How to Change Wireless Adapter Power Saving Mode in Windows 11
Wireless adapter power saving mode in Windows 11 controls how much electricity your PC sends to your Wi-Fi card. Windows 11 turns on a power-saving setting by default, which can slow down your internet speed or drop your connection after the computer wakes up from sleep.
You can fix slow Wi-Fi and stop random drops by changing this setting to Maximum Performance in the Device Manager. Keeping your Wi-Fi card at full power uses slightly more battery, but it gives you a much faster and more stable internet connection.
Open Control Panel , navigate to Power Options, and adjust the Wireless Adapter Settings within your chosen power plan’s advanced settings. Alternatively, use the powercfg command in Windows Terminal with administrator privileges to set your desired mode.
What Is Wireless Adapter Power Saving Mode?
Wireless adapter power saving mode in Windows lets users choose how much energy the Wi-Fi connection consumes, balancing battery life with network speed.
Power Saving Options
| Mode | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Maximum Performance | Best Wi-Fi speed, uses more power. (Default when plugged in) |
| Low Power Saving | Good balance between speed and saving power |
| Medium Power Saving | More power saving but may reduce speed. (Default on battery) |
| Maximum Power Saving | Saves the most power but Wi-Fi may slow down |
How to Change Power Saving Mode via Control Panel
Changing the wireless adapter power saving mode through the Control Panel helps you balance your Wi-Fi speed and battery life. You can reach this setting by opening Power Options, editing your active power plan, and changing the advanced hardware settings for your network card.
- Open Control Panel : Press Win+R on your keyboard. Type
controland press Enter. Switch the view to Small icons or Large icons. Click Power Options. - Choose your active power plan: Look for the plan you are using (like “Balanced”). Click Change plan settings next to it.
- Open advanced settings: Click Change advanced power settings.
Find Wireless Adapter Settings: Scroll down and expand Wireless Adapter Settings. Then expand Power Saving Mode.- Pick your preferred mode: Choose from the dropdown menus for On battery and Plugged in options. For example, select Maximum Performance for best Wi-Fi speed. Click OK to save your changes.
How to Change Power Saving Mode Using Commands
Updating the wireless adapter power saving mode using commands in Windows Terminal lets you quickly adjust your network performance without clicking through menus. You need to open the terminal with administrator rights to make these power changes take effect.
Open Windows Terminal as administrator: ⚠️ Admin privileges required. Right-click the Start button and select Windows Terminal (Admin) or search for "Windows Terminal" and open it as administrator.
Copy and paste a command: Choose one of the commands below based on your preferred power saving mode. Paste it into the terminal and press Enter.
For Laptop on Battery:
Configuring the wireless adapter power saving mode while your laptop runs on battery power lets you choose between saving battery life or getting the fastest Wi-Fi speed. You can apply this setting using a specific powercfg command in your terminal.
powercfg /SETDCVALUEINDEX SCHEME_CURRENT 19cbb8fa-5279-450e-9fac-8a3d5fedd0c1 12bbebe6-58d6-4636-95bb-3217ef867c1a 0Low Power Saving:
powercfg /SETDCVALUEINDEX SCHEME_CURRENT 19cbb8fa-5279-450e-9fac-8a3d5fedd0c1 12bbebe6-58d6-4636-95bb-3217ef867c1a 1Medium Power Saving:
powercfg /SETDCVALUEINDEX SCHEME_CURRENT 19cbb8fa-5279-450e-9fac-8a3d5fedd0c1 12bbebe6-58d6-4636-95bb-3217ef867c1a 2Maximum Power Saving:
powercfg /SETDCVALUEINDEX SCHEME_CURRENT 19cbb8fa-5279-450e-9fac-8a3d5fedd0c1 12bbebe6-58d6-4636-95bb-3217ef867c1a 3For Desktop or When Plugged In:
Tuning the wireless adapter power saving mode when your computer is plugged into AC power or using a desktop helps prioritize stable network performance over energy savings. You can apply this profile using the powercfg command line tool.
powercfg /SETACVALUEINDEX SCHEME_CURRENT 19cbb8fa-5279-450e-9fac-8a3d5fedd0c1 12bbebe6-58d6-4636-95bb-3217ef867c1a 0Low Power Saving:
powercfg /SETACVALUEINDEX SCHEME_CURRENT 19cbb8fa-5279-450e-9fac-8a3d5fedd0c1 12bbebe6-58d6-4636-95bb-3217ef867c1a 1Medium Power Saving:
powercfg /SETACVALUEINDEX SCHEME_CURRENT 19cbb8fa-5279-450e-9fac-8a3d5fedd0c1 12bbebe6-58d6-4636-95bb-3217ef867c1a 2Maximum Power Saving:
powercfg /SETACVALUEINDEX SCHEME_CURRENT 19cbb8fa-5279-450e-9fac-8a3d5fedd0c1 12bbebe6-58d6-4636-95bb-3217ef867c1a 3
Summary
- Balance speed and battery life: Choose a power saving mode that fits what you need. Do you want faster Wi-Fi or longer battery life?
- Changing settings is easy: Use the Control Panel or Windows Terminal to make changes.
- Know what each mode means: More power saving means less Wi-Fi performance.
- For laptops: You can set different modes for when on battery or plugged in.
- Learn more: Check Intel’s official guide on wireless power management.
Managing your wireless adapter power saving mode correctly ensures you get the best balance between fast internet speeds and good battery life. You can easily adjust these settings using either the Control Panel or Windows Terminal depending on your preferences.
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard is a writer at Geek Rewind who turns complex IT tasks into clear, step-by-step guides. He draws on years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, focusing on Windows, Linux and WordPress: the problems people actually run into, and the fixes that work. His server and WordPress guides come from systems he runs himself. Richard builds and maintains the platform behind Geek Rewind, from its Ubuntu servers and Nginx configuration to its custom WordPress plugins. Many new tutorials start with readers' questions, and he's always glad to answer them in the comments.
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