Windows 10: Laptop WiFi connection drops when on battery power

After installing Windows 10 update KB4467702 a few months ago I noticed my laptop's WiFi connection kept dropping: I'd get the "No Internet Connection" message eventhough other devices on the same network were fine. After trying countless fixes, I discovered this Microsoft Support page which specifically mentions WiFi connectivity issues due to Windows Power Management. Sure enough, it seems that my WiFi issues only arise when my laptop is on battery, connecting it to a power source magically fixes everything.

I've changed all the settings I know to maximize performance over energy saving but the WiFi issues still arise when my laptop is on battery power. Here are the settings that I know of:

Device Manager: selecting my network adapter and removing the tick next to "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power"





Control Panel: creating a custom power plan and making sure the power saving mode for "on battery" is set to "Maximum Performance"





I even disabled the USB selective suspend setting on battery because I use a USB wireless adapter





These are all the network-related power options that I can think of but my WiFi still drops when my laptop is on battery. What setting did I miss? One of the running services maybe?

:)

 

laptop battery meter malfunctioning

It is possible this is an issue with a Windows Driver, to rectify this issue, please follow these steps

• Disconnect Power Supply
• Remove battery
• Connect Power Supply
• Turn on the laptop
• Control Panel - Device Manager
• Under the Batteries category, right-click all instances of Microsoft ACPI Compliant Control Method Battery , and Uninstall
• Shutdown
• Disconnect Power Supply
• Insert battery
• Connect Power Supply
• Turn on the laptop

I Hope this Helps!

 

VNC connections constantly drop but only when using laptop on battery power

My first step in troubleshooting would be diagnosing where the cause of the issue lies.

We can simplify a lot of the effort by isolation:

• First, to rule out if it's any OS setting, driver issue or other kind of software-related cause, I suggest you prepare a live Linux flash drive, install and configure the VPN and VNC clients on it, and run the VPN'ed VNC connection via both Ethernet and WiFi. If the issue is gone, we know the cause is with Windows.
  
• Maybe it's some incompatibility with your WiFi infrastructure. Try a different router/AP to rule it out.
  
• Try with a different ISP. If you have a mobile data plan and are sure your VNC setup isn't data-intensive, then you could use it as a mobile hotspot.
  
• You already said the issue doesn't happen at work and happens at home, but have you checked at another place? I'd try somewhere with a different ISP and router - a friend's house, a library, Starbucks...
  

 

Cannot connect to wifi with laptop

Hi,

We would like to isolate this issue that you're having right now. We suggest that you try the steps below:

• 
  Go to Network and Sharing Center.
  
• 
  At the right pane, click Change adapter settings.
  
• 
  Right click on your connection name (WiFi name) and Properties.
  
• 
  Click the Configure... button.
  
• 
  Go to Power Management tab.
  
• 
  Uncheck/disable the radio button for "Allow this device to turn off this device to save power".
  
• 
  Restart the PC (Important)
  

We will wait for your response.

Regards.