Wi-Fi on an IdeaPad Slim 5 fails in two ways in the community threads: the option disappears from the taskbar, or the laptop connects and drops. When Wi-Fi vanishes, open Device Manager and look for the wireless adapter under Network adapters; if it is missing, the driver has been lost and you reinstall it from Lenovo's support page for your model, and a faulty WLAN card, which handles both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, is the last explanation. One owner of the 16AHP9 listed Wi-Fi, audio, touchpad and brightness faults together, which is a sign of a driver set that needs updating from Lenovo Vantage.
If the laptop connects and drops, check the power saving setting for the adapter, forget the network and rejoin, update the driver, and restart the router. Airplane mode and a Wi-Fi key can also switch the radio off. The Slim 5 supports modern Wi-Fi, and routers that use the newest settings sometimes need a firmware update before a laptop connects reliably. Try the laptop on a phone hotspot to see whether the radio itself works, because that separates the laptop from your router. Keep the laptop's own Wi-Fi driver and the router's channel settings in step: a driver update from Lenovo that changes power behavior can expose an old router problem that did not show before.
Differential
Likely causes of “Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 family will not connect to Wi-Fi or keeps disconnecting”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A missing or damaged driver
What separates it No Wi-Fi option
How to confirm Reinstall the wireless driver from Lenovo
- 2
Airplane mode or a function key
What separates it Wi-Fi is off
How to confirm Turn off Airplane mode and check the Wi-Fi key
- 3
Adapter power saving
What separates it It drops after idle
How to confirm Device Manager, the adapter, Power Management: untick Allow the computer to turn off this device
- 4
A stale network profile
What separates it It connects with no internet
How to confirm Forget the network and rejoin
- 5
A faulty WLAN card
What separates it Wi-Fi and Bluetooth both fail
How to confirm Contact Lenovo
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Whether the adapter appears in Device Manager
- Whether Bluetooth also fails
- Whether other devices work on the network
- The model such as 16AHP9
Try in this order
0 of 9 completedCheck Airplane mode
ReversibleMake sure it is off and the Wi-Fi key is not pressed.
Look in Device Manager
ReversibleOpen Network adapters and see whether the wireless adapter is listed.
Reinstall the driver
ReversibleDownload the wireless driver for your model from Lenovo and install it.
Turn off adapter power saving
ReversibleIn the adapter's properties, Power Management.
Forget and rejoin the network
ReversibleSettings, Network and internet, Wi-Fi.
Restart the router
ReversibleAnd the laptop.
Test on a phone hotspot
ReversibleIf the laptop is stable on a hotspot, the router or its settings are the cause.
Update the router's firmware
ReversibleCheck the router's page for an update, since older firmware can mishandle new laptops.
Run the network reset as a last resort
ReversibleSettings, Network and internet, Advanced network settings, Network reset, then reconnect to your networks.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- One card for both
- The same card handles Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
- Lenovo Vantage
- It can update the driver set in one go.
- Hotspot test
- It removes the router from the picture.
- Router firmware
- Old firmware can cause drops with new adapters.
- Network reset
- It reinstalls the adapters and clears saved networks.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If the adapter is missing after the driver install, contact Lenovo
- !If Wi-Fi and Bluetooth both fail, ask about the WLAN card
- !If the router is the issue, ask its maker
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
Why did the Wi-Fi option disappear?+
The driver may be lost or the adapter failed.
Where do I get the driver?+
From Lenovo's support page for your model.
Can the WLAN card fail?+
Yes, and it affects Bluetooth too.
What is adapter power saving?+
A setting that lets Windows switch the adapter off.
Will a network reset delete files?+
No, it clears network settings.
Why does it only drop on my router?+
Router settings or firmware are likely.