Win 10 / 11 · Windows

Stop your PC from sleep-glitching your network

Ethernet that drops right after wake-from-sleep, or Wi-Fi that needs a manual reconnect — it's the NIC trying to save power

  • Difficulty Medium
  • Estimated time 10 min
  • Platform Win 10 / 11
  • Last updated
Stop your PC from sleep-glitching your network — schematic diagram

Before you start

Low risk. This change is reversible — you can return to the previous state without professional help or data loss.

Steps

  1. Device Manager → Network adapters → your NIC → Properties → Power Management
  2. Uncheck 'Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power'
  3. Also under the same NIC → Advanced tab, set 'Green Ethernet' and 'Energy Efficient Ethernet' to Disabled

How to verify the fix

After wake-from-sleep, Ethernet/Wi-Fi stays connected without a manual reconnect.

If this didn't fix it

The connection still drops after sleep — the NIC driver itself may need updating from the laptop/motherboard maker's site.

Next stop: the related fixes below, or start a guided diagnosis.

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