AnyDesk Keeps Disconnecting or Freezing How to Fix It
A remote session that freezes every few minutes makes support impossible — and the cause is rarely 'AnyDesk is bad'. It is a chain: your internet, their internet, the connection path between them, and both PCs' settings. This guide checks the chain in the order that finds the fault fastest.
✍️ Technical Anshu🪟 Windows 10 / 11⏱️ 10 minute fix
🎥 Watch the full video — the AnyDesk popup problem and the fix, step-by-step
Start with the honest truth nobody likes: most AnyDesk disconnects are internet problems wearing an AnyDesk costume. AnyDesk itself needs very little bandwidth, but it needs that little bit steadily — a connection that drops packets will freeze the picture long before a speed test complains. Work through the fixes in order; the star fix (direct vs relay connection) explains half of all 'it was fine last month' cases.
AnyDesk session — connection path check
Connection typeDirect / Relay
Direct is bestLow latency
Relay fallbackSlower, can stutter
StabilityCheck both PCs
Direct-connection portTCP 6568
👆 Inside a session, the connection info shows whether you are direct or relayed — relayed sessions on weak internet are the classic freeze pattern.
1
Check the Boring Basics on Both PCs First
On both PCs, run a quick test: if the controlled PC is on a weak Wi-Fi signal at the far end of a house, the session will freeze no matter what you change on yours — move it closer to the router or wire it
Restart both PCs and the router if uptime is measured in months — it clears more session weirdness than any setting
Confirm both PCs run a current AnyDesk version — mixed old/new versions cause real connection quirks, and old builds should be updated anyway for the security reasons covered in this series
Watch whether freezes follow a pattern (every evening = congested local internet; exactly when a backup runs = the PC is busy)
2
Direct Connection vs Relay — the Big One
AnyDesk first tries a direct connection between the two PCs. If routers or firewalls block that path, it falls back to a relay through AnyDesk's servers — workable, but an extra hop that weak connections feel immediately.
During a session, open the connection information and see which path you are on
For direct connections, AnyDesk uses TCP port 6568 — if a strict firewall or a managed office router blocks it, you are permanently relayed
On a home router there is nothing to forward for normal use; on managed networks, ask the admin to allow AnyDesk's service and port 6568 outbound
If the path is direct and it still freezes, the problem is raw internet quality on one side — no setting fixes that; the lower-bandwidth display options in the next fix just make it survivable
3
Reduce the Load Inside the Session
In the session's display settings, choose the balanced or speed-optimised mode and let AnyDesk lower the resolution/quality automatically
Disable transmitting the remote PC's sound if you do not need it
Close heavy programs on the remote PC — a machine at 100% CPU encodes the screen slowly and feels like a network fault
Pause big downloads, cloud syncs and Windows Updates on both sides during important sessions
4
Kill the Usual Conflicts — VPN, Proxy, Sleep
VPN on either PC can force AnyDesk traffic through a distant server or block the direct path entirely — disconnect it for a test session; if the freezes vanish, you have your culprit
Antivirus/firewall suites occasionally inspect or block the AnyDesk service after their own updates — a quick test with the suite paused (minutes, not days) identifies it; then allow AnyDesk in its settings properly
Sleep and power saving — if the session "disconnects" after a fixed idle time, the remote PC or its network adapter is sleeping: set sleep to Never while plugged in and untick "allow the computer to turn off this device" for the network adapter in Device Manager
📌 Pattern worth remembering: freezes at random times = internet quality; freezes at an exact idle interval = sleep settings; freezes only since a change (new VPN, new antivirus, new router) = that change. Diagnose by pattern before reinstalling anything.
🎥 Watch the Complete Video Guide
The full AnyDesk popup video — every step shown live, step-by-step.
Why does AnyDesk lag even though my speed test is fast?
Speed tests measure a short burst to a nearby server. A remote session needs a steady, low-jitter stream to a specific other PC, possibly via a relay — packet loss and jitter on either side freeze it while headline speed looks great. Wi-Fi quality at the remote PC is the most common hidden cause.
What is the difference between a direct and a relayed AnyDesk connection?
Direct means the two PCs talk to each other with AnyDesk only helping them meet — lowest delay. Relayed means the session traffic passes through AnyDesk's servers, used when routers or firewalls (including blocked TCP port 6568) prevent the direct path. Relay works, but on weak internet it stutters first.
Sessions disconnect at exactly the same idle time every day. Why?
That regularity points at power management, not the network: the remote PC entering sleep, or its network adapter being powered down to save energy. Set sleep to Never on mains power and disable adapter power saving in Device Manager.
This guide is based on the Technical Anshu AnyDesk popup video • Stuck on any step? Ask in the video comments — you will get a reply there 🙏