Seeing your Chromebook’s Wi-Fi connection drop can be frustrating. The problem is often caused by the faulty internet connection rather than the Chromebook itself. When I encounter this problem, here’s everything I do to identify the root cause and stabilize my network connection.
1 Ensure the Issue Isn’t With Your Internet Connection
Begin troubleshooting by checking whether the problem lies with your router or internet connection. The easiest way to do that is by connecting other devices to the same network. If the Wi-Fi keeps disconnecting on those devices, the issue is likely with your internet connection, not the Chromebook.
In that case, try rebooting your router, updating its firmware, checking for outages from your ISP, and other standard Wi-Fi troubleshooting steps. However, if other devices connect without issue and only your Chromebook experiences disconnections, the problem is likely Chromebook-specific. In that case, proceed with the fixes explained below.
2 Remove Other Connected Networks
If multiple previously connected networks are available, Chromebooks allow you to set a preferred network, which your device will automatically connect to. If you’re connected to a non-preferred network and restart your Wi-Fi, the Chromebook may switch to the preferred network if available, disconnecting you from the current one.
To stop this, you can change the preferred network or forget all other networks except the one you want to use. To change your preferred network, go to Settings > Network > Wi-Fi, select the network your Chromebook switches to, and turn off the Prefer this network toggle. Then, go to the network you want to stay connected to and enable this toggle there.
You can also remove networks you don’t want your Chromebook to connect to by clicking the Forget button.
3 Update ChromeOS
Outdated operating systems can cause unexpected problems, including Wi-Fi connectivity issues. To rule this possibility out, check if ChromeOS is up to date. Go to Settings > About ChromeOS and click Check for updates. If an update is available, your Chromebook will download and install it, prompting you to restart the device to complete the process.
If your system is already up to date, you’ll see the message Your Chromebook is up to date once you click Check for updates.
4 Disconnect Other Devices Connected to the Same Network
If too many devices, such as phones, smart TVs, tablets, and computers, are connected to your network, it can lead to congestion. When multiple devices share the same bandwidth, your router may become overwhelmed and frequently disconnect your devices. To check if limited bandwidth is the culprit, turn off Wi-Fi on devices you aren’t using.
You can also forget the network on devices that no longer need access but are still connected. If this resolves the issue, consider upgrading your internet plan and router to support more connections. Otherwise, you might face a similar problem again when too many devices connect to your network.
5 Switch to a Different Wi-Fi Frequency Band
Most modern routers operate on two frequency bands, 2.4GHz and 5GHz, and the same applies to smartphone hotspot connections. The 2.4GHz band offers a longer range but is often more congested, while the 5 GHz band has a shorter range but provides a more stable connection.
If you’re farther from the router or hotspot, connecting to 2.4GHz is preferable, but 5GHz is ideal for better stability. Switching between bands could also resolve connection issues.
You can switch frequency bands in your router or hotspot settings. To check the current frequency on your Chromebook, go to Settings > Network > Wi-Fi, select the network, expand the Advanced dropdown menu, and look for the frequency. It will show around 2400 (2.4GHz) or 5000 (5GHz).
6 Set Up a Static IP Address
Your Chromebook may keep disconnecting from the internet due to IP conflicts or network configuration issues. This can happen if your router assigns a dynamic IP address that changes whenever you connect. To prevent this, you can assign a static IP address, which remains constant and maintains a stable connection.
To assign a static IP, go to Settings > Network > Wi-Fi, click the arrow next to your network, and expand the Network menu. Turn off the toggle next to Configure IP address automatically to use your current dynamic IP as static. Alternatively, you can manually assign the IP address, Subnet Mask, Gateway, and DNS details.
You can also reserve a specific IP address for your Chromebook in the router settings, but only try this if you know what you’re doing.
7 Turn Off VPN and Proxy Settings
While VPNs encrypt your internet traffic and proxies reroute it to keep your activity private, they can sometimes cause slowdowns and disconnections. This mainly happens if the VPN server is overloaded or the proxy server isn’t working properly. To rule this out, disable both the VPN and proxy server.
To check if a VPN is active, click on the time in the bottom-right corner and look for the VPN status. If it’s on, click Disconnect to turn it off.
To turn off the proxy server, go to Settings > Network > Wi-Fi, select your Wi-Fi connection, expand the Proxy dropdown, and select Direct Internet Connection.
8 Reset the Network Settings
If the issue is due to misconfigured or outdated settings, resetting the network settings can help resolve it. Chromebooks don’t have a dedicated network reset option, but you can forget the network instead, which fully removes the connection. Afterward, you can reconnect by entering the password as if it were the first time.
To forget a network, go to Settings > Network > Wi-Fi > Known Networks, click the three vertical dots next to the network, and select Forget.
Repeat this process for other networks if necessary, then set up and keep only your primary network connection.
9 Turn Off Battery Saving Mode
Although Google doesn’t explicitly state whether battery-saver mode affects network connectivity, power-saving features can reduce device performance, which might interfere with your network connection. For this reason, I recommend disabling battery saver mode to rule out this possibility.
To turn off power-saving, go to Settings > System preferences > Power and switch off the toggle next to Battery saver.
Additionally, prevent your device from going to sleep by selecting Keep display on for both While inactive and plugged in and While inactive and on battery options.
10 Perform a Full System Powerwash
If none of the previous steps resolve the issue, your last option is to perform a Powerwash, essentially a factory reset for Chromebooks. This will remove corrupted files, restore conflicting settings to default, and clear problematic network preferences, potentially fixing the connection problem.
However, remember that this process erases all local data and settings, so only proceed if other solutions have failed. Before resetting, back up any important files stored locally in the Downloads folder, as they will be deleted. Once you’re ready, follow the steps to perform a Powerwash, which should likely resolve the issue.
Hopefully, the fixes outlined above will help you pinpoint the main cause of your Wi-Fi disconnections and resolve the issue. If none of these solutions work, you should consider reinstalling ChromeOS from scratch, though this is usually not required in most cases. If the problem persists, it could be hardware-related.
In that case, if your Chromebook is still under warranty, have it checked by the manufacturer or take it to a local technician for further inspection.
