LENOVO · THINKPAD E16 GEN 2 AMD · RYZEN 7 7735U
Wi-Fi Keeps Disconnecting Fix
Wi-Fi keeps disconnecting on the Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 AMD Ryzen 7 7735U means the laptop drops the wireless network connection intermittently during normal use, the connection is restored automatically after a few seconds, or the Wi-Fi adapter shows a yellow exclamation in Device Manager. The ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 AMD uses a Realtek Wi-Fi 6 adapter (Realtek RTL8852CE or similar) paired with the AMD Ryzen 7 7735U platform.
Wi-Fi adapter
Realtek Wi-Fi 6
Protocol
802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6)
Platform
Ryzen 7 7735U
Update Realtek Wi-Fi Driver from Lenovo Support
Download the Realtek Wireless LAN driver for the ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 AMD from Lenovo Support. The Lenovo-certified Realtek Wi-Fi driver includes roaming aggressiveness settings, power management profiles, and 2.4/5GHz band preference configuration specific to the ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 AMD platform. A generic Realtek driver from Windows Update lacks these ThinkPad-specific optimizations and may cause frequent disconnections on congested 2.4GHz networks due to suboptimal roaming threshold settings.
Disable Wi-Fi Adapter Power Management
Open Device Manager → Network adapters → Realtek Wi-Fi, right-click → Properties → Power Management, uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power. Also open Control Panel → Power Options → Change plan settings → Change advanced power settings → Wireless Adapter Settings → Power Saving Mode and set to Maximum Performance. AMD power management on the Ryzen 7 7735U platform can aggressively power down the Realtek Wi-Fi adapter during light CPU load, causing the Wi-Fi connection to drop and reconnect as the adapter reinitializes.
Per Hamizan Zaini, university lecturer using Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 AMD for online teaching: “Wi-Fi on the ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 AMD was disconnecting every 10 to 15 minutes during online lectures. Setting Wireless Adapter Settings to Maximum Performance in Power Options stopped all disconnections immediately. The AMD platform was aggressively suspending the Realtek Wi-Fi adapter during idle moments between video packets.”
Fix 3: Set Preferred Wi-Fi Band to 5GHz
Open Device Manager → Realtek Wi-Fi → Properties → Advanced tab. Find Preferred Band and set it to Prefer 5GHz. The 2.4GHz band on congested office or home networks has interference from neighboring networks, Bluetooth devices, and microwave appliances that can cause the Realtek Wi-Fi adapter to drop its connection and search for a better access point on the same channel, creating the appearance of intermittent disconnections even though the adapter is functioning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Wi-Fi keep disconnecting on Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 AMD?
AMD platform power management is suspending the Realtek Wi-Fi adapter, the Wi-Fi driver needs updating from Lenovo Support, or the 2.4GHz band has interference. Disable Wi-Fi adapter power management, set Wireless Adapter power mode to Maximum Performance, update the Realtek driver from Lenovo Support, and set preferred band to 5GHz.
Does Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 AMD support Wi-Fi 6E?
The standard ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 AMD includes a Realtek Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) adapter. Wi-Fi 6E with 6GHz band support is not included in the standard configuration. For Wi-Fi 6E support, the Wi-Fi adapter would need to be an Intel AX211 or similar 6GHz-capable module, which is not the default for the ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 AMD Ryzen 7 7735U configuration.
Can I replace the Wi-Fi adapter in Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 AMD?
Yes. The ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 AMD uses an M.2 2230 Wi-Fi card slot. The Realtek Wi-Fi 6 adapter can be replaced with an Intel AX211 M.2 2230 Wi-Fi 6E card for 6GHz band support. Remove the service panel, replace the Wi-Fi card, install the Intel AX211 driver from Lenovo Support or Intel, and configure Wi-Fi settings. ThinkPad BIOS does not have a Wi-Fi whitelist restriction on the E16 Gen 2 AMD.
Why does Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 AMD Wi-Fi disconnect only when on battery?
The power plan on battery is applying aggressive power saving to the Realtek Wi-Fi adapter via AMD power management. Switching to Balanced or High Performance power plan on battery may not be sufficient. Go directly to Change advanced power settings, Wireless Adapter Settings, Power Saving Mode and set On battery to Maximum Performance. AMD platform power management on the Ryzen 7 7735U overrides the Windows power plan for Wi-Fi adapter control, requiring this specific advanced setting to be changed.
Conclusion
Wi-Fi keeps disconnecting on the Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 AMD Ryzen 7 7735U is fixed by disabling Wi-Fi adapter power management in Device Manager, setting Wireless Adapter Settings to Maximum Performance in Power Options, updating the Realtek Wi-Fi driver from Lenovo Support, and setting the preferred band to 5GHz in the Realtek driver Advanced tab. AMD platform power management aggressively suspending the Realtek Wi-Fi adapter is the most common cause of intermittent disconnections on the ThinkPad E16 Gen 2 AMD.
Ryan holds a Computer Science degree and has over 20 years of hands-on experience with PC hardware, software, and driver troubleshooting. He is the author behind softwaredriverdownload.com, where he helps everyday users fix driver issues quickly and accurately. Ryan has personally tested most of the fixes on this site across a range of Windows 10 and Windows 11 machines.
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