Windows 10: My laptop will randomly kick me off wifi and then not let me connect to a network.

Hi. So recently my co.puter started randomly disconnecting from my wifi. It then says there are no networks available and when I run a diagnostic on it the troubleshooting says that the Intel dual band wireless AC 8265 adapter is experiencing driver or hardware related problems. If I restart my computer it usually fixes the issue but how do I fix it so this stops happening?

:)

 

Kick or Ban who is connected with my internet ?

You would have to do that on your Router's setup webpage. 1st step is to turn on WiFi encryption and password. 2nd step, if you feel you need to, is set up an access list of the physical MAC addresses for the network adapters of the computers you want to allow to connect. Any other network adapter not on that MAC filter list won't be able to connect. (but MAC addresses can be easily spoofed, if the third person knows which MAC addresses are allowed).

 

Kick or Ban who is connected with my internet ?

You should still be able to use NavyLCDR's second step without changing the WiFi password.

 

How to connect to an existing wifi network?

As you suggested, I tried disabling the ethernet adapter and that caused wi-fi to connect, so the desktop wifi does work. Also, I accessed the router and changed the wireless network name (to wfCHS). Thanks!

However many problems are still unresolved:

My laptop behaves just as I want it to. Assuming the router has wifi turned on and the laptop has an ethernet connection, connection to the internet is by ethernet (no private network name), and the wi-fi connection is to my private network "wfCHS", but with no connection to the internet. (If I disconnect the ethernet cable, then wfCHS becomes connected to the internet and stays that way even if I reconnect the cable.) A directory listing shows both laptop and desktop under "Network". Great!

Things are rather different with the desktop. With Ethernet disabled, the desktop shows a wi-fi connection to the internet. Under Settings > Status it's called "wfCHS" but under Network Connections it's called wfCHS2. If I then re-enable the ethernet connection, the wifi connection stays enabled for a minute or two, then disconnects. Further, the ethernet connection is given the name wfCHS2 under both Status and Network Connections.

Why does the desktop give an (unwanted) name to the ethernet connection while the laptop doesn't?

Why does the desktop disconnect its wi-fi connection a minute or so after the ethernet connection is enabled, while the laptop doesn't?

Why does the desktop give two different names to the wifi connection, depending on whether it's viewed under Status or Network Connections, while the laptop doesn't?

Why does the laptop show the desktop under Network, while the desktop shows only itself?

Things are so convoluted that I'd be happy to start over. I've had the desktop "forget" the wi-fi connection as you suggested, then re-established it, but this hasn't helped. Can the ethernet connection also be "forgotten"?

Really appreciate the help you've given so far!