Troubleshoot Wi-Fi Dropping

Dealing with an unstable Wi-Fi connection? Reduce or remove these physical or nonphysical barriers, or both, to strengthen your connection.

Physical Barriers to Stabilize Wi-Fi

One or more of these material issues could be interrupting your Wi-Fi connection:

• An out-of-date modem
• Materials that are hard for Wi-Fi signals to pass through, like concrete, drywall, and hollow wood
• Too much distance between the device you’re trying to connect and the router/modem

To solve these problems, take the following steps:

• Get in touch with CenturyLink to find out if your modem’s make and model are CenturyLink compatible and up to date.
• Move your router, modem, or both, to an area away from common physical barriers. If there isn’t a better place for your router or modem, consider moving devices that rely on Wi-Fi closer to the router.
• Place your router, modem, or both, higher up so signals can broadcast easier.

Nonphysical Barriers to Stabilize Wi-Fi

If you’ve tried the above solutions and are still having issues, interference from other Wi-Fi networks or electronic devices could be causing your dropped connection. For instance, electronics, like Bluetooth-enabled technology and microwaves, broadcast their own wireless signals, which can scramble and slow your Wi-Fi connection. Other wireless networks—for instance, those used by your neighbors—can also jumble your Wi-Fi signal and complicate getting online wirelessly.

To solve these problems, use CenturyLink to find the fastest, most reliable Wi-Fi channel on your modem. You can also temporarily disable other electronic devices while you try to connect your laptop or phone to the Wi-Fi.