Can’t connect to this network (Windows 10): Here’s How to Fix It
WiFi networks are generally easy to set up and connect to. For the most part, any configuration needed to set up the network will be taken care of in the router’s admin panel and your ISP will provide the needed support to set it all up. As an end-user, you only have to select the network from the device you want to connect to, enter the password for it, and you’ll be connected.
Can’t connect to this network error [Fixes]
If you’re trying to connect to a network on Windows 10 and keep seeing the Can’t connect to this network error, here’s how you fix it.
1. Restart PC and Router
If you’re having trouble connecting to a network, it’s always a good idea to restart your PC, as well as your router. Either or both can help fix most problems that might prevent you from connecting to a network.
2. Check connectivity
It is possible that your network or more precisely your service is experiencing a connectivity issue. Try connecting to the network from a different device and see if you’re able to access anything online. If you’re able to connect to the network from a different device, check that you have the correct password for the network on your Windows 10 PC.
3. Forget network and add it again
Open the Settings app and go to the Network and Internet group of settings. Select the WiFi tab and click ‘Manage known networks’. Look for the network that you’re trying to connect to. Select it, and click the ‘Forget’ button.
Once the network has been forgotten, click the network/WiFi icon in the system tray to open the list of available networks. Select the network you want to connect to, enter the password again, and click Connect.
4. Reset network adapter
A network adapter is the hardware component on your PC that establishes a connection with the router, and that allows you to connect to a network. Sometimes, even restarting the system doesn’t reset it properly. In that case, you can reset the network adapter manually.
Open the Settings app and go to the Network & Internet group of settings. Select the Status tab, and scroll down to the Network Reset option. Click it. Click the Network Reset button on the next screen and wait for your system to restart.
5. Run Network troubleshooter
Windows 10 has a built-in troubleshooter for various components, one of which is the network adapter. To run the troubleshooter, open the Settings app and go to the Network & Internet group of settings. Click the Status tab and click the ‘Network Troubleshooter’ option. Accept any and all fixes that it recommends.
6. Update drivers
Network driver updates often break Windows 10’s ability to connect to a network. Open Device Manager and expand the Network Adapters group of devices. Look for your network adapter and right-click it. From the context menu, select the update drivers option and allow it to check for updates. If any updates are available, install them. If no updates are available, select Properties. On the Driver tab check if there is a driver update that you can roll back. New drivers can be just as problematic as old, outdated ones so check if you can roll back to an older version. The older version might work.
7. Disable IPv6
It might help to disable IPv6. Generally speaking, this isn’t a good idea but when all the above steps fail, this might actually work. To disable IPv6, open File Explorer and paste the following in the location bar. Tap Enter. Right-click your network adapter and select ‘Properties’ from the context menu.
Control Panel\Network and Internet\Network Connections
On the Networking tab, look for and uncheck the IPv6 box. Restart your PC and then try connecting to the network.
You might also have to disable IPv6 on your router. This is something that you need to access the router’s admin panel for and the panel is different for different routers. Consult its manual to see how to disable IPv6 on it.
If IPv6 was already disabled, you should try enabling it, restarting your PC, and try to connect to the network.
8. Set DNS to automatic
Open File Explorer and paste the following in the URL bar. Tap Enter.
Control Panel\Network and Internet\Network Connections
Click ‘Change adapter settings’. Right-click your wireless network adapter and select ‘Properties’ from the context menu. Select IPv4 and click ‘Properties’. In the window that opens, make sure the DNS options are set to obtain a DNS server automatically.
9. Change wireless mode
The wireless mode that is used by the router must match the one that is used by the network adapter on your Windows 10 PC. Open File Explorer and paste the following in the location bar. Tap Enter.
Control Panel\Network and Internet\Network Connections
Right-click your network adapter and select ‘Properties’ from the context menu. Click the Configure button. In the window that opens, go to the Advanced tab and open the ‘Value’ dropdown. You will see a bunch of different values in the dropdown. Select the one that your router is using.
10. Renew IP address
Open the Command Prompt with admin rights and run the following command.
ipconfig /release
Next, run the following command.
ipconfig /renew
Restart your router, and your PC and then try connecting to the network again.
11. Check Windows update bugs
Windows updates tend to break things. In fact, a recent Windows 10 update did break wireless connectivity. Check recent updates that have been installed and then search if they’ve been causing problems. You might find a specific fix for an update that is causing problems. You might even have to install a new update to undo the damage the original one did.
Conclusion
Did any of the above work out for you? Let us know in the comments below, which one.
Forget Network and add it again worked for me.
Whatever they say about the Internet, it is full of good advice from knowledgable people who share their expertise for free. Thanks!
Thanks – tip 3 solved my problem, It concerned a computer that I had not used for quite a while and it seemed it had ‘lost’ the network although it appeared to know it was there it could not connect to it. When I put in the name and key for the network it connected straightaway,