 11 PC suffers from ping spikes, slow-loading websites, or brief connection drops, the computer itself deserves a closer look.

Three Windows features commonly come up during troubleshooting: Delivery Optimization, network adapter power management, and the DNS resolver cache. They don't fix the same problem, so changing all three at once isn't the best approach.

The quickest first test is simple: check whether another device loses its connection at the same time as your PC. If only the PC is affected, start troubleshooting Windows, its network adapter, and the Wi-Fi environment. If everything disconnects simultaneously, the router, modem, or internet connection becomes a more likely culprit.

How to Fix Internet Disconnects in Windows 11

1. Check Delivery Optimization If Problems Appear During Updates

Does your connection feel normal most of the time but become noticeably worse while Windows is downloading updates? Delivery Optimization is one setting worth checking.

In Windows 11, go to:

Settings > Windows Update > Advanced options > Delivery Optimization

Look for Allow downloads from other devices.

Delivery Optimization helps Windows obtain Windows updates, Microsoft Store apps, and other Microsoft content. Depending on your settings, data can come from Microsoft and other PCs on your local network or the internet, and your PC can also share content with other PCs. Microsoft says the feature dynamically manages how much network bandwidth it uses.

Turning off Allow downloads from other devices doesn't disable Windows Update. Your PC can still download the files it needs directly from Microsoft.

That doesn't mean everyone should immediately turn the feature off. If you have several Windows PCs at home, sharing update data over the local network can potentially reduce repeated internet downloads.

Instead, check whether Delivery Optimization is actually active. Under its settings, open Activity monitor to see download and upload statistics.

Windows also provides bandwidth controls for Delivery Optimization. You can limit download bandwidth and control how much bandwidth is used when uploading updates to other devices. One important limitation is that Microsoft says these bandwidth limits apply to automatic Delivery Optimization downloads, not downloads you manually start from Windows Update or the Microsoft Store.

For a gaming PC that develops ping spikes specifically during Windows update activity, this is a much more relevant place to investigate than clearing the DNS cache.

2. Check Network Adapter Power Management for Brief Disconnects

A connection that becomes permanently slow isn't the same problem as a connection that disappears for a few seconds and then comes back.

If only one Windows PC experiences intermittent Ethernet or Wi-Fi disconnects, check the network adapter and its power-management options.

Right-click Start and select Device Manager, then expand Network adapters. Find the Ethernet or Wi-Fi adapter you're actually using, right-click it, and select Properties.

On supported adapters, you'll see a Power Management tab with an option called:

Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power

Windows provides this option for network adapters that support the relevant power-management functionality.

If you're troubleshooting unexplained connection drops, you can try clearing that checkbox and then monitor whether the behavior changes.

There are two caveats.

First, don't assume every Windows 11 computer will display exactly the same options. Available network-adapter settings depend on the hardware, driver, and system power-management implementation.

Second, disabling power-saving features can increase power consumption, which matters more on a laptop running on battery.

And this setting can't compensate for a poor Wi-Fi signal. If disconnects happen mainly in one room, far from the router, or behind several walls, compare the wireless signal and test closer to the router before spending too much time changing Windows settings.

3. Flush the DNS Cache for Name-Resolution Problems

DNS troubleshooting is useful when your internet connection itself appears to be working but websites aren't resolving correctly.

For example, you might find that a particular website won't open, a domain takes unusually long to resolve, or a previously encountered name-resolution problem keeps returning.

In that situation, you can clear the Windows DNS resolver cache.

Open Command Prompt and enter:

ipconfig /flushdns

Microsoft documents /flushdns as the ipconfig option that flushes and resets the DNS client resolver cache. It's intended for troubleshooting DNS name-resolution issues, including removing dynamically added and negative cache entries.

This distinction matters: flushing the DNS cache doesn't increase the raw speed of your internet connection.

It won't turn a 100 Mbps Ethernet link into a gigabit connection, improve a weak Wi-Fi signal, or fix a router that's repeatedly rebooting. You're clearing locally cached DNS information so Windows can resolve names again rather than continuing to rely on potentially problematic cached entries.

That makes ipconfig /flushdns a sensible tool when domain-name resolution appears to be the problem. It's much less relevant when your primary symptom is consistently high latency during online gaming.

4. Match the Fix to the Symptom

Instead of applying every popular "internet speed fix" you find, identify the pattern first. That usually narrows the problem much faster.

• Every device disconnects simultaneously: Check the router, modem, and ISP connection first.
• Only one PC disconnects: Investigate the network adapter, its driver, Windows settings, and the PC's wireless connection.
• Ethernet works but Wi-Fi doesn't: Focus on wireless signal strength, interference, the Wi-Fi adapter, and its driver.
• Only certain websites have trouble: DNS resolution or the website itself becomes a more likely explanation.
• Problems mainly occur during updates: Check Windows Update activity, Delivery Optimization, and other background downloads.
• Online games have high ping while downloads are running: Look for bandwidth-consuming applications before changing DNS settings.

Change one thing at a time whenever possible. If you disable several features, update the driver, reset networking, and reboot the router all at once, you won't know which change actually mattered.

5. Don't Overlook Drivers and Windows Support

If the problem affects only one computer, the network adapter driver should also be on your troubleshooting list. Check Windows Update and, when appropriate, the PC or network adapter manufacturer's support site for the correct driver for your exact hardware.

Be especially careful with older PCs still running Windows 10. Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. Microsoft says Windows 10 PCs continue to function, but standard support no longer includes free software updates, technical assistance, or security fixes. Microsoft points users who can't move to Windows 11 toward options such as the Windows 10 Consumer Extended Security Updates program.

That doesn't mean Windows 10's end of support is automatically responsible for a network problem. It does mean that, in 2026, the operating system and ongoing driver support are relevant considerations when troubleshooting an aging PC.

Conclusion

There's no single Windows command that fixes every unstable internet connection.

If the slowdown appears during Windows updates, investigate Delivery Optimization and background network activity. If one PC briefly loses its connection, check the network adapter, driver, and power-management settings. If the internet works but domain names aren't resolving correctly, ipconfig /flushdns is an appropriate troubleshooting step.

Most importantly, start by checking another device when the problem occurs. Knowing whether only your Windows PC or your entire network is affected can save you from changing a long list of settings that had nothing to do with the problem.