If your internet or network connection is acting up, restarting your network adapter can often help fix the problem. This guide will show you easy ways to do that on Windows 11.

What is a Network Adapter?

A network adapter is a small piece of hardware inside your computer that helps it connect to the internet or other networks. It’s sometimes called a network card or NIC. Restarting it means turning it off and then back on to clear any small issues.

Why Restart the Network Adapter?

Restarting the network adapter can fix common connection problems by resetting the network settings and clearing temporary glitches.

How to Restart Your Network Adapter

Method 1: Turn Wi-Fi Off and On

The quickest way is to turn your Wi-Fi off and then back on:

1. Click the Network icon in the lower-right corner of your screen (near the clock).
2. Click the Wi-Fi button to turn it off.
3. Wait a few seconds, then click it again to turn Wi-Fi back on.

Here’s a helpful video showing how to do this step by step:

Method 2: Disable and Enable Your Network Adapter

You can also restart your adapter by disabling and enabling it:

1. Press the Windows key + X and select Network Connections.
2. Click Advanced network settings.
3. Under More settings, click Network adapters.
4. Find your network adapter (like “Wi-Fi”), click it, then click Disable.
5. Wait a few seconds, then click Enable to turn it back on.

More detailed steps can be found here: How to Disable or Enable a Network Adapter in Windows 11

Method 3: Restart the Network Adapter Using PowerShell

If you like using commands, you can restart your network adapter with PowerShell:

1. Press Windows key + S, type PowerShell, right-click it, and choose Run as administrator.
2. Type this command to see all your network adapters:
   
   Get-NetAdapter | Format-Table -AutoSize
   
3. Look for the name of the adapter you want to restart (for example, “Wi-Fi”).
4. Then type this command (replace Wi-Fi with your adapter’s name):
   
   Restart-NetAdapter -Name "Wi-Fi"
   

Here’s an example screenshot showing the list of network adapters:

Summary

• Restarting your network adapter can fix internet problems by clearing small errors.
• You can do this by turning Wi-Fi off/on, disabling/enabling the adapter, or using PowerShell commands.
• PowerShell commands are a quick way if you are comfortable with typing commands.
• Helpful guides and videos are available online with step-by-step instructions.

By following these simple steps, you can quickly improve your network connection and get back online without hassle.