Wi-Fi Keeps Dropping Out? How to Fix It

Video calls freeze, the TV stops mid-programme, and your phone keeps flicking over to 4G. Sometimes your laptop shows "No internet, secured" for a few seconds, or an iPhone briefly says "No Internet Connection" under the Wi-Fi name, before everything comes back. Dropouts are one of the most frustrating home tech problems because they come and go.

The key to fixing them is working out whether it's your Wi-Fi or your broadband line that is dropping. They have different causes and very different fixes.

Why This Happens

There are two quite different types of dropout:

• Broadband dropouts: the router itself loses its connection to your provider. Every device goes offline at once, and the router's light usually changes colour. Causes include line faults, damaged cables, wiring problems and issues at the exchange or cabinet.
• Wi-Fi dropouts: the router is fine, but devices lose their wireless connection. It might affect one room or one device. Causes include distance, thick walls, interference from neighbours' networks, and too many devices on an ageing router.

Step 1: The Ethernet Test (Line vs Wi-Fi)

This one test saves hours of guesswork.

1. Plug a laptop or desktop directly into one of the router's yellow or grey ethernet ports with a cable. Most new laptops need a USB-C to ethernet adapter.
2. Turn off Wi-Fi on that laptop so you know it's using the cable.
3. Use it normally, or leave a long video playing, for a few hours or over an evening.
4. Note down the time whenever the connection drops, and what colour the router's light was.

If the wired connection also drops, it's the broadband line or the router. Skip to Step 5.

If the wired connection stays solid while Wi-Fi devices drop, it's a Wi-Fi problem. Work through Steps 2 to 4.

Step 2: Move the Router

Router placement is the single biggest factor in Wi-Fi reliability, and most routers are badly placed because they sit wherever the engineer found the socket.

• Get it off the floor and out of cupboards, ideally at waist height or higher.
• Keep it away from fish tanks, mirrors, metal radiators and large appliances.
• Keep it away from cordless phone bases, baby monitors and microwaves, which can interfere with 2.4GHz Wi-Fi.
• Stand it upright if it's designed to stand. BT and Virgin Media hubs are.

If the router has to stay by the front door, you may be better off moving the signal rather than the router. See Step 4.

Step 3: Restart, Update and Reduce Interference

Restart the router. Turn it off at the plug for 30 seconds and back on. Routers can become unstable after weeks of running.

Check for updates. BT, Sky and Virgin Media hubs update automatically, usually overnight, so leaving the router switched on at night helps. If you've bought your own router or mesh system, check its app for firmware updates.

Change the Wi-Fi channel. In busy streets and flats, dozens of neighbouring networks compete for the same airwaves. Most routers choose a channel automatically, but sometimes do it badly.

1. Log in to your router: 192.168.1.254 for BT and EE, 192.168.0.1 for Sky and Virgin Media.
2. Go to the wireless settings and look for Channel.
3. On 2.4GHz, try 1, 6 or 11, which don't overlap with each other. On 5GHz, leave it on automatic unless you have a reason to change it.
4. Test for a day before trying another.

Step 4: Fix Coverage in Larger Homes

If the dropouts happen in particular rooms, such as a loft conversion, a kitchen extension or a garden office, it's a coverage problem. London houses with thick walls, multiple floors and long layouts are notorious for this.

• Mesh Wi-Fi is usually the best fix. Several units work together to blanket the house in one seamless network. Our guide Is Mesh Wi-Fi Worth It? explains the options.
• Wired access points are even better if you can run cables.
• Powerline adapters can work well for a single room, depending on your electrical wiring.
• Cheap extenders often make dropouts worse. We explain why in Wi-Fi extender not working or making it worse?

Step 5: Fix a Broadband Line Problem

If even the wired connection drops, the problem is the line or the router itself.

1. Check cables. Make sure the cable from the wall socket is firmly in at both ends, and replace any kinked or chewed cable.
2. BT, EE, Sky, TalkTalk and Vodafone (phone line based broadband): if you have an older master socket, try plugging the router into the test socket behind the faceplate, or into the main socket rather than an extension. Phone extension wiring is a common cause of dropouts. If you use microfilters, try a new one.
3. Virgin Media: make sure the coaxial cable is screwed in finger-tight and that any splitter is good quality.
4. Full fibre: check the cable between the fibre box (ONT) and the router. If the ONT shows a red light, it's a fault for your provider.
5. Run your provider's online line test or app check.

Step 6: Contact Your Provider With Evidence

Providers take you far more seriously when you can show it isn't your Wi-Fi. Before you call:

• Have a list of dates and times of dropouts on a wired connection.
• Note what the router's light did during each drop.
• Tell them you've restarted the router and tested from the main or test socket.

Ask them to check the line for errors and resyncs. If the problem persists, ask for an engineer visit or a replacement router.

When to Get Help

If you're not sure whether it's the line or the Wi-Fi, or you need coverage in every corner of a larger home, our home Wi-Fi and networking service can test both, gather evidence for your provider and design a fix. Some checks can be done through remote support, and Senri Home engineers visit across West and South West London seven days a week, 8am to 9pm. Book a visit or call or WhatsApp 07826 399715.

Related Reading

• How to Fix Wi-Fi Dead Spots in a Large House
• Why Is My Wi-Fi Slow in the Evening?
• Wi-Fi Connected but No Internet? How to Fix It