Wi-Fi keeps bugging out

[AdrianLee]

So first and foremost, we have a decent wifi with around 50-100Mbps. We can have simultaneous high quality youtube videos playing at once without any buffering. But somehow, my laptop, specifically the Wi-Fi, keeps on bugging out.

I tried everything from troubleshooting it, to changing its settings but nothing worked out in the long run, only temporary fixes. When I check my troubleshooter, it says that either:
1. There is something wrong with the DNS
2. Default Gateway problem
And after like, 2 seconds, it just says "you're connected!" like it didn't just warn me about the potential software problems inside my laptop and it's been like this for weeks. I'm about to try the virtual repair center, but I'm posting this in the meanwhile for the small chance that it won't get fixed by the virtual repair so that the problem might be found.

[NonSequitur777]

@AdrianLee,

Welcome to our HP Community forum!

Thank you for sharing the detailed description -and you're definitely not alone in facing intermittent Wi-Fi issues that report DNS or Default Gateway errors. Since you've already tried the basic troubleshooting steps and the issues keep returning, let's dig a bit deeper into more advanced solutions. Here's a structured set of steps that often resolve this type of recurring Wi-Fi instability:

---

Step 1: Update Wi-Fi Driver Manually (Not via Device Manager):

HP laptops sometimes ship with Realtek or MediaTek Wi-Fi adapters that benefit from the latest OEM drivers.

1. Press Win + R, type devmgmt.msc, and hit Enter/OK.

2. Expand Network adapters and note the exact name of your Wi-Fi adapter (e.g., Realtek RTL8821CE, MediaTek MT7921).

3. Visit the HP Drivers & Software page for the HP 15-fd1000 series and download the latest Wi-Fi driver available for your model: Select the correct OS (should default to Windows 11).

4. Scroll down to the “Driver-Network” category.
   This section contains the wireless LAN (Wi-Fi) drivers.

   You may see entries like:

   • Realtek WLAN Driver

   • MediaTek WLAN Driver

   • Intel WLAN Driver (depending on the internal Wi-Fi module in your specific configuration). Click “Download” next to the latest (most recent date) driver that matches your adapter (e.g., if Device Manager shows “Realtek RTL8852BE,” choose the Realtek driver).

   • If nothing newer is available or issues persist, you can also try downloading the latest version directly from the chipset manufacturer's website (e.g., Realtek or MediaTek) -often they’re more recent than HP's release.

---

Step 2: Reset TCP/IP Stack and DNS Settings:

Run the following commands in Command Prompt (Admin) to flush any corrupted network settings:

netsh int ip reset

netsh winsock reset

ipconfig /flushdns

Then restart your computer.

---

Step 3: Manually Set DNS to Google's Public DNS:

Sometimes ISP or router DNS settings cause instability.

1. Go to Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi > Your Wi-Fi network > DNS settings.

2. Set to Manual, enable IPv4, and input:

   • Preferred DNS: 8.8.8.8

   • Alternate DNS: 8.8.4.4

3. Save and restart the laptop.

---

Step 4: Power Management Tweak:

Prevent Windows from turning off your Wi-Fi adapter to save power:

1. In Device Manager, right-click your Wi-Fi adapter > Properties > Power Management tab.

2. Uncheck “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power.”

---

Optional: Update BIOS and Chipset Drivers:

Sometimes firmware updates improve network stability:

• Check the HP 15-fd1000 support page for a BIOS update and Intel chipset drivers if applicable.

---

Still Not Fixed? Consider Router Compatibility:

If other devices are working fine except this laptop, try connecting to a different Wi-Fi network (such as your smartphone's hotspot) and observe the behavior. If it works perfectly on the hotspot, the issue may involve how your router’s DHCP leases or dual-band frequencies (2.4GHz vs 5GHz) interact with your laptop’s adapter.

---

Let me know how it goes -especially after updating the driver and setting the DNS manually. These steps usually stop the "flaky gateway/DNS error for 2 seconds" cycle. If not, we can look into replacing the Wi-Fi module (if under warranty) or using a USB Wi-Fi adapter as a fallback.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[AdrianLee]

I will check in on you after a few days since right now, it's working perfectly fine. This might just be another short-term solution (which I hope is not).

[AdrianLee]

@NonSequitur777

Update, my hunch was correct. It was only a temporary fix. Now I'm receiving "DHCP server isn't responding" on the troubleshoot window. Additionally, I've checked on my Task Manager to see how my Wi-Fi is performing and I'm seeing around 2-5 seconds with 0kbps in both sent and received.

[NonSequitur777]

@AdrianLee,

Did you try the steps as described in my previous post?

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[AdrianLee]

@NonSequitur777,

Yes I have, did it a couple of times when the problem reoccurred.