If your WOW disconnects every few minutes, there are only two outcomes. It’s either the internet itself due to an ISP problem or an issue on your side.
There is a lot more that can go wrong in your configuration. This is why here we’ll help you determine whether the issue is with you or your service provider.
The WOW internet could be disconnecting due to instability in your WiFi network. In case you’re seeing the problem on a PC that is wired with an Ethernet cable, you might want to carry out a network troubleshooting scan. Other than that you should focus on your router, cables, and WiFi usage.
Having that in mind, let’s proceed with discussing the possible causes first, and then proceeding with the actual solutions.
Why Is WOW Disconnecting Constantly?
A variety of problems could be causing your WOW to disconnect.
The whole aspect of your internet’s reliability depends on the health of your Ethernet connection, the base strength of the signal, and your configuration.
Here are the potential suspects in case the problem is on your side:
1. Outdated Router OS
If the firmware version of your router is outdated, this might be causing you some problems with the network and connectivity.
2. Router Overheating
If your router has been exposed to sunlight, or especially if it’s really hot in the room, you could experience disconnects.
3. Overwhelming Network Channel
Sometimes the WiFi channel you’re using is overwhelmed and you would need to change it.
4. Faulty Cables
If there are loose cables, or power adapter issues causing your router to reboot, well, your WOW internet will definitely restart too.
5. IP Conflict
Sometimes issues with your home network and IPs could form conflicts that you need to solve before your internet is completely gone.
There are quite a lot of different causes and here are only the most common ones.
However, in the solutions below we’ve addressed each and every possibility so you can realize where the issue is coming from.
How To Fix WOW Random Disconnects Every Few Minutes Issue?
We strongly suggest giving your router a good reboot before moving on with any of the actual solutions.
This is highly recommended by the community since a restart often solves connectivity problems.
If a reboot didn’t help, and your WOW internet disconnects, proceed with the first solution:
Solution #1 Hard Reset Your Router
Unlike the casual reboot, which only involves pressing the power button twice, a hard reset, on the other hand, will discharge your device.
This process will drain the electricity out of your router and provide it with a cold startup the next time you turn the device on.
To execute a hard reset on your router, follow these steps:
- Tap the power button on your router if it has one.
- After your router has completely shut down, unplug the power adapter.
- Wait for 5 minutes until your router feels cold on touch.
- Re-attach the power adapter back to its position and wait for your router to boot.
After the power in your router has been replenished, try using your WOW internet for a couple of minutes.
Determine whether the connection is going to drop and if it does, proceed with our next solution.
Solution #2 Change Network Channel
You can easily find out if the problem is related to the WiFi channels.
In case the outages appear only on the WiFi, but not on your Ethernet wired computer, then changing the network channel will definitely help.
Here is how to change to another WiFi channel:
- Open your web browser and type “192.168.0.1”.
- Hit Enter and log in using admin/admin or admin/password.
- Go to Wireless Settings.
- Choose Advanced Settings.
- Choose which WiFi you would like to configure.
- Click on Change Channels and choose another channel from the drop-down menu.
- To apply hit Save.
It’s recommended to restart your router after changing the channel so make sure to perform a reboot. Test the WOW internet.
Note: Test with several different channels since you might have picked an overloading channel the first time.
Solution #3 Update Your Router
If your WOW disconnects every few minutes even after changing the WiFi channel, we suggest updating your router to the latest firmware version.
Internet connectivity issues are well-known to occur with older software of your router, so keeping your router up-to-date is the best you can do.
If you have a committed app for your router already installed, make sure to browse it for any available updates.
To update your router manually, follow these instructions:
- Using the steps from the previous solution, log in to your router’s control panel.
- Head over to Security and Update.
- Press on Firmware Update.
- Choose Scan for Updates.
- Install any available updates.
It is possible that your router will reboot to apply the changes, once the update concludes.
Be patient and once the update is over, test if the WOW internet will keep disconnecting.
Solution #4 Choose A Different WiFi Frequency
There might be a discrepancy between the frequency WOW internet is bringing into your household and the capacity your router supports.
If for instance a 5GHz internet is available in your WOW plan, but your router only supports 2.4GHz, this might cause frequent outages on the internet.
Note: Keep in mind that this solution will only work if the frequency you’ve chosen for your router to transmit is not compatible with the WOW internet.
To double-check your WiFi frequency, follow the steps down below:
- Using the steps from the previous solutions, login into your router’s control panel.
- Once signed in, head to “Internet & Networking” and tap on the frequency tab.
- Choose your already created network and check the frequency.
- Set the frequency to 2.4GHz temporarily.
If your router and your WOW plan support a 5GHz network, then you shouldn’t have a problem. In any other case, we suggest leaving the network frequency to 2.4GHz.
In case your WOW is disconnecting every few minutes even after changing frequently, proceed with relieving the network usage.
Solution #5 Lower Internet Usage
As we’ve mentioned back at the beginning of this guide, a slow internet speed might cause your internet to disconnect occasionally.
This is why we recommend running full maintenance of the network and troubleshooting the network speed.
Note: To track your results throughout this process, we suggest testing out your internet speed at Ookla.
Test the speed before troubleshooting your network and then once again when you’re done.
Follow these steps to troubleshoot your internet speed:
Prevent High Data Actions
Until the end of this guide, shut down any large data uploading/downloading or seeding.
Disconnect Unused Devices
Make sure to disconnect any devices from your network that are not used actively and might be consuming a lot of bandwidth.
Relocate your Device
If you’re experiencing the issue on a WiFi-connected device, make sure to move closer to the router for better performance in the internet speed.
Now check back in Ookla.com to determine if there was any improvement. If nothing has worked, then let’s move on to the next solution.
Solution #6 Re-Enable Your Network
On your Windows PC, where the Ethernet cable from your router is connected, you would need to re-enable your network to resolve any IP conflicts.
That can happen through the control panel so let’s jump into the steps:
- Go to the Control Panel.
- Click on Network and Internet.
- Choose Network Connections.
- Right-click on the network adapter. It could be Ethernet, or Ethernet 2, and etc.
- Choose to Disable it.
- Wait for a minute and right-click again.
- Press on Enable to start it.
Tip: You can also right-click on the network icon in the Taskbar tray and choose Troubleshoot Problems to run a network issues scan. It can be really helpful.
Solution #7 Reset Your Router
If the WOW is disconnecting every few minutes, then perhaps, you should try erasing your router’s memory via factory reset.
This process would practically reset ALL of the network data, therefore resolving any internet complications that might be occurring.
To factory reset your router easily, follow the steps down below:
- Make sure your router is up and running.
- Press and hold the small reset button on the back of the device.
- Hold it down for ~30 seconds.
- Release the button once your router starts blinking.
Once the due is done, wait for your router to reboot and check if the issue is fixed.
If not, maybe the problem is with the service provider. Do not waste any more time and reach out to your ISP to report your problem.
Read Next: If I Reset My Router Will I Still Have Internet?
Conclusion:
To fix a disconnecting WOW internet, try hard resetting the router and troubleshooting the base internet speed. Next, change the WiFi channel and frequency as well as re-enabling your network. Lastly, you should factory reset your router, and update it to its latest firmware available.
In summary, the “WOW disconnects every few minutes” issue is commonly met throughout the community, especially if the problem is on the client’s side.
With our guide, however, you’re almost guaranteed at identifying the root of the problem and solving it in a matter of minutes.
Kevin has over five years of experience working in various Tech startups and providing Technical solutions. He has contributed to many Tech publications and websites. Check out more about him here.