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When did this started happening? Just 3 days ago.

Situation

When I open my laptop in the morning, it's able to connect to our 5GHz WiFi. Then, after some 1-3 hours, the connection suddenly gets cut off and then switches to our 2.4GHz WiFi. At that point, the 5GHz WiFi is still visible, but when I attempt to connect to it, it says "Can't connect to the network". After some 3-8 minutes, the 5GHz WiFi disappears from the list.

I can make the 5GHz WiFi reappear on the list by disabling the adapter, then re-enabling it again, but it still won't let me connect, and after 3-8 minutes, it will disappear once again.

Things I have tried

  • I tried executing netsh winsock reset catalog then netsh int ip reset reset.log hit into the Command Prompt and then restarting. There are some instances that I can connect once again after doing this, but the situation is just the same.
  • I tried doing ipconfig /reset and ipconfig /renew, nothing changes.
  • I tried shutting down the computer and turning it on again, nothing changes.
  • I tried turning off the router for a few minutes and turning it on again, nothing changes.
  • I tried rolling back the driver, uninstalling it, updating it, nothing changes.
  • I tried changing properties in the Advanced section of the adapter properties, including changing preferred band, roaming aggressiveness, etc., nothing changes.
  • I troubleshooted the problem using Diagnostic Tool, and the diagnosis suggests it could be a problem with either the wireless adapter or the access point, but nothing changes.
  • I tried turning off all the gadgets that are using WiFi in the house, thinking it might be address conflict that's causing the problem, still can't connect.

Laptop specifications:

  • Ideapad Slim 3
  • 8GB RAM
  • AMD Ryzen 5 5500U
  • AMD Radeon Integrated Graphics
  • Qualcomm Atheros QCA61x4A Wireless Network Adapter

Note: My laptop is brand-new, just a month old.

What seems to be the problem? Thank you for answering.

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  • Just to clarify: do you have 2 separate routers, a 4G and 5G? Or does 5G refer to 5GHz Wi-Fi such as .ac? If 5G actually refers to .ac Wi-Fi please correct it in the question go 5GHz, as 5G and 5GHz are entirely different concepts. The problem isn't necessarily in your laptop, so what router(s) do you have exactly? Sep 29, 2021 at 6:42
  • It's just one router that has a 4G WiFi [2.4GHz] and a 5G WiFi [5GHz]. (1 router, 2 SSIDs)
    – anmariii
    Sep 29, 2021 at 7:29
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    OK. 2.4GHz and 5GHz are Wi-Fi standards, 4G and 5G are mobile broadband standards. Those are entirely different concepts. The first two are what you use to connect to a router or your telephone hotspot. The latter two are what mobile phones use, no SSIDs involved. I edited your question to correct this. I also have a hunch what might be going on and will be dropping an answer. Sep 29, 2021 at 7:50
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    People 4G should not be used to refer to 2.4 GHz WiFi nor should 5G be used to refer to 5 GHz WiFi. 4G and 5G are commonly used to refer to cellular networks. Please used the proper name for WiFi (WiFi 5, WiFi 6, etc.) will cause less confusion.
    – Ramhound
    Sep 29, 2021 at 9:03

2 Answers 2

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When a 5GHz Wi-Fi is experiencing non-Wi-Fi -related interference, it often causes fairly regular signal loss. Unfortunately this kind of interference can't be seen with a normal Wi-Fi analyzer tool, only with a specialized Spectrum Analyzer. There are multiple possible sources like radio-controlled doors, alarm systems, RADAR, certain lighting fixtures etc. The source of the interference is usually outside the premises.

You can login to your router, go to 5GHz Wi-Fi settings, check what channel the radio is set on and change it to another. Non-Wi-Fi interference is usually narrow band, so it very rarely affects more than one channel at a time. In practice I've seen this most often on the lower end of the spectrum, i.e. lower channels.

Another possibility is to leave the radio on the default Auto setting, and add the current channel to a channel exclusion list, if one is available. That will prevent the radio from ever setting onto that channel.

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  • I selected a random channel frequency from the list, and it allowed me to connect again. I'll observe for a while if it will maintain the connection, and I'll mark this as an answer. Thank you!
    – anmariii
    Sep 29, 2021 at 12:36
  • Happy to help :-) Sep 29, 2021 at 12:43
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I tried turning off the router for a few minutes and turning it on again, nothing changes.

This is all you did with the router.

I suggest you update the firmware on your router, then to a hardware reset back to factory settings. Then set up the router Wireless Profile for both 2.4GHz and 5 GHz.

Restart the router and then log in with your devices. Check that both bands work reliably.

If the laptop continues to disconnect and other devices do not disconnect (both bands), then ask the computer manufacturer for warranty service.

You can also get a USB Wireless Card and try that in your laptop.

It is possible that you may have to get a better router.

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  • I'm thinking it's unlikely to be the problem of the router, since all other devices can connect to the router just fine, just my laptop that's having problems.
    – anmariii
    Sep 29, 2021 at 12:40
  • Sometimes router / computer setups can have an incompatibility , so I suggest router firmware as a possibility. Otherwise, you may need to check the laptop. Maybe try a USB wireless card (noted in my answer).
    – John
    Sep 29, 2021 at 12:43

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