What the MakeUseOf piece claims
Writer Pankil Shah argues that Windows plays it safe with your Wi-Fi adapter. His case has four parts:
- On battery, the adapter sits in "Medium Power Saving" under the Balanced plan.
- Switching Wireless Adapter Settings > Power Saving Mode to Maximum Performance fixes latency spikes and dropped throughput.
- Unchecking "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power" in Device Manager is a second fix.
- He says his average speed-test results "more than doubled" after the two changes, and he reports no noticeable battery penalty.
The article gives no test figures, adapter model, driver version, Windows build, or test method. Treat the doubling as one writer's anecdote, not a general result.
What Microsoft says
Microsoft's own Wi-Fi troubleshooting guide for Windows 10 and 11 does recommend this setting, but only in a narrower situation. The steps are the same: expand Wireless Adapter Settings, then Power Saving Mode, and set On battery and Plugged in to Maximum Performance. Microsoft puts it under the heading for Wi-Fi connections that drop frequently, alongside changing the router channel. It does not present it as a speed booster for every PC.
Microsoft's hardware documentation also contradicts the "default" claim. It says Windows configures 802.11 power-save mode to Maximum Performance for both AC and battery power by default. Its stated reason is to avoid compatibility problems between some adapters and access points that handle 802.11 power-save poorly. That page was last updated in October 2021, so it describes documented policy, not what every current PC ships with. OEM power plans and driver defaults vary, and some third-party guides say Windows uses a medium level on battery. So the claim that every Windows PC is on Medium Power Saving on battery doesn't hold up as a universal statement. Check your own machine before assuming it applies.
The Device Manager checkbox is murkier
Microsoft's guide does include unchecking "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power" as a troubleshooting step, and Microsoft Q&A answers suggest it for adapters that switch off on their own.
Intel disagrees about what the box does on its adapters. Its support article says the setting has no effect on Wi-Fi power management. It says the box only governs how Windows and the driver handle power-down during suspend and hibernation, and it recommends leaving it checked. So for Intel Wi-Fi cards, the author's second tweak is unlikely to change speed during active use. Other vendors' drivers may behave differently.
Some systems also hide the tab entirely. One Microsoft Q&A answer says on some systems the Power Management tab for the Wi-Fi adapter is intentionally not available. On those machines, the answer says, you should use the power plan settings instead.
The battery trade-off is real
The article says the battery cost is basically nonexistent. Intel's guidance says otherwise: Maximum Performance on battery can cause battery power to discharge faster. The size of the cost depends on your adapter, workload and access point, and I have no measurements to put a number on it. It is not zero by definition, so don't treat it as zero.
A reasonable middle path, which at least one guide also suggests, is to try a lighter saving level first and go to Maximum Performance only if the drops continue. A common compromise is Maximum Performance when plugged in and a saving mode on battery.
How to test it
Follow Microsoft's non-registry route:
- Open Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Power Options.
- Next to your active plan, select Change plan settings, then Change advanced power settings.
- Expand Wireless Adapter Settings, then Power Saving Mode.
- Set Plugged in to Maximum Performance. If you're troubleshooting battery-only problems, set On battery too.
- Select Apply, then OK.
To judge whether it helped:
- Run a few speed tests before and after, in the same spot, on the same band, at similar times of day.
- Test on battery if that is where you see the problem. Plugged-in behavior may already be at maximum.
- If nothing improves, revert the setting. Otherwise you are paying a battery penalty for nothing.
If the setting is missing
The article suggests creating an Attributes DWORD with the value 2 under the 19cbb8fa-5279-450e-9fac-8a3d5fedd0c1 power-settings key. Intel's article says recent Windows 10 and 11 builds can hide Wireless Adapter Settings, and it sends users to Microsoft or their PC maker instead of suggesting a registry edit.
I found no Microsoft or Intel documentation that endorses the registry trick. It is a widely shared unhide hack and not an officially documented fix. I wouldn't treat it as a routine step. If you try it, back up the registry or create a restore point first, as the article itself advises. A hidden control may also mean the driver manages Wi-Fi power on its own, so unhiding it might not change anything.
Rule out other causes first
Microsoft's guide lists several checks that often explain slow Wi-Fi better than adapter power settings:
- Signal and obstructions: make sure the device is close to the router and not blocked.
- Background bandwidth: open Task Manager and end processes using heavy bandwidth.
- Another device: connect a second device to the same Wi-Fi. If it is also slow, Microsoft says the router may need maintenance or replacement.
- Ping test: run ipconfig to find your default gateway, then ping it. Replies mean the PC reaches the router, so the problem may be the modem or ISP.
- Other steps: try the other band (2.4 GHz or 5 GHz), reinstall the adapter driver, and check Windows Update.
The extra adapter tweaks
MakeUseOf also recommends setting Roaming Aggressiveness to Lowest and MIMO Power Save Mode (SMPS) to No SMPS. It notes that Realtek and MediaTek drivers label the power option differently, as Power Saving Mode or 802.11 Power Saving. These options exist on many adapters, and other community guides mention them too. I couldn't find Microsoft or Intel documentation endorsing those specific values. Whether they help depends on your adapter, driver and network. Change one setting at a time and note what you did, so you can undo it.
Bottom line
Setting the wireless adapter's power-saving mode to Maximum Performance is a legitimate troubleshooting step that Microsoft documents for Wi-Fi that drops frequently. It is not a universal speed unlock, and the claims of doubled speeds, a free battery trade-off, and a speed-sapping Device Manager checkbox aren't backed up by Microsoft's or Intel's documentation. If your Wi-Fi is flaky, try the change, measure the result, and revert it if nothing improves. If your Wi-Fi is already stable, you can leave the setting alone.