“The internet works for five minutes, then it drops and I have to reset the WiFi.” One of the most frustrating problems, because it looks like a small software glitch and it often turns out to be hardware. Let’s go step by step.
Step 1: Is the problem the laptop or the router
The most important check. The test:
- Your phone is on the same WiFi — is it working fine?
- If the phone drops too, the problem is the router, not the laptop
- If the phone is fine and only the laptop drops — the problem is the laptop
If it is the router, restart it (unplug it from power for 30 seconds). If it keeps happening, call your ISP (SBB, Yettel, Telekom).
Step 2: The WiFi card driver
In half the cases this sorts everything out. The driver can break especially after a Windows update.
- Open Device Manager (Win+X → Device Manager)
- Network adapters → right-click the WiFi card (for example “Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201”)
- Uninstall device (TICK “Delete driver software” if it asks)
- Restart the computer
- Windows will reinstall it. If it does not, go to the manufacturer’s site (Intel, Realtek, Qualcomm) and download the latest one
Power Management: Right-click the WiFi card → Properties → Power Management → untick “Allow the computer to turn off this device”. This is the most common cause of drops on battery.
Step 3: Change the WiFi channel on the router
In Belgrade especially (as in any densely populated building), 10 or more neighbouring networks overlap on the 2.4GHz band. If your laptop sits more than 5m from the router, switch to 5GHz if you have it, or change the channel:
- Log in to the router (192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1, the password is on the sticker)
- WiFi settings → Channel: set it to 1, 6 or 11 (for 2.4GHz)
- For 5GHz: set 36, 40 or 44
- Save, restart the router
Step 4: A faulty antenna (the worst case)
Laptop WiFi antennas are two thin copper wires running from the card to the left and right corners of the screen. During a teardown (after a screen or battery replacement, for instance), those antennas can get damaged.
The signs:
- The signal is extremely weak even right next to the router
- WiFi only picks up the strongest networks around you
- The phone sees 8 networks, the laptop only 2
- The laptop was taken apart recently
The repair means opening it up, checking, and replacing the antenna if needed. Price: 2,500-4,000 RSD depending on how hard it is to get to.
Step 5: An external USB WiFi adapter as a backup
If the laptop has an old WiFi card (802.11n from the 2010s), a USB upgrade is cheaper than swapping the card:
- TP-Link Archer T2U Plus — 1,800 RSD, dual-band
- TP-Link Archer T4U — 3,500 RSD, faster
You just plug it in, install the driver and use it. The internal WiFi can stay disabled in the BIOS.
What we do for you
- Driver reinstall + tuning: 2,000 RSD
- WiFi antenna replacement: 2,500-4,000 RSD
- WiFi card replacement: 1,500 RSD labour + the price of the card (1,500-3,500 RSD)
- Router setup + WiFi tuning: 2,500 RSD
If it is a laptop, bring it in or send it by courier. Bring the router in or send it by courier — we set it up and send it back by courier.