Internet Disconnects When Computer Sleeps – How To Fix?

The internet is one of the most important parts of our daily lives these days, with probably every bit of information available online. With internet costs becoming cheaper, most users prefer Wi-Fi to connect to the internet on their Windows 10 devices.

However, some users have been reporting that on their device, the internet disconnects when computer sleeps. Here, I shall discuss how to keep Wi-Fi on during sleep in Windows 10.

Why Windows 10 Won’t Stay Connected To Wi-Fi?

There can be many reasons why the internet keeps disconnecting when the computer sleeps. Read on to find out more about why you may be facing this error.

Since Windows 10 is designed with power-efficient mobile devices in mind, there are various settings here and there, which turns off the devices that are not being used continuously.

When your Windows 10 device goes to sleep, your operating system may be turning off the Wi-Fi adapter to save some extra power for your device. This has been reported to be one of the most common reasons why internet disconnects when computer sleeps.

There is also a chance that there may be some error with your network adapter, which is causing the internet to disconnect when your computer goes to sleep. This can be a common issue, with hardware problems quite common in Windows devices.

There is also a possibility that your third-party antivirus software may be turning off the internet connection in the background, to protect your device from threats while your computer is sleeping. This can be very easy to solve, as all you need to do is turn off the shields for your antivirus software.

How To Fix If Internet Disconnects When Computer Sleeps?

Now that you are familiar with why you may be facing this error, here are some potential fixes that you can apply to keep Wi-Fi on during sleep.

Solution 1: Disable Wake On Wireless LAN

With Windows 10, Intel adapters have an ability to put the network driver to sleep or drop the connection when the wake on wireless LAN (WoWLAN) is disconnected. This feature is termed Sleep on WoWLAN disconnect, and when enabled this may be the reason that you see the internet disconnect when the computer sleeps.

This advanced setting can be disabled from Device Manager, and you need to follow these steps to do so:

1. Open a Run dialog by pressing Win + R.
2. Type devmgmt.msc and press Enter to launch the Device Manager console.
3. Expand Network Adapters and locate your Wi-Fi driver.
4. Right-click on your network driver, and select Properties from the context menu.
5. Under the Power Management tab, uncheck the option next to Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.
6. Click on OK and restart your device.

Now let your computers go to sleep, and check if your internet connection drops. This should solve your issue.

Solution 2: Run The Network Adapter Troubleshooter

If you see that the internet disconnects when computer sleeps, you can try running the network adapter troubleshooter to check for any hardware issues that may be causing your internet to disconnect when the computer goes into sleep mode.

1. Click on Update & Security section from the Windows Settings app.
2. In the left pane menu, click on the Troubleshoot tab.
3. From the list of troubleshooters available, click on the Run the troubleshooter button that appears when you click on the Network Adapters section.
4. Now you need to follow the on-screen instructions to find and apply the fixes for any potential errors that the troubleshooter finds.

The Windows 10 troubleshooters are very capable of finding what may be causing the various errors on their devices. You should be able to find any potential errors with your network adapter, which may be causing Windows 10 won’t stay connected to Wi-Fi error on your device.

Solution 3: Create A Network Reset Shortcut

A temporary fix that you can also use includes using PowerShell to create a network reset shortcut. This fix can help you reset the network whenever you face this error, effectively helping you keep Wi-Fi on during sleep in Windows 10. To do so, follow these steps:

1. In an empty desktop space, right-click to reveal the context menu.
2. Hover on New > Shortcut.
3. In the Create Shortcut dialog box, paste the following command and click on Next:
   C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe restart-netadapter -InterfaceDescription ‘<WIRELESS ADAPTER NAME HERE>‘ -Confirm:$false
   g. For our USB Wireless LAN card, we used the following command:
   C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe restart-netadapter -InterfaceDescription '802.11n USB Wireless LAN Card' -Confirm:$false

4. Under Type a name for this shortcut, enter the following value:
   Wi-Fi Reset
5. Click on Finish.

6. Right-click on the created shortcut and select Properties from the context menu.
7. Under the Shortcut tab, click the Advanced button.
8. In the Advanced Properties window, check the box associated with Run as Administrator.
9. Click on OK.

Now, whenever you face this issue, simply double click on this shortcut to execute the Network Reset command right from your desktop.

Solution 4: Uncheck IPv6 Protocol

There is a possibility that there might be something wrong with the way the IPv6 protocols are being handled by your device, which is leading to your computer disconnecting from the internet when it goes to sleep. To turn off using the IPv6 protocols, follow these steps:

1. Open Control Panel on your device, either from the desktop icon or from a Run dialog box.
2. Go to Network and Sharing Center.
3. From the additional settings in the left, click on Change adapter settings.
4. Right-click on the connection that you use to connect to the internet.
5. Click on Properties from the context menu.
6. Under the Networking tab, uncheck the box next to Internet Protocol Version 6.

This should now solve the error where the internet disconnects when computer sleeps.

Solution 5: SFC Scan Or System Restore

If none of the solutions above helped you, there might be something wrong with your system files. As reported by many users, corrupt or missing system files can lead to Windows 10 won’t stay connected to Wi-Fi error.

First, try performing an SFC scan to scan for any missing system components. To know how to perform an SFC scan, you can check the steps provided in our article that deals with solving broken system files.

The scan can take around 5-20 minutes to complete. Once the scan completes, restart your device.

If this does not find any errors or repair your device, you need to perform a system restore to take your device back to a state where it was performing normally.

• In a Run dialog box, type sysdm.cpl and press Enter to launch the System Properties dialog box.
• Under the System Protection tab, click on System Restore.
• Follow the on-screen instructions to restore your computer.

Wrapping Up

So there you have it. Now you know how to diagnose and solve the error where internet disconnects when computer sleeps. Did this help you keep Wi-Fi on during sleep? Comment below if it did, and tell us which solution helped you solve this on your device.