Can’t Connect to This Network (WIFI) Windows 11/10 (solved)

Encountering the “Can’t Connect to This Network” error while connecting to the WiFi network? Suddenly after a recent Windows update, the WiFi gets disconnected and try to reconnect results “can’t connect to this network“. This error message indicates that the device cannot establish a stable connection with the selected network, which can be due to several reasons such as incorrect settings, outdated drivers, or physical obstacles interfering with the signal. Whatever the reason, In this article, we’ll explore practical steps to troubleshoot and resolve this connectivity problem, ensuring you can get back online quickly and efficiently.

Several users report the same issue “unable to connect to wifi” on the Microsoft forum:

After upgrading to Windows 10 can’t connect to my Wifi network. At same time i can connect to others, but when I try to connect to my network the message: Can’t connect to this network. After that the network disappears from the list, I tried to add manually but nothing. 

Can’t Connect To This Network

Internet & Network connection problems are most commonly caused by disconnected cables or by routers and modems that aren’t working correctly. Again incorrect network configuration, Outdated network adapter driver, Security software etc cause frequent disconnect or Can’t connect to this network error.

Common Causes of WiFi Connectivity Issues

1. Incorrect Network Credentials: Entering the wrong password or SSID (network name) can prevent connection.
2. Corrupted Network Profiles: Stored network profiles can become corrupted, leading to connection issues.
3. Outdated or Corrupt Network Drivers: Device Drivers enable communication between your operating system and hardware. If they’re outdated or corrupt, it can disrupt this communication.
4. Hardware Issues: Problems with the WiFi adapter or router can prevent a successful connection.
5. Software Conflicts: Sometimes, antivirus software or firewall settings can block the network connection.
6. Operating System Bugs: Occasionally, bugs in the operating system can interfere with network connectivity.
7. Network Overload: Too many devices connected to the same network can cause bandwidth issues and connectivity problems.

Fix Temporary glitch with Restarting Network Devices

First of all Power cycle modem-router-computer, most of the time fix Internet and network connections if any temporary glitch causes the problem.

1. Simply power off the Router, Switch and modem (if installed) at the same also restart your Windows 10 PC/Laptop
2. Wait a few minutes and then Turn on all network devices including the router, switch and modem and wait for all its lights to turn up.
3. Once Done try to connect the WiFi network this helps.

Restarting your router can resolve temporary connectivity issues caused by router software bugs or memory leaks.

Forget and Reconnect the WiFi network

Removing the WiFi network from your device and reconnecting forces your device to set up a fresh connection, potentially bypassing errors that occur from incorrect settings or corrupt profiles.

1. Open Settings App and go to Network & Internet.
2. Go to the Wi-Fi section and click Manage Wi-Fi settings.
3. Scroll down to the Manage Known Networks, select your Wireless network and click Forget.
4. After you’ve done that, connect to the same wireless network again.

Run Network Adapter Troubleshooter

Windows has a built-in Network Troubleshooter that automatically scans for issues with your network settings and attempts to fix them. It can identify and resolve common connectivity problems without manual intervention.

• Press the Windows key + I to open the settings app
• Go to Network and Internet, click on “Status”, and then on “Network troubleshooter”.

Uninstall and Re-install Network Adapter

Mostly this error “Can’t connect to this network” occurs when there’s something wrong with your network adapter driver, it’s corrupted or not compatible with the current Windows version. If the network adapter troubleshooter fails to fix the problem, you must try to update or reinstall the driver for the network adapter which probably fixes the problem for you.

Before move forward: On a different PC Visit your Device manufacturer’s site. look for the latest available Driver version for the network adapter, Download and save it to your local drive.

1. Press Windows Key + X to access the Power user menu, and select Device Manager from the list.
2. This will display all installed driver list. Find your network adapter,  right-click on it and select Uninstall from the context menu.
3. Make sure you check the “Delete the driver software for this device” box and click OK.
4. After uninstalling, restart your computer.
5. Wait till Windows automatically detect and re-install the Network adapter. Check if it solved the problem.
6. If Windows didn’t detect the network driver, simply Install the driver that was previously downloaded from the device manufacturer’s website.
7. Restart Windows to take effect the changes, Now connect to the Wireless network, and check it works.

Disable IPv6

• Press Windows + R, type ncpa.cpl and ok
• Right-click on the wireless adapter and select properties.
• Under Wireless Adapter properties locate the Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP /IPv6) box and uncheck it.
• Click on Ok and save the changes that you made. Restart your computer to apply them. Check if you can connect to the network now.

Change channel width

Again some of the users mentioned Changing the channel width for the wireless network adapter helps them to fix the Windows 10 can’t connect to this network issue.

• Again open the Network adapters window using ncpa.cpl command.
• locate your wireless adapter, right-click on it and select Properties from the context menu.
• When the Properties window opens, click the Configure button and switch to the Advanced tab.

• Under property, list select Wireless mode and select value change the value of Wireless mode so it matches the value of Wireless mode on your router.
• In most cases,   802.11b (or 802.11g) should work, but if it doesn’t, try experimenting with different options.

• Click on Ok and save the changes that you made. Check if the network connection is working fine again.

Reset Network Settings

If none of the above is working, trying the network reset option would probably help. This resets all your network-related settings to default, removing any incorrect configurations that could be blocking your connection. It reinstalls network adapters and restores settings to factory defaults.

• Open Settings and click on “Network & Internet”
• Then, click “Status” on the left. Scroll Down, You’ll find an option on the right called “Network reset.” Click on it.

• Your pc will restart itself, so make sure you have everything saved and ready to shut down. Click the “Reset now” button when you’re ready.

• Network Reset Confirmation popup will appear, Click Yes to confirm the same and Reset the Network Settings to the default setup.

• It will take Flew minutes to Perform the Reset process after that, the windows automatically restart.
• Now connect to your wireless network, hope this time you get connected.

Temporarily Disable Firewall/Antivirus

Security software can sometimes block your device from connecting to the internet as a protective measure. Temporarily disabling these can help you determine if they are the cause of your connectivity issues.

Temporarily turn off any firewall or antivirus software from their respective settings menus. Remember to turn them back on after testing.

Did these solutions help to fix the Windows Network and internet connection problem “can’t connect to this network”? Let us know in the comments below.